The Scene staff
The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in December was traumatic and heartbreaking. It should not be downplayed by any means.
My heart goes out to the families of the 20 children and six adults who were killed after a gunman opened fire in classrooms and hallways.
Unfortunately, it took a crisis for the government to get serious about gun control. Once something catches the public eye, it’s suddenly urgent to act. Once America’s image is tainted, the clean-up crew is quickly summoned.
Now it’s time to make changes, huh? All those children had to die before officials began considering preventive measures.
I’ve been ranting and raving about stricter gun laws for years.
I was motivated by the wailing of a single mother, who fell limply after hearing news that her oldest son had been murdered.
I was urged by “teardrops of the hood” that flooded the Peabody Housing Projects after a little girl was shot in the head by a bullet intended for someone else.
I had a friend who studied engineering at Mizzou. I’d never known him to get into any trouble, at least none worth dying for. But he was standing on his friend’s front porch one day when a car pulled up and let loose, firing at everyone in sight.
In the blink of an eye, my homeboy, a young man about to graduate from college, was dead. His family hasn’t been the same since.
The National Rifle Association is one of the most coldhearted, money-hungry organizations in existence.
Members fight for Second Amendment right to bear arms while family members cry over the loss of loved ones who have paid the ultimate price thanks to that right.
How do I feel about people who would rather risk thousands of innocent lives than accept gun control? “Screw your Second Amendment rights!”
These people are so blinded by stubbornness, they ignore the truth and the sorrow of victims’ families. How hurtful and ridiculous is that?
It’s hard for me to even listen to the debate.
NRA representatives say things like, “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” That’s the lamest soundbite in the world. I’m so sick of “NRAers” and their failure to acknowledge the harm and agony that all of these guns on the streets have caused.
The discussion gets pretty emotional when you’re from a poor, black ghetto, and your only friend’s life was snuffed out by a bullet.
I might feel differently if I had grown up in a place where guns were used for recreation. But I don’t know a single hunter. There are no forests in the inner city.
In my neighborhood, guns don’t kill people, either. Teenagers with virtually no resources just happen to have guns that kill people.
A gun may not kill by itself, but it’s really hard to shoot someone without one.
Then there are the people who sympathize with gun collectors. Why should I care for people who collect guns while cemeteries are collecting bodies?
If it makes gun advocates feel better, their “collections” will be worth more once they are banned. My advice? Cash out.
Some people predict some sort of government takeover will occur if citizens don’t own plenty of guns, that America would fall into a “martial state.” Whatever!
Since when did these people believe in conspiracy theories? They deny the Holocaust, the Negro Project and the fact that the U.S. military has tested atomic bombs on its own soldiers.
Why would America get caught in hypotheticals when there are thousands of people six feet under due to gun violence that exists in real time?
If the need for a public revolt arises, people can always get their hands on guns the way felons and children do: Steal them.
The Second Amendment wasn’t adopted so Americans could kill each other. It was seen as a way for Americans to protect themselves from an overzealous military. Check your history books.