I grew up in the 70's and 80's in a very large college city. Back then there were probably as many guns as there are now, per capita, but there is a big difference toward the attitude of gun ownership. I blame Hollywood.
Gun laws serve a purpose and I agree whole heartedly that persons convicted of violent crimes and the mentally ill should not be allowed to possess weapons of any sort, but it is not because of the gun, but the mentality of the person holding the gun.
The difference between then and now is that our heroes are now all gun toting maniacs who will do anything to be on the right side of the barrel and to inflict as much damage as possible in the process. Our children have been programmed to think that violence is the answer to every problem.
When I was a kid, no one brought guns to school. No one would have even entertained the idea. We all carried a pocket knife and we could wear a hat if we wanted to. If we had to fight with someone, it was bare knuckles, after school, at the park. Not 50 rounds in the classroom. I have had my share of bloody noses, but never once did anyone point a weapon at me.
I see it all the time between bullies and those they bully. I have kids and I have guns. The mentality is that the only way to make the bully go away is to beat him into the ground. So, why does it surprise people that kids take guns they find at home or anywhere else, to school. They are trying to stop their own pain in the only way they've been conditioned to. Shoot first and ask questions later. The police do it, soldiers do it, so why do we expect that our children would be any different?
It isn't the gun. It is the mentality of the possessor of that gun that is the danger.
Sure, back in the day there was violence in the movies and on TV, but it was different. By the time the bad guy lay bleeding to death, (you never saw the blood) after Marshal Dillon shot him, you knew the bad guy was bad and that Marshall Dillon had no choice but to shoot him to stop him. Marshall Dillon always tried to arrest the guy and bring him to trial first. That doesn't happen anymore. We get to see all the blood and gore caused by the mayhem. We have become desensitized to it. All our heroes have weapons. Namely guns and they don't fall down and stay down either. Most of Hollywood's heroes can be hit hundreds of times and keep fighting with little more than a bloody nose. Most of the bad guys must be shot multiple times in order for them to stay down. The bad guys in Gunsmoke always bought the farm with the first shot.
So, why do we wonder that our kids are so violent? There is violence in the movies, video games and music. A lot of the time there is violence in the home as well. Daddy gets mad at Mommy and smacks her a good one. Bruce Willis gets mad at anybody and he starts blowing shit up. I think it really became a problem around the time Rambo came out. After that we were flooded with movies containing men who did little more than shoot the hell out of anybody that crossed them. Heroes weren't really heroes any more they were ego maniac shooters.
Bottom line, if you are going to own guns, it is your responsibility to teach your children about them and the damage they can cause if misused. No one wants their kid to have to deal with accidentally killing someone, do they? If you can't do that one little thing, then you should either keep them locked up, or not have them at all. Firearms are very dangerous to people who do not know how to properly use them. Especially children. My youngest son knew more about gun safety than most adults by the age of three.
I think if we ever want to do something about gun violence we should start with how we perceive guns, their purpose and those who have them. Guns don't make heroes. My hero only carries a gun to bring home food.
Think about it.... we, as a society, are entertained by violence. Once that changes, I think we will see a drop in gun violence.
Now to work on the stupid people who clean loaded weapons. If you don't know enough to check the chamber before cleaning, you shouldn't have a gun to clean. Period. Accidental shootings are totally avoidable. For one thing, you should never have your finger on the trigger unless you're intending to pull it.
I know these things and I don't shoot. I own guns and taught my kids these things. Actually, my husband taught my kids and I together. To own a gun of any kind requires responsibility. It is not a toy. It is a tool.
Diplomacy may not make good entertainment, but it beats the hell out of bringing death to the table. It is easier to shift the blame to the gun than it is to accept that we've conditioned the younger generation to solve all their problems with them.
For all of you second amendment nut jobs out there, it may interest you to know that the right to keep and bear arms was enacted before this country had its own standing army and the purpose of the amendment was so that if we were invaded the people could defend their homes. Not an issue anymore now that we have a military force. Never mind the fact that we have only been attacked on our own soil by a foreign entity, twice since the second amendment was added to the constitution. The times I am referring to are 9/11 and Pearl Harbor. Those two cases were so many years apart (60) they almost don't count, and a hand gun, or rifle would not have saved anyone in either of those cases.
The police were supposed to carry guns to protect citizens from those who would do them harm. Now the police are harming people because of some right they think they have to do so and we give them the fire power to do it. The bad guys began arming themselves to fight the police and it is a vicious cycle now. Who has the bigger, badder gun?
It is true... Guns don't kill people, the person who pulls the trigger does. That is like saying that knives kill people. No the person holding the knife does that. Would you ever thik of eating a steak without one? Would you ever think of going hunting without a gun?
It is one thing to defend yourself, it is another thing completely to be the agressor.
I am more afraid of someone stealing a weapon and using it for ill, than the person who buys one and goes through all of the background checks. Why have laws if we do not abide by them?
No one wants to take your guns, we only want to make your guns safer for the rest of us. If it is stolen, you can bet it will be used for an illegal purpose.
Put your guns away and let's talk a while.
One thing I don't understand is why people are bringing their guns, rifles no less, to public places like restaurants. I am just waiting for the story of a gun toting man who walks into a restaurant with his weapon on his shoulder just to be shot by the woman who has a hand gun in her purse. Justifiable? I would be afraid for my life if some guy walked into an eating establishment with a rifle. That's all that is required right, fear for one's life? That's what gets the cops off anyway.
Wed Jan 07, 2015 at 7:09 AM PT: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Wed Jan 07, 2015 at 7:09 AM PT: Oh look, someone nut job attacked someone with a steak knife!