Every. Damn. Day. Another shooting.
The statistics are alarming. If you compare the number of gun deaths by homicide, suicide and accident in America to the gun deaths in other wealthy countries, our stats are deplorable. Last year alone, nearly 20,000 Americans were killed by gun violence and another 24,000 committed suicide with a gun.
Yet still, gun enthusiasts argue that the 2nd Amendment guarantees their right to bear arms. Sorry, but I don’t believe our founding fathers envisioned a gun-slinging society with every Tom, Dick and Harry strutting around town with a firearm. They certainly didn’t envision all the Marys, Janes and Tricias bearing arms because, though the 2nd Amendment was adopted in 1791, the Equal Rights Amendment wasn’t adopted until 1972.
Regardless, we are in the 21st Century now, not the 16th. We are not living in an era of muskets anymore. Today’s guns are much more deadly and no longer used to supposedly protect ourselves, but to kill ourselves and others.
Do we really think that a person’s right to bear arms should be an essential right? I know it is, but should it be? I don’t think so. Another person’s right to bear arms should not supersede my right to feel safe going to work or the grocery store or my daughter’s going to school.
The 2nd Amendment should protect a person’s right to protect one’s person and property, without referencing “arms” at all.
Did you know that in the past two decades alone, the number of gun deaths in America has exceeded the total number of military deaths in all of the wars since and including WWI? Something’s wrong.
So why doesn’t Congress do anything?
I’m sure the millions of dollars that the NRA has put into the hands of our national political “leaders” has certainly had something to do with it. In fact, the NRA has done an incredible job of stifling any meaningful discourse on gun control in our government. And even though studies have shown that the majority of Americans support some kind of gun control legislation, our representatives look to their party leaders and campaign contributors – not their constituents — to tell them how to vote on proposed legislation. I guess it’s better to assure your reelection than to research an issue, listen to the people you represent, and do what’s best for the country. If these federal representatives were in any other profession, they would be fired for not doing their job. So why haven’t we fired them?
There are too many guns in America. Approximately 32% (67 million) of U.S. adults own a gun, yet there are an estimated 393 million firearms in America. That equates to an average of nearly six firearms per gun owner. Overkill? Yes. Although most gun owners cite “protection” or “safety” as their reason for owning a gun, research has shown that households with guns are significantly more at risk of accidental deaths, suicides and domestic homicides.
The vast majority of American gun owners are upstanding citizens. There are a small number of them, however, who use their weapons to incite terror and kill. And it’s this small number of gun owners that has changed American society forever. There is a cloud of fear over America now.
You may argue that it’s not the guns that are killing people; it’s people killing people. But you know what? If those people didn’t have guns, they likely wouldn’t have killed people. If those people didn’t have guns, they’d have time to have second thoughts about committing suicide. This country currently allows just about every adult to own and sometimes carry a gun. Is that really the kind of America we want for our children? Our grandchildren? Ourselves? “Here, Junior. If you’re going to the movies, you don’t want to forget your pistol.”
Oh Jill….. maybe if you go out and buy a gun yourself, you will feel safer. It is not the guns, it is the shooter. If they can’t get a gun, they will run you over with a car. Should we ban cars. I have several guns and I am a proud member of the NRA. I am safe when I carry (and this is all the time) and when I am not, my guns are locked up. But if you think I am going to sit back and watch these young punks jumping on police cars, you are mistaken. It might work in the city where you have weak mayors and people filming it, but they should try it in the country. There are a lot of people that are sick of the criminal shit going on and nothing is being done. Guns are more important now then ever. Your governor in CA is a complete idiot. People are finally figuring it out. Sorry, I like you need to vent. Love you sis.
Stop it you two siblings LOL. So I never comment but this is a loaded topic (yes pun intended.) Jeff is right about people shooting people….and if we take away the 2nd amendment, then “those people” will still get guns and then what happens to those people that respect the laws? How do we protect ourselves. I get what you are saying Jill, in a perfect world your strategy works, but America is far from perfect! I don’t own a gun, I am sort of afraid of guns, but the people I know that own guns are not the ones going out on a rampage. If outlawed, it will be like the Illegal Drug market and would be easy to get on the street I think they should limit what guns citizens are able to get such as, Assault rifles, rapid fire guns and armor piercing guns/bullets. I am in favor of getting those off the market, but again…the streets would offer them underground.
I DO like the insurance idea though, but again, the law abiding citizen will be impacted, not the people who shoot people.
I have no answers…but rest assured I love reading your blogs.
Thanks for commenting, Kerry! Don’t side with Jeffrey. He knows not of what he speaks.
Your comment regarding how the outlawing of guns would result in guns being acquired through an underground market is true initially, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing the right thing. There’s an underground gun market already. At some point, we have to ask ourselves,”Should we just continue doing nothing and watch as the number of violent crimes, mass shootings and suicides continues to rise, or should we at least try to do something — anything — to curve those trends?” We know that doing nothing does nothing. There’s an underground market for illicit drugs too. Should we legalize all illicit drugs in order to get rid of underground drug trafficking? No, because our government has a responsibility to protect the public health. Our government also has a responsibility to protect the public safety and that’s why we should either outlaw or severely restrict the sale and purchase of firearms. Law enforcement can work to obliterate underground gun markets.
Saw that you were up at Julie and Tom’s cabin recently. Hope you guys had fun!
OK so I will meet you in the middle. Assault rifles, rapid fire guns and armor piercing guns/bullets. I am in favor of getting those off the market.
I think that was a facebook memory that posted. However, I do love visiting Tom and Julie in the U.P.
