Ready... Fire... AIM!

I’m a “get sh*t done” kind of guy. 
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If I see a problem I need to solve, instead of agonizing over every possible consequence associated with each potential solution, I’ll jump in and deal with surprises as they come.  I’m pretty good at making this method work effectively, but I drive people nuts sometimes.. Especially my children.

I’ve enacted sweeping measures to deal with a variety of abused privileges.  One such privilege, Nerf Guns, became the object of my dismay.  I hate getting shot by darts when not expecting to get shot by darts.  HATE IT.  One too many unexpected WHAPS, and I accomplished in thirty seconds what various political movements have spent the last hundred years to do.  Sweeping and complete gun control.  No more Nerf Guns.  I should run for congress.

Funny thing about my kids though.. they’re MY kids.  Chips of the ol block if you will.  And as Jeff Goldblum says in Jurassic Park “Nature finds a way.”.  Now instead of Nerf Guns, my kids have built surprisingly effective bows and arrows, blow guns, and sharp pointy sticks that any Lord of the Flies character would be envious of.  I didn’t slow them down a tick.

We have a problem that EVERYONE wants to solve.

The events in Texas, and other mass shootings that have happened in recent weeks, and years haunt us all.  My oldest son is in 4th grade.  Same grade at the class so brutally attacked last week.  For some reason as society as a whole seems to become more enlightened and progressive in it’s quest for understanding and love, the capacity for it’s less savory citizens becomes equally more disposed to heinous and evil acts. 

The American Dream

I was talking to a friend who has family living in Europe the other day.  She remarked that her sister felt safe there, and it was nice not to have to worry about violence.  Security is a thing we all naturally seek.  Nobody wants to see bad things happen to other people. (at least anybody who isn’t a sociopath)
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As I thought about my friends’ sisters remark, I had a funny thought.  “the European Dream”.  We never hear about it.  We don’t hear about the Canadian Dream, or the Chinese Dream.  We don’t hear about families risking their lives to send their starving children across rivers, through the desert, in box trucks, suitcases, and other horrible means to build a new life in FRANCE.  But we do hear about the American Dream.  We hear about risky immigration.  We hear about people building lives and legacies from nothing.  Each American story is a story of risk vs reward.  People taking the hand they are dealt, and playing it for all it’s worth.  Overcoming social, racial, economic, and educational barriers to build a dream.

Just what, pray tell, does this have to do with Guns and the crisis?

Our country, in the beginning, was a risk in and of itself.  The reward has been unprecedented.
At the time of founding, the men tasked with forming our countries government only had the negative experiences of the British Monarchy as a point of reference.  They had experienced forced conscription, confiscation of their food and resources, been made to quarter enemy soldiers, and a whole other assortment of injustices. 
The representatives of the thirteen original colonies were tasked with framing a constitution by which their new nation would be governed.  They identified certain “rights” that must be protected without fail for the nation to remain independent, and to protect from being consumed by corruption from within. 

Rights listed include: Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, right to petition, right to keep and bear arms, no quartering of soldiers in private homes, no unreasonable search or seizure, due process, speedy trial, no cruel or unusual punishment, to name a few.

These rights are enumerated in the first 8 amendments of the constitution.  There are more, but this gives enough to illustrate my point.

Back to last weeks horrific events, and the public’s reaction to them.

There has been amplified calls for increased gun control.  For banning “weapons of war” meaning semi-automatic sport rifles.  For increased background checks, and other measures.

Let me be clear.. I fully acknowledge that the people supporting these measures do so only with the intent of protecting the SECURITY of the innocent.  All intentions are pure.  And I would never belittle someone who feels the above measures are necessary. 

Now I want to talk about speech. 

COVID-19 has rocked our nation, and our world.  The economy is in the toilet.  Inflation is out of control.  Hundred of thousands of people have died, or suffer permanent effects from this disease.

Free Speech. 

How many people have died from covid because of misinformation?  How many thousands of people lost their lives because they believed incorrect information.  How many people lost their lives because people exercised their first amendment rights to share their opinions about the methods for treating and containing the virus?  Yes, even free speech has it’s controls.  You can’t yell FIRE! in a movie theater.. You can’t threaten the life of the President.  But you CAN share your opinion, no matter how incorrect or dangerous it is.  And I would venture to say that free speech has led to the deaths of a substantial number of American citizens.

But we’re talking about violence and shooting people and stuff.

Gun violence is horrible.  I hate the idea of people causing harm to each other.  As mentioned above, I even hate nerf guns. 

HOWEVER

If we go overboard with kneejerk legislation to control the second amendment, what is to stop us from going overboard with the controlling of the first, third, fourth, fifth etc, amendments.  The constitution works together as a whole to give our nations citizens the most freedom and protection possible. 

Bad things happen everywhere.  Car wrecks are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults.  We still allow our kids to drive.  Whenever we get into an automobile, we take a calculated risk that can be mitigated by following traffic laws, seat belts etc. 

We know alcohol is used prior to people driving drunk. 

We also know the constitutional amendment banning alcohol was overturned because people felt the risk was worth the so-called reward of being able to drink.  

Evil exists everywhere, but the American Dream is uniquely American.  All of the rights listed in the constitution are crucial in protecting the whole.  

We live in troubled times.  More now than any other time people find themselves in severe distress.  Anxiety, depression, isolation, antisocial behavior and a whole host of other illnesses are more and more common. 

I hope that as a people, we can rally around our fellow Americans who find themselves treading in deep waters.  We can forge connections with our neighbors.  We can watch for people who seem marginalized, and find ways to bring them back.  As we humanize each other, it becomes so much harder to hurt each other.

These are just a few thought I’ve had over this Memorial Day weekend.  I’m not looking to get into a debate.  I think online debates do far more harm than good.  They destroy credibility on both sides of an issue, and foster resentment and distrust.  IF you want to talk about guns and gun safety, I’m always here for a chat.
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Be well.