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| Clip Art from Microsoft Office |
Dear Friends,
Today is my RANT DAY - something I have never done before on my blog I usually tend to not get involved with controversial issues because I don't exactly want lots of negative comments. But after yesterday's shooting at an elementary school, I have to say something.
My heart goes out to the parents of the students involved. This was another senseless act that could probably have been prevented. I'm not Einstein and my brain isn't always all there, but we need to wake up in this country. I know this is a very complex issue and one that is not going to be solved anytime soon. But we need to start somewhere.
When are we ever going to stand up to the gun control issue. I value the freedoms we have in the US, but when it comes to guns, why do we need so much freedom. Yes I know our Constitution says we have the right to bear arms. But I don't remember where it ever said we had the right to kill people! And apparently the public can't be very responsible to having those same guns so readily available. Just yesterday a twitter friend from another country made the comment "The US's gun laws are too lenient!" My sentiments exactly!
I live in the "hunting state of Wisconsin" and am apt to have everyone I know down on my neck. I have nothing against hunters using their guns to hunt (although I find this idea repulsive myself because I love the same animals they hunt). But I don't like those same guns sitting around at home in a closet or gun case that can easily be broken into. If you are a hunter, I certainly hope you have whatever guns you have safely locked up somewhere were children or young adults cannot get to them. You never know when someone will get into those guns (yes, even the best behaved kids experiment with them).
Case in point: My husband (Don) comes from a family of 3 boys (all 2 years apart in age with Don being the oldest) and a girl about 10 years younger than Don. All three boys grew up with guns, learned all the safety rules, took hunter's safety courses, and went hunting quite often to kill rabbit and squirrel (they always ate what they caught). One afternoon, Don and one of his brothers were fooling around in a basement room with the guns. Don had pointed the gun out the window just to check the site. He put his finger around the trigger, just for fun, and accidentally pulled it. It blew out the basement window and made a hole in the curtain. The sad part is that his youngest brother had just seconds before walked by the same window. Had Don shot that rifle seconds earlier, he would have shot his brother. A very close call indeed and a move he regrets to this day..
My point is - why were those guns so readily available in the house. Why were they never locked up! Don was in high school at that time and certainly knew better, but he still took a risk! Now you put those same guns into the hands of someone who might have some mental problems and it's an accident waiting to happen,.. It was an accident waiting to happen in Don's house. I don't know the situations behind the shooting yesterday, but obviously the guns were not that hard to get. My guess would be they were available right there in his home.
I have also heard in the media that this young man had been diagnosed with Asbergers Syndrome . Now this should have certainly been a red flag. Why was he allowed around guns. I don't know and we'll probably never know.
Wake up people - this same thing could happen anywhere, anytime and to any of you. Schools can only go so far with protecting our children. It's up to parents to get guns out of your homes so that no student has easy access to a gun. We have seen this same thing happen too many times over the past few years. The problem isn't going to go away by itself.
If writing this saves one child by a parent removing guns from their house, then I will consider it a personal victory. If you know of someone with gun around the house, speak up and express your concern. We have to start somewhere!
Mary
