Don't Forget Your Gun Honey
Yes, it won't be long before we're sending our children off to school, all bundled up in their Monday's best, with lunchbox in hand; pencils and papers in tow, and let's not forget, a gun. What's next, weapons training on the curriculum?
According to reports, if gun advocates get their way, "The Virginia Tech tragedy that occurred last week could actually boost a year long effort in Virginia to pass legislation allowing students to carry weapons on campus." Their answer to last week's massacre where 32 victims were gunned down senselessly at Virginia Tech University is simply to allow students to carry guns. Some Gun advocates, are suggesting that US citizens be better armed to prevent future attacks.
Reportedly, if the "The powerful and influential US gun lobby," gets its way there will be more, not less guns on the streets. The gun lobby wields an enormous amount of influence in Washington because of the money they contribute to election. Shouldn't protecting the health and safety of the populace be more important than monetary gain?
Apparently, politicians are avoiding the topic of gun control because they may lose voters. US politicians have shown little inclination to introduce new gun control legislation in a country where 40% of US households own a gun and there are millions of guns in circulation.
"Why should I care?" you may ask. Now again, I'm not bashing the states. I'm speaking as a "Citizen of Planet Earth." The Virginia Tech incident affected everyone worldwide. 7% of the students at Virginia Tech are foreign. So when they say "the world wept" at this tragic incident, they were correct. Violence is a worldwide epidemic, also across the pond here in Europe but what goes on in the states affects the rest of the world and vice versa.
There isn't one day that goes by where I don't read in the local papers about someone being beaten up or stabbed just because they didn't like the way a person talked or they had the newest, coolest mobile phone. Guns are rarely involved because there are restrictions in place, unless they are obtained illegally.
But the biggest arms dealer in the world, for decades running has been the U.S. Nobody is denying that the problem of violence is multi-fold and lenient gun laws are just a part of the problem. Gun control only, won't cure our violent world. A quickly changing society, breakdown of society's common values and morals, people's sense of entitlement etc. are just some of the problems that contribute to mental instability and violent society. The point is though, that a perpetrator's psychological problems in combination with access to weapons are a lethal combination.
Statistics show that 29,000 people are killed every year by a firearm in the U.S. If the gun advocates get their way and students are allowed to carry weapons on campus, minor disagreements won't be resolved with words or fists but with guns. I can't imagine that most parents out there, would really feel comfortable sending their kids to school knowing that all their fellow students are carrying guns? "Gee, Johnny and Freddy had a little disagreement today, instead of slapping each other around a bit they drew guns??" or what sort of quality teacher is going to want to work in a school, knowing all the students are carrying guns. " Geez, my teacher wouldn't give me an "A" so I simply blew him away."
If a law is passed that enables students to carry guns, then I'll know for sure that this is a world gone mad.
P.S. On a lighter and more relevant note, my next post will be about a new little princess.