Hi Kerry, thanks for support (partial support is better then none). I am for background checks and mental illness checks. Ohio you have to have a background check to buy a gun except at the gun shows. I agree we need them there also. As for assault rifles, if a criminal can get one, I want one. I carry a gun with me all the time. I pray I will never need to use it, but I will be pissed at myself if I did not have it on me when I needed it. Guns are not bad, the people that use them to harm others are. Most are nut jobs that will use a knife or a bomb if they can’t get a gun. I will be in the UP in 2 weeks.
LOL “partial support.” Well, I hope you never need it!
You seem to be open to background and mental, psych screening too.
AND
Jill said “we should either outlaw OR severely restrict the sale and purchase of firearms.” I agree with the latter.
So that makes me feel better about mediating between you two. lol
So what I agree with so far including the above:
1, Mandatory Gun safety classes/psych evals, along with annual renewal certifcations and psych evals-like drivers license. People may be mentally stable now, but stressors can send a person in a really bad direction as we see on TV News all the time.
2. Assault rifles, rapid fire guns and armor piercing bullets should only be available to law enforcement. (good luck monitoring that.)
3. I also like the insurance idea (Sorry Jeff) but really, are criminals that operate off radar going to do all the above and pay insurance? Doubtful.
I do like Jill’s optimism saying “Law enforcement can work to obliterate underground gun markets.” Maybe she is onto something there, if law abiding citizens were screened more closely with mandatory annual reviews, that would lower the risk, especially if they had to renew each year. (sorry Jeff, more work for the law abiders.)
Great chatting with you guys. I have never commented on anything before, I write like I talk. 🙂
Jeff, I am jealous, but have fun in the UP.
You’re an excellent mediator, Kerry!
A couple of years ago, we had a neighbor “Ted”. He was in his 80s and was a war veteran and gun owner. He also suffered from dementia, sometimes not knowing where he was. He was married and his wife did a good job of containing him for the most part, but every night, Ted took to patrolling the perimeter of the outside of his house to guard against burglars and ne’er-do-wells. He did these patrols while armed with a shot gun. When I learned about this activity, I became alarmed. We have a little girl who may one day be playing outside in the dark. What if Ted mistook her as a wartime enemy? I called the local sheriff’s department (not 911) to voice my concerns and to see if they had any authority to confiscate his weapons because of his dementia. They said no, that it was his Constitutional right as an American to own a gun. Now, does THAT make sense to you?
My frustration is that a bill just requiring background checks cannot pass through Congress. By our government doing nothing, they are essentially wiping their hands of the problem of mass shootings.
As an aside, I also think there should be extremely harsh punishment for gun owners — especially those who have children in their home — who don’t secure their weapons — regardless of whether something bad happens as a result. Give county officers responsibility for doing routine weapon security checks on households that have guns.
I am so sorry for your loss And cannot imagine your pain.
I like the idea of mandatory classes and if you pass and maybe add a psych evaluation to it you can get again
I completely agree. I am over this. We shouldn’t be worried about getting shot going to the store, our places of work, church, or any place. We need gun control. Our congress NEEDS to act!
Stop it you two siblings LOL. So I never comment but this is a loaded topic (yes pun intended.) Jeff is right about people shooting people….and if we take away the 2nd amendment, then “those people” will still get guns and then what happens to those people that respect the laws? How do we protect ourselves. I get what you are saying Jill, in a perfect world your strategy works, but America is far from perfect! I don’t own a gun, I am sort of afraid of guns, but the people I know that own guns are not the ones going out on a rampage. If outlawed, it will be like the Illegal Drug market and would be easy to get on the street I think they should limit what guns citizens are able to get such as, Assault rifles, rapid fire guns and armor piercing guns/bullets. I am in favor of getting those off the market, but again…the streets would offer them underground.
I DO like the insurance idea though, but again, the law abiding citizen will be impacted, not the people who shoot people.
I have no answers…but rest assured I love reading your blogs.
It is quite interesting how the logic and philosophy of the “fierce” defenders of the 2nd Ammendment are exactly the opposite of the morality and humanity that the great majority ascribe to. It is beyond a sad state of affairs. The tail is wagging the dog! The over zealous gun owners, who are a lesser percent of all gun owners, are dictating our societal norms, mores and culture. They cry, kick and scream before any reasonable discussion can be had. That is certainly not typical of all gun owners, but they steal the show with their self aggrandizing bullhorn babble.
Corporate and massive personal donations of any kind need to stop! The buying of policy in our democracy makes The United States of America no better than a dictatorship. Shame on the Lily livered cowardice shared by the politicians that engender and replicate the same tragedy ad infinitum. I don’t think that all politicians are void of morality or sincerity but there are too many who are. And they reign any power they have in an unwieldy manner. Part of their power is in the money that they accrue by bending and manipulating policy to increase their wealth.
I want no part of greed. I would rather be penniless and serving humanity over ill gotten wealth and social disconnect any day of the week.
Rise up! Wake up! Unite! Work to make the necessary changes in the law, the Constitution and our culture.
Well said!
Jill, I love how your pen just flows with all of my same thoughts. I have always said about the 2nd amendment, that we had muskets when that was written.
I have always been for stricter gun laws, but even more so since my daughter and unborn granddaughter were murdered by a man who was able to not only buy his gun at a gun show a week before be murdered Julia, but also purchased 200 rounds of ammunition at the same time. No background check, no waiting period.
I think at minimum, people should have to take classes, just like for a drivers license, and if they pass, then they can purchase a gun.
We have to start somewhere, and now is the time.
Great read.
Kim, I know you must struggle every day with losing Julia and her unborn child in such a violent way. You, Phil and the rest of your family are in my prayers.
Re classes: I agree whole-heartedly! Every gun owner should at the very least be licensed. And to get your license, you should have to pass both a written and shooting class. It just makes sense. I’m really dumbfounded that it’s NOT required right now. I understand Texas has legislation pending that would allow open carry without a license!