Some people think that guns are really cool. I do not really see the appeal, but I'm willing to concede that most people who own guns are decent, responsible citizens who would never engage in such senseless violence. They're not the ones I'm worried about. I'm worried about the nut-jobs.
A dozen people are dead now because some total lunatic got his hands on four guns and decided to externalize his angst in a public place. One of the dead is a little six year old kid.
I am tired of this. I want stricter gun control. If it were up to me, and I wish it were, we as a nation would take every gun we own, melt them down, and use them to make useful things that don't kill people. How many more people have to die before our "leaders" stand up to the NRA and create some legislation that at least tries to keep assault weapons away from the mad men? I for one am tired of our kids dying violent, painful, terrifying deaths, and I'm tired of our politicians doing nothing about it just because some people think that guns are cool.
Other blog entries/Op eds worth reading:
Jason Alexander's brilliant rant:
http://www.salon.com/2012/07/22/jason_alexanders_amazing_gun_rant//
Roger Ebert:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/opinion/weve-seen-this-movie-before.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share
Hardcore Zen:
http://hardcorezen.info/batman-tragedy/1052
NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/nyregion/for-many-new-yorkers-gunfire-is-part-of-the-soundtrack-of-their-lives.html?_r=1
Posts
After the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia brought in stronger gun laws. Buy back schemes had the honest folks handing over their illegal guns.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what changing the laws would do to a country who has it written into their constitution that you have the right to bear arms, and with such a large accumulation of people owning guns, how those laws would be carried out.
It takes small steps in the right direction to get to where you want to be. Good luck to the sensible people. May you some day outnumber the gun lobby.
Thank you Belinda. I agree that it will be an uphill battle for us. There are TONS of guns out there! I don't know how to fix it, I just wish some of our leaders would at least try.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this-- I appreciate brave commentaries on the need for stricter gun laws and stronger enforcement. At the very least, assault weapons and thousands of rounds of ammo shouldn't be so easily available to joe shmoe. That would be a starting place.
ReplyDelete