I’m going to be blunt - some won’t like it. Florida wasn’t the fault of the gun. It’s the fault of society. Everyone who wanted to be their kid’s “bestie” rather than their parent - you bear some responsibility. Everyone who raised a little brat, but figured someone else would fix it; who shoved a pill rather than applied a spanking - look in the mirror.
It’s not the gun in the hand that is the problem. It’s what is in the heart (or isn’t depending on how you look at it)
Guns haven’t changed. They’ve been in our nation and part of our lives for over 200 years. They are a tool. A tool like a hammer or a saw.
Some people in America don’t need that tool for their lives. Some people do need it. Depends on the lifestyle you’ve chosen - urban, suburban, rural, country, city - or other. Or, your choice - because we live in a nation where liberty and freedom have a cost and that cost is being responsible.
What has changed is the problem.
Pills instead of parenting - “Ritalin makes Johnny behave so I don’t have to be mean.”
Violent media - music, videos, movies, games - desensitize kids to the value of life.
Erosion of the community - we couldn’t do bad stuff, because some neighbor would tell our parents - no one wants to step in today.
Not supporting teachers - “my kid wouldn’t....” or not supporting other role models. Rewarding losing - failure is a great teacher - but, we didn’t get a medal for failing, we got the lesson.
Not teaching morals, values or faith in something more than ourselves. Right and wrong exist - they are black and white. Evil exists - you don’t have to believe in Satan or the devil - but, he sure believes in you. When you don’t have rock solid foundations of right and wrong, evil slithers in and says “it’s ok....it feels good, doesn’t it - so it’s ok then...”.
It’s not what is in the hand that needs to change. It’s the hearts. We can do it and it doesn’t even take one more law on the books.
Start parenting. Stop shoving pills down the throats of young people. Be your parents - and teach the things your parents taught - right and wrong, good and evil, morals and values. Discipline kids. Don’t let them play GTA or other games where it’s ok to shoot people in the head. Teach that life is precious.
Then, you’ll see a change for the better.
Go down the other road and in 10 years we will be arguing about banning knives, then hammers, next rocks.
Make the right choice - but that requires self-examination and admitting that maybe values aren’t relative. Maybe everything permissive isn’t good for us. Maybe fantasy or fiction shouldn’t be celebrated as truth.
I have faith in people. We can do this.
