Saw this article today, and it left me with some thoughts:
6 GOP talking points that show why the gun control debate isn't changing anytime soon
1. Violent Video Games
How many times have we heard media blamed for society's behavior. Rock and roll music, rap music, violent movies and television shows, violent video games, etc. Hell, they have even burned books they deemed damaging to accepted ideals of society! I've played and I play plenty violent video games. I listen to rock music...rap not so much. I love horror, thriller, and action movies. Yet, I have no desire to go shoot up a school or a concert! When someone pisses me off, I don't wish death upon them. If anything, I'll "door slam" the person if I deem them to toxic to my life (i.e., cutting them off...no communication or communicating with only when necessary).
At the same time, I raised two kids, who watch the same type of movies, listened to the same type of music, and played the same type of video games. Oh, and I also spanked them! Neither one of them grew up to be violent people!
2. Abortion
You know the Conservatives are going to throw abortion in there somehow!! Though, I can agree that fatherless homes are a contributing factor, but abortion? You know what will help us see decreases in both abortions and fatherless homes? A decrease in unwanted pregnancies. You know the best way to limit unwanted pregnancies? Nope, it's not preaching abstinance! It is providing free or low cost birth control to any woman who wants it! This has been proven in other countries, you know. It's not rocket science! The cost to provide birth control will be much cheaper than it costs now for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, etc. for children born into poverty situations, which in many cases are women where the father split during pregnancy and they are trying to make ends meet with a kid on their own!
3. Irresponsible Gun Owners
Okay...on this point, I can agree. The last 3 shootings involved teens who somehow got their hands on their parents', or another family member's, guns. We need to start holding these parents and such accountable for not properly securing their guns. Trigger locks are not that expensive. Lock boxes, locking cabinets, gun safes...we need to start holding people accountable who's guns are used in crimes, because they did not have them properly secured!
4. Not Enough Armed Teachers
Are you kidding me with this? How about not enough campus police?! Why do we have to put more responsibility on teachers than they already have for their crappy pay? We need to quit cutting budgets when it comes to campus security! We protect money and valuables with more security than we protect our children. There are two guards to a small armored truck, but many school campuses in this country are LUCKY to have ONE armed resource officer! There are even more campuses who don't even have any dedicated resource officers!
5. Too Many School Entrances
On this one, I can somewhat agree. We do need to limit the number of entrances to schools. Campuses should be closed, meaning that even parents aren't allowed to wander around looking for their child. The problem isn't "number of doors", as codes require a certain number of exits for emergency purposes. However, said exits can be one-way...meaning no outside hardware, open from the inside only, and it would be smart to even have cameras in place at the exits so that a...wait for it...security officer possibly watching the cameras could identify someone trying to break into these doors. Will it cost money? Yes....but isn't the cost worth protecting our children? As I've already pointed out, we protect our money and valuables better than we do our children. Even a bank may have many emergency exits, but only one entrance!
6. Decline of Religion in Schools
Now, this one, I call total BULLSHIT! Look at the world. Religion seems to cause more violence than peace! These kids don't need Jesus! These kids need discipline...PERIOD! Parents aren't allowed to parent, and many don't even want to parent. What happened to the days when kids would get a good butt tanning for being disrespectful to their parents or lying? Oh, yeah...Dr. Spock and the whole crew of "anti-spanking" people! Let me tell you, I was no stranger to a butt tanning, and I'm not violent! If anything, it caused a condition called RESPECT FOR OTHERS. When my kids were younger (they are 23 and 27 now), I can recall picking them up from school. A few times, I recall seeing children (yes, children...not teens...this was elementary school) screaming and cussing at their parents...yelling things like, "What are you going to do about it? Nothing...that's right nothing, because I'll call CPS!" We are in a time where too many kids are running the show at home instead of the parents! I recall something I heard my mom say when I was growing up...and she was talking to others about parenting. She talked about how she could take me over to someone's house, and I wouldn't mess with anything. I would sit and play with my toys quietly, and people were amazed. My mom pointed out that she never put anything up. If I reached for something I shouldn't, I would get a little smack on my hand...that the way she saw it, I came into HER world, and she wasn't going to rearrange it for me...I had to learn how to live in it. I raised my kids in a similar fashion...I kept my eyes on them and paid attention to what they were doing, and if they were doing or touching something they shouldn't, they were corrected. My things were MY THINGS, and I didn't just hand my things over to shut them up or keep them occupied (can't tell you how many times I see kids scream for a parent's cell phone, and the parent hands it over to just shut them up). I wasn't raised with religion...we didn't go to church when I was growing up. One thing is for certain, though...I was raised! Even with my parents divorced, they stood united, and what rules existed in one house existed in the other. I was taught respect, manners, and things like it was not appropriate to hit or hurt another person just because I didn't agree with them or didn't like them! Decline of religion? How about decline of PARENTING?! When you are in the age of free-range parenting, buying kids whatever and not making them earn things, "talking" to kids when they do wrong instead of laying down some hard consequences, etc., it is no wonder we have the problems we have now!
It goes on to quote: "It's not about the guns," Patrick said on ABC on Sunday. "It's about us."
Yes, and no. See, in this country right now, we have a gun obsession! Less than 1/3 of Americans own guns, but there are more privately owned guns in our population than there are people! To be accurate, the number of privately owned guns works out to 1.5 guns per person, if everyone owned a gun! Yes, it may be a "people problem", but with guns so easily accessible, it is so easy for someone who wants to do evil things to get their hands on one. Hell, all the 3 teens in the last couple of weeks had to do was walk into their parents' bedroom and grab it out of the drawer or cabinet, it seems. We have everything from single shot, lower powered rifles to 30 round magazine, high powered rifles. It's a simple rule that even economics uses...the higher the supply, the easier to acquire! And, manufacturers crank more and more out every day! Add all the rhetoric the NRA pumps out, and you have a recipe for disaster!
Also, to note....if you pay attention to the loudest supporters of the 2nd Amendment, it appears most "responsible gun owners" are CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES! Kind of blows that "decline of religion" argument. Seems the most religious are the ones buying the most guns and screaming about their rights to own as many and of whatever kind they want...because, you know...that evil government may come out to get you one day. All those guns are going to be really effective against tanks, biological weapons, drones, missiles, etc.