I wasn’t planning to revisit the Colorado shooting again this soon. I contributed my five cents on Friday and was planning to move on and yet…
I spoke with a few friends this weekend, watched a few newscasts and read a few articles. To be perfectly honest, I’m not a fanatic in either direction regarding our gun control laws. I didn’t grow up with guns but I know plenty of people who did and I have no problem with our 2nd Amendment laws. Now with regard to assault weaponry – yeeeaahh – from a reasonable person perspective that ish is a bit much.
From a rational, law-abiding, I don’t want to fear for my life walking into a movie theater or starbucks perspective, I think stronger gun control laws – especially with regard to assault weapons – are necessary and now is EXACTLY the perfect time to begin fresh discussions about “how” – the “when” and the “why” have already been answered. You know when the other perfect time do so was? The Thursday before the shooting. You know the other perfect time? Last year, two years ago, 5 years ago, 10, 20, 30 years ago. More perfect times? Today. Right now. At any given moment during any day is the perfect time to open up a legitimate dialogue and start working together to put real laws in place.
Jon Stewart highlighted a few talking heads last night who said that now is NOT the time to discuss gun control laws. Mike Huckabee had the nerve to say “This is not the time to have the discussion. And it’s frankly, I think, insulting to the American public right now to try to politicize something as horrific as this.” Really Huckabee? REALLY?!? Funny how that statement reeks with political posturing to me. Why is now not a good time? Because it’s an election year? You see how I might find HIS statement to be all types of hypocritical and self-serving right? Right.
Another friend asked why does it take the gunning down of a large group of people for the entire nation to be spurred into action? Why does it take the killing of mass groups of people for us to be besieged with non stop coverage and analysis of the situation? His point is that innocent people literally die every single day from gun violence. Every. Single. Day. Innocents. I do recognize that it’s not every single day that a group of people are mowed down in a movie theater BUT if innocent people are killed every day is it not so far-fetched that some half-baked wanna be terrorist with easy access to a Walmart might not cook up some scheme to take out as many people as possible in one setting just because he can?
I understand the right to protect yourself and I’m glad we have that right. What I don’t understand is vehemently defending the right to be able to walk into a store, by an assault weapon, walk into a movie theater, or a school or a church or a starbucks and mow down everyone in eyesight in seconds.
If now isn’t the time to have the conversation then when? After the next innocent life is lost? Or the one after that? Unfortunately for those people then it will be too late.
I re-posted this picture on my facebook page yesterday. Seems like a good place to start re regulations:
NOW is the time to act.
Again, great post. I agree completely about pro-lifers but have to point out that the right to bear arms isn’t really a right, any more than the right to vote was. I posted this on a friend’s page just before I read your blog: If it boils down to protecting a 2nd amendment Constitutional right, the spirit of the amendment, or the law is what matters. The spirit of the constitution was rooted in a place of racism and sexism. Black people and women were NOT who those rights were provided for.
Conservatives STILL speak from that place, which is why the NRA is so effective and well funded. Gun laws are code for vigilante justice, and arming everyone in this nation who ain’t you or me. I say lets go arms-free together and spend the money from that industry on educating, helping, housing, and supporting folks so they don’t go awol like that student, and the Columbine shooter.
Both massacres happened just before an under-qualified, overly-conservative republican was elected. I’m watching to see how this gets spun and used for the campaigns.
TINA!! I’m always very happy to see a comment from you!! I understand your position, unfortunately I think we are a looooong way off from going arms-free, not saying that it couldn’t happen I just don’t see it happening anytime soon so in the interim I think we start with outright outlawing access to assault weapons like those used in the Colorado shooting. I found it horrifically self-serving that certain factions declared that now wasn’t a good time to even legitimately DISCUSS the issue, I wasn’t surprised by their assertions but I still found them appalling.
You are correct in that the framers of the constitution did not have the likes of us in mind when they included the right to bear arms in the bill of rights however we are included now and I can certainly go out and start stockpiling an arsenal (well maybe not me personally, last name being Muhammad and all but I could send someone else, sorry I digress) and therein lies the most pressing issue, access to weapons of mass destruction is far too easy.
I read that cars vs guns thing, yeah we have that in Australia already. Seems to work, except for the past 15 years legal shooters have been treated like criminals. Authorities are only now realising guns can be smuggled into the country illegally….
Hey Mike – thanks for the leaving a comment. I didn’t realize Australia already had a process like that in place which is good to know. Hope authorities are cracking down on the illegal smuggling because once that gets out of hand it is a difficult task to reign it back in.
great post as usual, Crescent. and I completely agree with Tina – “The spirit of the constitution was rooted in a place of racism and sexism. Black people and women were NOT who those rights were provided for.”
CAPRICE!!! Unfortunately it’s true. I just wonder how many of “their own” have to get caught in the crossfire before the mentality starts to shift. Then again I suppose that’s the point of gated communities and private schools…