December 1, 1997 West
Paducah , KY
March 24, 1998 Jonesboro ,
AR
May 21, 1998 Springfield ,
OR
April 20, 1999 Littleton ,
CO
Ya know what? Go to this link and check out school shootings
worldwide. Note how the majority take place in the United States .
There are many more instances of babies killing babies. But
honestly, that is only part of what this blog is about. What I remember asking
myself repeatedly 4 days after the senseless killings in Newtown , Connecticut Sandy Hook , I
had to pull over and sob uncontrollably on the side of the road.
It's no secret I despise guns. I think a machine
specifically designed to take human life has no place in civilized society. Why
do we need something in everyday life that allows one human to take another
human life so readily? Don't think I know what I am talking about? During my work
as a journalist, I have been shot at. Repeatedly. I have seen countless gun
violence crime scenes. And some of those crime scenes involved the deaths of
children. Don't preach to me about protecting your family after you go to a
remote creek bridge in Texas
to view a crime scene where a teenage girl had her head blown off and her body
thrown off the bridge. She had been shot nine times. I had a sheriff's agent
point out remnants of her brain, scalp and hair on the bridge rail. I was more
stunned by my lack of shock at what I was seeing. I hadn't even been a
reporter for that long, but I realized I couldn't become desensitized to that
sort of thing ever again. And you know what? Two of the three men involved in
killing that beautiful high school cheerleader were also high school kids.
Babies killing babies. Later, the girl's father filed a lawsuit against
the store that sold and handed over shotgun ammunition to two of the killers.
The complaint alleged negligence on the grounds that the action violated state
law on the supply of offensive weapons to minors, and that this negligence
caused his daughter's death. Because the lawsuit was brought about in a
conservative state, it went nowhere. After all of my experiences, I hate guns
even more. According to ABC News, 34 people die as a result of guns every day
in America .
That is 34 too many. Yes, gun nuts, WAY TOO EFFING MANY!
Back to recent events...its despicable it took the killing
of 20 little angels and 6 brave adults to finally justify an outcry for tougher
gun legislation. Take a look at that link again. How many Americans died? Many
of them were kids. How many died after 2004 once George W. Bush allowed a
federal assault weapons ban to expire? And now, who do we blame?
Blame seems to be a tough word for people these days. I have
seen blame put on the NRA, Dubya, Democrats, Republicans, Obama, parents,
mental illness, congress, and even ME over the past few days. And in a way, we
are ALL to blame. I could have lobbied harder to my local representatives for
tougher local and national gun legislation. I could have signed more petitions
or sent that one email that changed the heart of Bob Corker or any of my local
or national representatives. But we ALL have blood on our hands. Some more than
others. We failed these children by being complacent and wrapped in our own
little world of "it won't happen to me and mine."
I have never been a fan of the NRA. I don't think a lobby
with that much money and power should be fighting to continue to allow death
machines in the hands of any American. The fact that this group exists is so
ridiculous, it defies explanation. And the further fact that this group is
feared by politicians, and in Washington
D.C. Newtown .
All the while, they welcome new members they scared into believing
that Obama was going to take their guns. Check Obama's record. He has
never even once said he would do that. Well, maybe its finally time he did.
And just in case you were wondering, here is a list of
politicians on the NRA payroll:
Is your rep on it? Senator Bob Corker, my rep, is on that
list and I will indeed be sending him a concerned email. I'd be surprised if he
read it, but stranger things have happened. But let's look at it this way. The
NRA gave him $4,950 in 2012 donations. So, I plan on asking him if his support
for the NRA and its policies along with the 2004 assault weapons ban expiration
was worth the lives of 20 children and 6 adults in Connecticut or 12 people in
Aurora, Colorado etc...
And I know that tougher gun legislation is just the tip of
the iceberg. President Obama took a huge step this year in signing the
Affordable Healthcare Act which also helps with access to low-cost mental
healthcare. Americans who need access to quality mental healthcare and
medications should never have to pay an arm and a leg for the help they need.
Plus, insurance companies should have little say in who stays in and who leaves
mental health centers. A friend of mine, who was caring for her suicidal
cousin, wasn't able to keep him in a center because, after four days, their
insurance company insisted he be released. Why was that? It was because he
hadn't tried to kill himself in that time. Doctors and healthcare experts
should have a say in when patients are released. Not the insurance companies.
But I heard on NPR this morning from a man who worked in a pediatric hospital.
He claimed that children with serious mental health issues are admitted for
around one to weeks, then released. Some anti-depression and anti-psychotic
medications take 5-6 weeks to begin taking effect. The system, when it comes to
mental healthcare, also needs a close look and perhaps an overhaul.
Another good point is brought up by my incredibly smart
boyfriend, who suggests we go after the ammunition. The 2nd Amendment is
seriously outdated, but it still says nothing about ammunition. We should
outlaw the ammo or at least price it like it's a Rolex watch. We have a serious
budget deficit in this country and taxing the hell out of ammo (and guns) would
be a great way to help get us out of this financial crisis. It isn't the
answer, but it will certainly help. Do you really think drive by shootings
would happen daily if bullets costed $100 a pop?
I had a man try to tell me recently that sugar killed more
people than guns. I am not sure as to the validity of that statement, but even
if it's true, the argument is silly at best. You can't take a 5 pound bag of
sugar into a crowded mall and kill 10 people in less than a minute. You can
also control the intake of your sugar. The arguments I hear about cars being
deadly is also a heap of crap. Cars are not designed to kill. You don't take a
car or truck into the middle of the woods and shoot deer with it. Guns are
SPECIFICALLY designed to kill, injure, and maim. And target practice is simply
rehearsing to kill, injure, or maim. Oh- and those that suggest we arm
principals, teachers, and guards in schools are the ones who really do need
mental healthcare. More guns is certainly NOT going to solve the problem. The
solution to gun violence is NOT more guns.
I am well aware that overly expensive guns and ammo, better
and affordable mental healthcare and stricter gun laws are not going to prevent
school shootings from happening again. But if it will help in the prevention of
incidents like Newtown and Columbine from happening, then I am all for it. It's
like I told a gentleman yesterday "If these things can save the life
of one American, isn't it worth it?" And I will happily debate anyone who
thinks their guns are more valuable than human life. It's an argument they will
not win because, as I stated earlier, it IS that simple. Do you want your guns
or do you want a safe America?
I conclude with a quote from The West Wing:
"I do know that if you combine the populations of Great
Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia,
you've got a population roughly the size of the United States. We had 32,000
gun deaths last year and they had 112. Do you think it's because Americans are
more homicidal by nature? Or do you think it's because those guys have gun
control laws?"
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