I don't think anyone needs to own an assault weapon unless he or she is in the military. I also don't think anyone needs to be buying ammunition that kills multiple people at a time. If the sale of these things cannot be banned altogether, then at least some MUCH tougher restrictions should be placed on the purchase of them. The problem still exists, however, that it has been legal to purchase these things for some time now. They are out there, and I have no idea how to lessen the number. A buy-back program? I just don't know.
The violent gun culture that has risen up (or has it always been here?), where guns and killing people are glorified in movies, TV and video games are a problem. Maybe there should be a stricter ratings system in place. But the bigger problem is parents who don't care if there kids see these things or not. Parents who do not take the time to explain reality, and the difference between right and wrong. On a side note regarding this issue, for months I was getting more and more angry at WalMart, who puts their "high and mighty" hat on when it comes to vulgar lyrics in CDs, but doesn't blink an eye when it comes to displaying cardboard cutouts advertising violent movies. These can be found right by the front door, so that everyone and their kids can see them. They were offensive to me, and I haven't seen one since the shooting. I hope they decide to keep that policy going as time goes on.
The media needs to stop turning these killers into glorified antiheroes by giving so much air time to them. The victims should be the focus, but only if it's alright with their families. The media should not be allowed to show anything from the actual site of the tragedies, because once again, many parents don't have enough sense to not let their kids see something so horrific. Maybe it's time for the media moguls to step up and take responsibility for what they report, and how appropriate it is for the general masses.
There should be stricter and more punitive charges assigned to sellers of guns who skimp on the background checks, and especially if they sell to a person with a history or record of criminal or even unstable behavior. The tougher question comes up when dealing with a seemingly stable person (one with no record to track). How do you train gun sellers to watch for signs that a person has psychological problems? Seems like it could lead to profiling, so I'm not sure how to tackle that problem. The public as a whole needs to be made more aware of signs to watch for in our fellow humans that life (or something) is getting to them and they are about to go off the deep end. And something must be done about state budgets for mental health costs, especially state-run mental hospitals, being slashed to nothing. One of the biggest problems I see, though, is the stigma that getting therapy from a psychologist or psychiatrist means you are a looney or weak. This came up with someone really close to us that truly needed some therapy to get through a horrible situation, but refused because of that stigma. And once again, the problem seems too large to solve.
I DO NOT agree with the NRA's suggestion that teachers should become trained and licensed to carry guns in the classrooms. Let's tackle the gun problem with MORE guns!!! No. I do think added security, like metal detectors and on-site trained police or national guardsmen, would not be a bad thing for schools.
So that's my thoughts these days about big guns. And if you think these ideas are confused and convoluted, wait until you start reading about the next topic: Little guns.
When I became a parent, I vowed to not let my kids play with toy guns. We don't have guns in the house, and in the past you could even say I hated guns. My thoughts about things are very confused now. A while back I posted about this - HERE it is. Maybe it's a bit paranoid to think that one day the boys would possibly have to know how to hunt to survive. Those were my worries then, but now there are other motives for my changing opinion.
Jav thinks that the boys' attitudes about drinking alcohol could be somehow influenced by our attitude about it. If we are laid back about letting them have some wine or beer at family events, when they are older and more curious about it, then perhaps they would be less likely to go out and get hammered because it wouldn't be a forbidden thing. I'm not sure I agree with this theory, (it damn sure didn't work for me, but that's a whole 'nuther story), but the thought process started me thinking about guns. If we tell the boys that guns are horrible and never to be touched, and don't allow them in the house, maybe the mystique about them would be so appealing they might seek them out due to curiosity. If nothing else, it would definitely not work in their favor if they were to ever come across a gun at a friend's house. In this case, what you don't know COULD hurt you, and possibly even kill you. I have been feeling a little jealous of friends who have kids that have been raised around real guns and learned how to be safe around them from a very early age. Once again, good parenting was involved. These kids have no question about the difference between toy and real guns, and know how to respect the power a real gun can have.
So gun knowledge and safety is one issue I've been thinking about. The other is back to paranoia. We live in an area where there are more Tea Party loyalists than in any other part of our state. Many of these people live and die by their rights under the Second Amendment, own a gun, or many guns, or a store of guns. I know that the majority of these people are responsible gun owners and law abiding citizens. But there are extremists in every group, and that's who scares me. Who knows - something could happen in this country to cause complete anarchy and chaos, where those few gun owners who believe in the lawlessness of the Wild West could become gun-toting vigilantes, roaming around looking for helpless and gunless victims to push around or worse. It just seems like owning a gun, having at least a basic knowledge of how guns work and learning how to fire them at a target has become a necessary evil in this crazy state we find ourselves living in today.
So to make a long story short (too late!), I have definitely changed my opinion on having toy guns in the house. The Nerf pellet-shooting guns pictured above were gifts to the boys from Gabriel's godparents, and we'll be opening them up soon to let them shoot away. As long as they follow OUR toy gun safety rules, like never shoot at someone who isn't playing and don't shoot anyone in the face. I am even pondering letting them get BB guns when they are a little older, (if they seem interested in such things), so they can learn how to keep them clean and safely unloaded when not in use.
And, ever so slowly, my opinion on real guns is changing. I still don't want a hand gun in the house. But a rifle or shotgun? I'm not so sure now. Maybe. I'm starting to feel like having a zero-tolerance of guns is a bit like an ostrich sticking its head under the ground. I would love to learn how to hit a target with a gun. I want to go to a shooting range or go skeet shooting. I don't believe in hunting. I love animals and could never kill anything unless it was about to harm someone I loved. So having a gun would be more about learning safety and being able to use it properly, which seems right now like a good enough reason to have one. Like it or not, this is our reality right now.
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