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| Justin Lane/EPA |
If you are a frequent flyer, it has probably happened to you
at least once.
The plane lands, you disembark and head to the baggage claim area.
After a while, suitcases begin emerging from the chute
and onto the circular conveyor belt. Your fellow travelers pull their suitcases
off the belt, and head for the exits. But your bag doesn’t come.
In 15 minutes or so, the belt is empty. And it stops.
You go to the airline’s Lost Baggage office and are told
there are no more bags from that flight. Yours didn’t make it.
The airline representative examines your claim check, and
promises to deliver your bag when it arrives. You go on your way, annoyed, but
fairly confident you’ll eventually be reunited with your luggage.
Yesterday in Newtown, hundreds of frantic parents
waited outside Sandy Hook Elementary School for their children. One by one, mothers, fathers and children were
reunited. The parents who remained in the parking lot were finally told,
“There are no more children.”
Unimaginable.
This morning, following the second-worst school massacre in American history, there are lots of editorials calling for stricter gun control laws.
But millions continue to pooh-pooh the thought.
They offer up the same reason they gave after Columbine and Jonesboro and
Aurora and Tucson and Virginia Tech, claiming gun control isn’t the solution because crazies will always find a way to get their hands on guns.
Enough already. If there is a chance, however slim, that
stricter gun control laws will prevent one more parent from ever having to be
told, “There are no more children,” it’s time for Americans to look
inside ourselves and do what needs to be done.
The constitution, as originally written, says we have the right to bear arms. It also says slaves aren't people and women can't vote.
It's been changed before. It can be changed again.
It’s an awful terrible bad thing that happened yesterday. There are no words to express the sorrow and grief that must be in the hearts of those that lost loved ones in this heinous crime.
ReplyDeleteI would be willing to go along with your idea to control firearms if I were convinced the bad guys and goofballs would give up theirs and wouldn’t have access to them ever again. With our record of controlling illegal stuff, it would seem to me, we wouldn’t be able to control firearms any better than the other stuff.
I know it sounds cliché but once all of us law abiding citizens give up guns the only ones that will have guns will those that some bureaucrat wants to have them, a very limited number of law enforcement people, the bad guys and those evil goofballs that are willing to do anything to get their minutes of infamous fame.
I’m not a NRA member and don’t plan to ever be one but I do own several firearms, some are family heirlooms, some are antiques, a few muzzle loaders and a couple of modern guns. I like to hunt and I do almost all my hunting with a bow and arrow or muzzle loaders.
Before I surrender my guns I will need to be convinced that I don’t need them to protect my family. I do not think I would be convinced by some bureaucrats promise to get all the guns out of the hands of wackos and bad people.
My heart aches, like most Americans, at this terrible crime. I wish there was something we could do to prevent it from ever happening again and if someone has a real plan I’m willing to listen.
Russ, you said the magic words: "If someone has a plan, I'm willing to listen." Many people aren't willing to listen and are reverting to the old chestnuts, "It's because God is out of schools" (which to my thinking has nothing at all to do with the matter at hand) or "When guns are outlawed ...." I don't think any of us know what can be done but we have a Congress (I know, that's a scary thought) and if they are ever going to do something about it, now is the time to put their heads together. There were 20 kids stabbed by a madman in China yesterday but most of them are, unlike the people who were gunned down in Newtown, alive.
DeleteSometimes I feel we're like voices crying in the wilderness. We can shout and protest, but we already know that the powers that be are already drowning out our words with yet another deluge of hidden bribes and payoffs to maintain the status quo. They're turning me into a rabid pessimist. BobE
ReplyDeleteBob--NEVER feel voiceless. Never feel powerless. You and i and all of us are powerful and empowered to make this change. WE ARE THE PEOPLE. This is OUR country. It does NOT belong to the politicians, the crazies, or the cowards. There are more of us than them. Together, and only together can we change this, but 'together' starts with 'me'. One voice. Two voices. Three voices. Four, five, six...we must start though. I have. With love for all, and determination.
DeleteI'm with the above poster. I've sent letters to my outgoing congressman, to the one who was elected to replace him and to both my senators. And I'm gonna keep up the pressure. Every American can do this.
DeleteRuss I don't think people are saying give up your guns but more than a criminal background check is needed. A check for mental health issues and possibly a credit check and a personal history. When i say personal history i do not mean your religious or political views.Identity theft is on the rise along with all its inherent problems.Getting a gun should be at least as difficult as getting a mortgage. Waiting periods should be longer also. Yes the crazies might find a way but isn't one of those babies worth the effort. We must also teach our children that being a tattletale is not a bad thing, as most of these nuts told, posted or bragged to someone before hand. It is better to be embarrassed about a mistake than to have ti live with the guilt of having kept quiet. Thank you
ReplyDelete