It's Time for Change

Mass shootings are in the news way too often.  The fact that it is “normal” to see stories such as this scrolling across the bottom of the screen is sickening.  At what point does an individual think they have the right to take someone else’s life? I feel as though privilege in this country is being taken for granted. The fact that reporters are fighting to be the first on the scene to the most horrific tragedies to boosts their career is disheartening.  At the same time, when such events happen, politicians start pushing their agenda.  This country has completely divided on- Every. Single. Issue. Imaginable.

I know I am privileged to have been born and live in America, a female in the United States at that.  What makes our country so unique is our First Amendment.  The Second amendment ensures our rights as Americans to bear arms and protect our country and ourselves.  Who would have thought we would be needing to protect ourselves, let alone our children at school from people just wanting to cause as much harm as possible? This is by no means a pro or anti-gun rant, however, most of the people I know that own a weapon, have had professional training on how to handle a weapon responsibly.

So, do we need to tighten up some of the gun ownership laws? In my opinion... absolutely. However, when I scroll through social media and see people stating “it’s guns that are killing people, not people,” I question if this is an element of the truth.  They are missing the other fact that guns don’t shoot themselves.  “Let someone take a knife to a school and cause 17 deaths in 30 seconds,” they say. The simple fact is, murders and mass killers aren’t following the law and what about the old saying “you can’t take a knife to a gun fight.”  The gun does not shoot itself, that’s also another fact.

How do we stop this vicious cycle?  I say we quit publishing the names and the faces of the ones seeking to cause such chaos.  They do not deserve the “honor” of knowing their name and face is scrolling across every news station morning and night when the incident first happens or the pleasure of knowing that through a quick google search, their name and picture will instantaneously pop up.

Of all the freedoms and privileges provided by this country, we as parents have to worry about sending our kids to school now. That seems backward and wrong on every level.  What and where did things go so terribly wrong?  I love my country, but things do need to change.

By Joan C. - HTH Representative