Before I continue I'm going to say 3 things very clearly so my rant does not ignore these critical points:
1. School violence is not a new thing in America.
2. Taking guns out of the hands of good people is statistically shown to increase violent crime.
3. Something must be done to protect ALL Americans whether in their homes, businesses, or schools.
I'm not going to pretend to have answers to this issue, but let me tell you why again I have lost faith in the ability of the American people to make responsible decisions for themselves. Articles from across the nation are showing that gun sales, especially for rifles are at all-time highs right now. Why is that you ask...Are gun enthusiasts trying to get them before they are outlawed? Are bad guys (and their black market suppliers) trying to get them before they become more hard to acquire? I don't know why, but since you are on my page I'll give you my theory...
I'll telly you exactly what is happening...
Just as American's always do we overreacted to the situation. But instead of going to one extreme, we went to BOTH extremes at once. Half of us are calling for bans on certain weapons and extreme restrictions on firearms. Others are going out and buying tons of guns for who knows what reason, but they are certain they are going to lose a constitutional right.
Have you ever pulled a rubber band in two separate directions really quickly? It doesn't end well. It either breaks or it snaps back so hard that it hurts. Do we need a refresher on 6th grade science class' chapter on potential energy? Everyone is so damn convinced that their way is the right way that they don't care to have a rational discussion as to what is best for the nation as a whole. At the rate we are going this rubber band is going to snap.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."-Abraham Lincoln
Once again I'm on the fence...
I like firearms. They are a part of my job so I am comfortable with them, but beyond that I enjoy them for sport. I also recognize that there are certain situations in which firearms are bad in our society. With their power comes a lot of danger that often manifests itself in tragedy. It bothers me though that the American public fails to see that the difference between a hunting rifle and the now infamous "assault rifle" is pretty minimal. A plastic or wood butt-stock and a handful of pretty minor customizable parts are about the only differences. In most cases they shoot the exact same bullets.
My point is, people pushing for stricter gun laws need to get learn about the weapons they are discussing. Are we discussing guns as a problem or the magazines that carry the rounds? How about the gun enthusiasts claiming good guys with guns are not the problem--maybe they need to look closer at the link to how bad people are getting guns from good people.
The Point that it has taken me too long to get to...
STOP RUSHING TO HASTY CONCLUSIONS AMERICA! I don't want to see another shooting, but demanding that guns be taken out of the hands of the public seems pretty irresponsible (see Australia). I also don't want to see American's buying excessive amounts of firearms because they are convinced they are about to lose that right. Unfortunately both those things are happening as we speak.
I don't know what the solution is, but I am certain it is not the route we are taking right now. Everyone remain calm, take a breath and stop wasting brain cells on hasty, ignorant arguments.
Until next time...
Chris
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