Some thoughts that have been percolating in my mind over the past week.
~ Guns do kill people. They kill children, mothers, fathers, friends, enemies, strangers.
~ Dramatically decreasing the number of guns available in this country would in fact decrease the number of deaths by firearms. The accidental shooting by the toddler in a home, the suicide of the distraught teenager. The "in the heat of the moment" shooting of the husband or wife. If guns are not available (destroyed or responsibly stored), they can't be used.
~ the right of our children and families to be able to go to school, church, a movie, the park, ANYWHERE, and feel safe completely trumps the right of anyone to own weapons whose sole purpose is to kill people. Who the hell are you afraid of????? Maybe if we stopped fearing each other and actually cared for people the way we care for money and stuff, the rising number of alienated, hurting individuals in our country would decrease. Maybe if we valued kindness and empathy and serving each other more than doing just that which makes us "happy" fewer people would feel the need to lash out. Maybe if we made sure as a nation that ALL people had the basic necessities of life, we could be less fearful.
~ responsible gun owners who hunt or use guns for sport should have no beef with common sense gun reform. Weapons designed to kill people should not be available to the general public for any reason. Those who do own guns should have to demonstrate competence, pass a background check, be licensed, pay insurance just in case, and keep those guns safely stored in a locked safe with ammunition stored elsewhere.
~ none of these measures would eliminate all deaths by firearms, but they sure would dramatically decrease them. How do we know this? Because we've seen it happen around the world. When we refuse to learn from the experience of our global neighbors we reinforce the idea that Americans are narcissistic assholes. Not really how I'd like to be perceived by the world. It's actually pretty embarrassing.
~ when the same people who want so badly to regulate my reproductive choices and those of my friends and daughters are as protective of the LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY LIVING AND BREATHING INDEPENDENTLY, I will discuss their "pro-life" agenda. Until then I won't. I'm not interested in talking with hypocrites who will do anything to "defend life", but refuse to address issues of healthcare (including mental health) education, poverty, gun safety.
~ my brain has been very busy lately.
~ Guns do kill people. They kill children, mothers, fathers, friends, enemies, strangers.
~ Dramatically decreasing the number of guns available in this country would in fact decrease the number of deaths by firearms. The accidental shooting by the toddler in a home, the suicide of the distraught teenager. The "in the heat of the moment" shooting of the husband or wife. If guns are not available (destroyed or responsibly stored), they can't be used.
~ the right of our children and families to be able to go to school, church, a movie, the park, ANYWHERE, and feel safe completely trumps the right of anyone to own weapons whose sole purpose is to kill people. Who the hell are you afraid of????? Maybe if we stopped fearing each other and actually cared for people the way we care for money and stuff, the rising number of alienated, hurting individuals in our country would decrease. Maybe if we valued kindness and empathy and serving each other more than doing just that which makes us "happy" fewer people would feel the need to lash out. Maybe if we made sure as a nation that ALL people had the basic necessities of life, we could be less fearful.
~ responsible gun owners who hunt or use guns for sport should have no beef with common sense gun reform. Weapons designed to kill people should not be available to the general public for any reason. Those who do own guns should have to demonstrate competence, pass a background check, be licensed, pay insurance just in case, and keep those guns safely stored in a locked safe with ammunition stored elsewhere.
~ none of these measures would eliminate all deaths by firearms, but they sure would dramatically decrease them. How do we know this? Because we've seen it happen around the world. When we refuse to learn from the experience of our global neighbors we reinforce the idea that Americans are narcissistic assholes. Not really how I'd like to be perceived by the world. It's actually pretty embarrassing.
~ when the same people who want so badly to regulate my reproductive choices and those of my friends and daughters are as protective of the LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY LIVING AND BREATHING INDEPENDENTLY, I will discuss their "pro-life" agenda. Until then I won't. I'm not interested in talking with hypocrites who will do anything to "defend life", but refuse to address issues of healthcare (including mental health) education, poverty, gun safety.
~ my brain has been very busy lately.
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