I don’t want to write this post. I’ve already written it — several times. But here it is, relevant again . . .
. . . But, no! I’m not going to write this post. I started it last night, but I just can’t finish it. I can’t re-say what I’ve already said . . .
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But how can I stay silent?
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United, we stand. Divided, we fall.
Americans are united in the belief that mass shootings on U.S. soil need to stop. We are divided about how to stop them.
And so they keep happening.
And so people keep dying.
And so madmen keep shooting.
And so the story keeps cycling.
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The facts are these: The United States has more guns than any other nation. We also have more gun-related crimes, homicides, and deaths. We do not have more mental illness. (Don’t believe me? Check out this New York Times article. It shows the stats better than I can.)
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But crazy is crazy. If it’s not guns, it will be something else.
That’s not what the statistics say. If there were fewer guns, there’d be fewer deaths. Period.
But I won’t give up my right to protect my family!
No one’s asking you to give up your right to protect your family. They’re asking for laws to keep AK-15s away from the people who would hurt your family.
But I like to hunt and target shoot. I won’t give up my guns.
Did you hear what I just said? Here’s another way to look at it: Why would we require someone to pass a test to drive a car but not to own a gun?
But I don’t trust the government. The government is trying to take away our guns.
Really?! President Trump didn’t even mention guns when he addressed the people of Parkland on Thursday. And beyond that, that’s beside the point. The point is that PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OUR SYSTEM ISN’T WORKING. Period.
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The below video from CNN shows disturbing footage of the Florida shooting on Wednesday. I cried watching it, but it needs to be seen. The fact that American law allows individuals to buy AK-15s before they can buy a beer is INSANE.
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But I’ve already said all this, and I don’t want to say it anymore.
I’m tired of the fighting on the Internet. I’m tired of the cruelty and bigotry. I’m tired of the pain . . . I’m tired of it all, and so the very last thing I’ll add is this:
I’m currently in grad school because I want to become a teacher. And when I become a teacher, I would GLADLY die to save the lives of my students if ever I needed to. But quite frankly, I’d rather not die for them. I’d rather live for them, AND HAVE THEM LIVE, TOO.
Wouldn’t you?
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This video is well-done. I think most people would say today: We’re ready to talk about it.
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I’ve posted this video by Trae Crowder before. It’s relevant now, too.
shift 
Well said Jessica. We have reasonably tight gun control in Australia. That doesn’t mean there is no gun crime. Criminals will acquire guns and use them. We don’t have active shooter events though with mass killing in any number similar or close to the US.
I hope the laws change in the US so students don’t have to go to school every day not knowing if they will come home.
Thanks, Gary. Yes, I’ve talked a lot about the differences in gun laws and crime between Australia and the States with another friend who lives in Adelaide. He says he’d never want to move here because he wouldn’t feel safe. I don’t blame him… I hope something is done soon, too. I’m tired of seeing preventable nightmares like this continuing to happen on U.S. soil.
Well said Jessica. While I am more on the gun control side of things, I am trying to educate myself on the ‘other side’s’ perspective. Perhaps there is a little ‘right’ on both sides of the debate and if we took measures to honor each side, we might be able to come up with a workable solution somewhere in the middle. I tend to get my ‘truth’ from the Washington Post, but I look to writers like David French’s (National Review)to give me a better understanding of the conservative perspective. Worth a read.
I’ll look it up. Thanks for the suggestion, Lisa. I have a dear blogging friend who’s on the opposite spectrum from me on this topic. I’d love to understand his logic better. To me, asking people to prove they’re capable of safely owning and handling a gun is not an infringement of their rights. To him, it is. I’m fully aware that guns don’t kill people, people kill people, but I don’t understand why we’d want to make it easier for them to do so by handing them automatic weapons. We don’t give children knives to play with… Sigh. All I know is something has to give. What happened in Florida on Valentine’s Day was (and still is) a literal nightmare.
A nightmare indeed. Might be interesting to see what you and your blog friend (on the opposite side of the argument) could come up with together if you co-authored a post on this tragic subject.
That’s a great idea! I’ll have to hit him up about it. ;)
The truth is always in the middle –
That is what makes our country great
Maybe there’s been so many school kids killed at school, that when the rest grow up they’ll do something about it.
Yeah, for real. But I don’t think we should have to wait that long. I’ve been thinking about history and some of the major events when people took action because they were totally fed up with their government. It feels to me like people are getting to that point now.
Hope so, but I believe the NRA pay big money to get ‘their’ politicians elected.
Jess, totally feel what you are saying and have said repeatedly before. We are broken records saying, SCREAMING the same things over and over and over since Columbine H.S. It is beyond any sane person’s understanding now WHY the U.S. government — out of all developed nations in the world — is so damn passive, in denial about our mass shooting epidemics since Columbine H.S. and our near non-existent mental-health problems for decades, and yet like utter idiots… we do NOTHING to save the lives of elementary, middle, high school, and collegiate students.
THAT is truly the definition of acute delusional insanity! 😢
Thank you for sharing this, even though it’s exhausting. I feel much the same way you do.
That’s for reading and commenting! Yes, it’s exhausting. After thinking about it all last weekend, I am spent. There is more I could say — just look at the number of shootings in the States every day — but I’m going to have to drop it for now. It’s good to know others relate to my logic, though. I try to be open-minded!
Totally agree with you Jessica! Do you follow https://everytown.org/ ? They have helpful action steps we can take to get our leaders to hear us on gun control.
No, I hadn’t heard of them. I will check them out. Thanks, Soapie! Nice to hear from you! :)