I’ve been watching the extremists that now occupy my country and silently I watch as the echo chamber of opinion continues. It’s unfortunate. It’s unnecessary and it’s frankly un-American. So let’s begin.
Violence is a symptom, I think we can all agree that for the large majority of persons in the “normal” range that violence is not our go-to response when we are feeling happy or for that matter just OK. Violence is a response to a significant problem either real or imaginary. So if you’re in agreement with this simple observation then we have some options to discuss and really consider.
Mass Shootings are not a new phenomenon, they have been going on since 1949, starting with a guy name Unrah. This type of rampaging violence does not have a rational or sane component, it does not in fact require a firearm. Let me provide a few wonderful examples: Vehicular, blades, explosives or poison. There are more, I just chose indiscriminately the point being made is that a person who is suffering from untreated mental illness, loss of hope or severe trauma are quite capable of using whatever is available to complete what must be on some level an attempt at release, relief or scream for attention and help. Which, I will never understand — thank god.
So, some of you by now think you know where this is going — but you don’t. This is a complex problem, it’s a human problem, so it may have a simple origin but by the time we are to mass murder it’s no longer simple, we’ve got some work to do and it’s not going to come easy.
Understanding gun owners. Guns in America are enshrined in our Constitution and is second only to freedom of speech. Certainly, our founding fathers had no concept of a high capacity semi-automatic rifle. What would they have made of them? I have absolutely no idea. Nor do I care to speculate. Most gun owners, those individuals I know, work with and shoot with are very very particular. A firearm is treated with the reverence of a samurai sword or a family heirloom something that will be passed down. In fact, it is for many a rite of passage, your first gun or the first time you are taken out to shoot. I am certain each and every owner can remember the first time they were taken shooting and most importantly the importance of safety the rules of proper gun safety. So when someone points at a weapon and says those need to go, well they are attacking a heritage, a known comfortable inanimate object. If those terrible things(guns) are limited or banned we will have less to worry about! Well to gun owners, that just doesn’t smell right because they know they are responsible for what happens with their firearm. I get it. I hope you can at least understand?
So, you’ve basically circled around everything — so what’s your solution? I don’t have ONE. I have a bunch of slow suggestions, most will take actual effort and time and they will not stop a truly driven and insane person, they will save lives and stop the impetuous hopeless.
SCHOOLS
I firmly believe rather than building a useless wall it would be better to fund improvements to schools that focus on making the facilities harder to breach and each room bulletproof. We require almost everything in a school short of the paper and books to be fire resistant. Shouldn’t we attempt to make schools violence resistant as well? We continue to make progress on this but I’m talking about actual construction and remodeling with an eye to each classroom becoming a safe room. Sounds extreme? Not really — may not be pleasant but we engineer safety for everything… Cars, bikes, reactors, wall plugs, etc. This isn’t being done because of funding and it doesn’t feel good, you mean we have to accept violence? Yes, to a point, we are humans…
RESEARCH
Some genius solved their fear based worry by making it illegal for the CDC to research gun violence as a potential disease. No Federal funding to my knowledge can be used to research or understand gun violence and the mental issues and factors that make it a horrific reality. This has to be the DUMBEST form of protection via ignorance I’ve ever heard of…. Think about cars, research regarding vehicular death lead to safety improvements such as seat belts and air bags! So why on earth would we not want to apply this same rational to firearms? Certainly if the banning of firearms is no longer on the table then there is no reason to fear research. Honestly, this should just simple not exist and shame on the law makers who passed such a ridiculous bill and made it a law.
SILENT SHAMING
Frankly, anytime this type of horrific event occurs we should never provide any details or name the attacker. They should be stricken from being mentioned by name in the media. It should be black mark or a curse to utter their name or provide any acknowledgement of who they were in the publications or media. Sure, research them and please tell the stories of each and everyone of their victims but do not give them a single moment of life past their death. Part of this problem is that these individuals are getting recognition and being revered in some way… It needs to stop.
MENTAL HEALTH
This is something we are very uncomfortable with and frankly the non-stop echo chamber of the internet is not making things better. If you choose to look around you can find a “safe” space for any outrageous or ridiculous point of view you can imagine. We need to address the health and welfare of this nations individuals. Leaving Veterans and other vulnerable populations figure it out themselves is a disservice to this country and it’s people. Depression is real, fear of the future is real and we need to start working as a great nation to address the underlying and untreated mental illness.
LICENSING
I’m a firm believer in the 2nd. This amendment has the intention of every citizen having a right to arms for the purpose of the militia to protect the sovereignty our country from threats internal and external. Well if you want to own arms you should have to be trained and registered as a member of a country wide militia. You should have to annually demonstrate proficiency with your firearms and you should be trained annually as a part of a fully formed militia. You don’t you — surrender your right to bear arms. What you do with your arms annually? In a legal an respectful manner? Not anyone’s business. You want to buy a weapon? Current militia card please. Oh, you want an AR-15 with full auto 14″ barrel and a suppressor? No problem — you know what you’re doing. You become a criminal? Done. You are diagnosed with a serious mental condition? Psychosis? Schizophrenia? I’m sorry. Done.
A lot of people will look to eliminate availability of firearms in a vain attempt to stop violence. Be prepared, it will not stop anyone committed to being “heard” or getting their moment. They will move to improvised explosives, vehicular carnage and a $5 machetes. I’m not making this up… It’s happened already when firearms were not readily available. There is no doubt that their is a problem and I will never argue with better process and vetting for firearms. When the responsibility for owning firearms is increased with a proper set of processes and mandatory training many will fall out of owning firearms. That will be fine. Those that step up to the responsibility should be respected, not feared and left to the traditions and practices that have been around since the founding of this country.