I’m sorry to say it, but this society has a sickness around guns. Three days after an horrendous mass killing at a Michigan high school by a 15 year old with a semi automatic pistol, given to him for Christmas by his father, a Kentucky Republican congressman displays him and his smiling family in front of a Christmas tree holding an assortment of weapons that even a police department or a military unit would not have with the cheeky caption of “Dear Santa, please send ammo”. It was despicable and an insult to the students who were just shot dead or seriously wounded. Then, to top it off, Republican senators promptly buried a bill that would expand current background checks that would more insure that the wrong people wouldn’t get their hands on guns. Just when does all this insane nonsense end?
The Michigan school had the opportunity to order this deranged student to be taken home by his parents who were all present for a conference several hours before the massacre. They backed down when the parents refused to take him home. Nor did anyone have the gumption to check this kid’s backpack during the meeting–a backpack that contained the gun he used to murder his classmates.
So who’s protecting our young people in schools? Not the Republicans in congress. Not the school officials. Not gun manufacturers. Not gun shop owners. Not the parents in this case. Kids now have to return to this school, and every school across this nation, essentially confronting a Russian Roulette scenario. There’s always a possible bullet in the chamber of a possible gun in the backpack or under the overcoat of a potential classmate murderer. How’s that for our Constitution’s guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? As far as I know, we’re the only country in the world that puts our kids into such daily danger. And that too is despicable, along with the reality that we keep voting Republicans into office.
Despicable is the word, for sure. For you know what it means by the very sound of it. It conveys the words spit upon, which is perhaps the most degrading insult one human being can do to another human being without actually killing him or her.
To spit on someone is what we are doing to our young students in schools at all levels across this country. Consequently, we’ve again politicized something that should never have been politicized: A student should never have to worry about his or her or they’s personal safety while in school. Their safety is not debatable. Our founders anticipated the danger of guns. The Second Amendment clearly states guns are permissible but must be “well-regulated.” There’s no room for politicking here. Lethal guns need to be well regulated. Cars are well regulated. Planes are well regulated. Food is well regulated. Work is well regulated. Prescription drugs are well regulated. Copyright of creative material is well regulated. Patents are well regulated. Legal procedures are well regulated. Why not guns? The NRA is why not. Politicians are why not. Ignorant voters are why not.
Come on people. With unregulated guns, kids can’t attend school with a mind clear for learning. Workers can’t go to work confident they will be returning home that night. Cops can’t even make a simple traffic stop without worrying if they’ll be shot point blank by some crazy with a gun.
Come on people. You can still have your guns. This liberal, me, doesn’t want to take them away from you. I just want them sanely “well-regulated,” so this society can fulfill its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
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