Gun Violence

HATRED and GUNS: Just thinking in BLOG

 There is a a new anti-democracy pandemic in our nation.  It is HATRED. This HATRED is a festering disease.  This disease, like cancer, has been lying dormant in the souls of many in our nation for many, many years.  I believe our last President triggered the outward manifestation of this disease.  Let me be clear.  HATRED by itself isn’t deadly.  

Put a weapon, like a gun, in the hands of a hater and there is the potential of DEADLY VIOLENCE. Put millions of guns in the hands of HATERS and the potential for deadly results that can become explosive.  HATRED by itself doesn’t kill. A gun by itself is not the cause of this pandemic.  The gun in the hand of a HATER alone is only part of the pandemic.  Put a gun in the hand of a HATER who also has some mental challenges and there is an extreme potential for gun violence — and death.  HATRED without weaponization doesn’t kill.  GUNS without hatred doesn’t kill.  

What cures HATRED?  Love is at the top of my list and the need for more blogging!

I know there will be those who will find many holes in this logic. What I know for sure is that there are many ways we can CONTROL the violence that causes the high rate of gun related deaths.   

Consider this short list of gun related safeguards.  This list does not violate the second amendment right to bare arms.  

  1. Background checks
  2. Age restrictions on gun ownership
  3. Eliminate manufacturers’ immunity from liability
  4. Ban assault weapons 
  5. Ban high-capacity magazines
  6. Ban ghost guns
  7. Gun liability insurance (not unlike car insurance requirements)
  8. Weapon training (not unlike driving training)
  9. Red-flag laws
  10. Gun storage/lock requirements

Just thinking in blog.   

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TOO MANY MASS SHOOTINGS!

In grieving the needless death of five souls in Colorado Springs on November 20, 2022.

It is reported that there have been over 600 mass shootings in this country this year (2022). This doesn’t include ‘single victim’ shooting victims! There are more guns in this country than citizens.

I don’t want to take away the constitutional right to own guns. For me, background checks, red tag laws and restrictions on high power assault weapon ownership sound rational and constitutionally allowable. Personally, I think ‘open carry laws’, without proper training or insurance on high powered weapons are dangerous and can potentially put law enforcement officers at risk in responding to shooting incidents. Speaking as a non gun owner-novice, two or more people holding a gun on each other in a shooting incident? Does a law enforcement officer always know how to distinguish between a victim and citizen lawfully garnishing a gun?

Yes, these are my thoughts as a non-gun owner! One more thought: why is it so easy for some government entities in some states to create laws against certain books, than creating laws to protect innocent citizens who become, along with families and friends, victims of gun violence?

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I Wonder…..HOW DO WE CURB ALL THE VIOLENCE?

In hearing about another school shooting in Roseburg Oregon (October 1, 2015), I feel compelled to write down some thoughts. In not putting NRA friends on the defensive, I wonder: How do we curb all the violence?

I agree with the President that this issue of violence and mass shootings needs to be discussed by the candidates for President.   My question for the candidates: What would you do as President do to curb all this gun violence? BE SPECIFIC!

  1. The Constitution (second amendment) gives the right for all citizens to “bare arms”. At the same time, I wonder if the National Rifle Association, with all of it’s resources (lobbyists and financial resources) could take a more proactive stance in helping to address this national crisis?   Specifically, what could NRA do with all of its resources to help limit access of weapons to those who are mentally unstable?
  2. I admit that this is a stretch in my thinking! I am fully aware that pain medications (opiates) have been killing people who over use or abuse them. Those of us on pain meds are now experiencing a government that places major restrictions on those of us who need these meds. I am getting used to these restrictions. I am wondering if there shouldn’t be some intervention or limited access to some of ammunition used in certain guns?
  3. We have a congress that likes to spend millions of dollars holding hearings on a host issues they feel are important the safety and well-being of Americans. When are we going to hold our congress accountable in doing some work to help curb all this violence—especially when it comes to helping with the mental illness issues that seems to exist behind all this violence?

Finally, I have been careful to blame guns or gun ownership for all the violence. At the same time, guns are used with the most deadly of school shootings. We need to lift our prayers for the victims of these shootings. We also need to “hit the pavement” in finding ways to address this violence.

One Year Anniversary of Death of Michael Brown

While there has been a small amount of progress since the hateful shooting of an 18 year old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9th of 2014, it is frustrating for me to hear almost every night on the news about another shooting.  Have we become desensitized to all this violence? There seems to be one major common denominator when it comes to all the violence: MENTAL ILLNESS.

While guns are often the tools-of-choice for unstable persons acting out against others, the focus of time and energy and advocacy needs to be in diagnosing and treating mental illness. And yes, this is a medical and societal crisis!   So on this anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, let’s search for ways to be advocates in helping this nation improve conditions for the mentally ill.   And yes, anything we can do to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill persons would a great help in curbing all the violence.

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