If you aren’t for us, then you are against us…

Since my last post I have purposely sat back and watched to see what the reaction would be to what has happened over the course of the last week. I have witnessed most of my friends support my position in that we need to change our gun regulations, revisit gun control, and BAN the AR-15 for once and for all.

However, there are some that are pointing their fingers at what they feel are other causes for the shootings in Florida this week. Some feel that it is mental issues and that we need to pay more attention to mental health in this country. Others say that guns don’t kill people, people kill people (an actual statement in one of my Skype Groups), which is probably the most stupid answer to the issue that has ever been stated. Other excuses include “If guns were really about killing people we would all be dead”. Others have advocated for teachers being armed in school, yeah that’s exactly what we need, untrained individuals provided with weapons, not to mention that should teachers be armed, during an actual shooting they would go into the halls, with their guns drawn, looking for the shooter, not thinking that should law enforcement arrive at the scene and see a teacher with a gun, they would shoot the teachers because all they know is that an armed individual is shooting at kids. The armed teachers would become targets themselves, for all the wrong reason. Some say that the reason for the recent rash of shootings is the decline of the quality of parenting over the last 30 years is the reason, that a lack of discipline is somehow the reason crazy people with a gun are shooting up our schools. I have also heard the defense that changing laws wont keep the criminals from breaking the law.

All of these are valid points, but I also have valid rebuttals. First, paying attention and address mental health in this country is a mute point, the President recently signed an executive order allowing lighter regulations of access to guns for mental patients, he actually revoked an Obama regulation and eased restrictions on access to guns by mentally deranged citizens, so the hope of addressing the mental issues of the population is a moot point with the stroke of the executive pen. Second, people with GUNS kill people, specifically, most of all the mass shootings over the course of the last 20 years have been done with an AR-15, the easiest weapon to purchase with only an hour of a background check (at least here in FL it is that way). a guy can go into a gun shop to purchase an AR-15 and be out the door in less than an hour, while a handgun can take up to 3 days. Si I argue that the argument that guns don’t kill people is moot when it only takes a sick individual an hour to purchase a weapon that can shoot 45 rounds per minute, while a handgun, that shoots 15 rounds a minute can take 3 days. I have already debunked the “arm the teachers'” excuse, and while I agree that discipline has changed since I was a kid, the fact that this should be the reason for the increase in gun violence is a slap in the face to all parents over the last 30 years. No lack of discipline is an excuse for a human being to walk into a school and shoot 17 innocent victims in cold blood.

Finally, the argument that no change in laws will keep criminals from breaking said laws. I have a simple argument for that. 40 years ago there were a large amount of traffic deaths, and because of this, Congress enacted safer vehicle standards, to include seat belt laws, the addition of air bags in vehicles, tougher DUI laws, and safer overall vehicle safety standards. The result of which was a significant reduction in death in vehicle accidents, a significant reduction in DUI deaths, and a higher survival rate of all traffic accidents. Change comes in small increments, change comes when people get involved, change comes when select individuals decide that the status quo is no longer acceptable. Criminals will always break the law, but it is the job of the lawmakers to make it more difficult for those individuals to break said law. if it is more difficult to break the law, then the rate of the crime will decrease. I say again, My son’s right to live is more important than your right to own an AR-15. I don’t condone nor would I ever support the absolute confiscation or outlaw of ALL guns in the US. I support the 2nd amendment, but I refuse to support the access to weapons that have the ability to fire 30+ rounds per minute. An AR-15 is not a hunting rifle, it was created for one thing and one thing only, to kill human beings, nothing more, nothing less. It is not a weapon that the general public should have access to or to be owned by a civilian, even military veterans and law enforcement organizations agree on this.

I have much more to say on the subject, but will address it at another date. the fact remains, there is NOTHNIG anyone can say that will justify this weapon be made available to the general public. it is a horrible weapon, it is the killer of children, and it does not need to be owned by civilians.