Following recent shootings at Brown University and Bondi Beach, I decided to write (again…and again…) about guns. Will school children like these be the next target of some crazed person with a gun?
The Republican Party, for a long time, has tried to justify its policies by suggesting that it is trying to “protect us.” They claim to protect “Family values,” “the unborn,” and “the children.” Words are cheap when they aren’t followed by bold action. If history has taught us anything, it is that we need bold action on guns.
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the Security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”—the 2nd Amendment
This is the one-sentence constitutional amendment that divides our country and continues to result in senseless tragedy and the deaths of many of our citizens.
Does the Amendment say that we can own any weapon we want?
No.
Does it say we can’t limit guns in any way, shape, or form?
No.
Can a small child legally own a gun?
No. Of course not!
Can we take a loaded gun onto a commercial airplane?
No.
Can we own a gun that shoots nukes?
Probably not—Let’s check Tennessee or Texas.
The point is that the Amendment permits sensible exceptions to our rights under the Constitution, folks—sensible gun control is not unconstitutional. But this simple truth does not prevent overzealous gun rights advocates from arguing otherwise, while innocent citizens continue to die.
In addition to the rise in mass shootings in this country, made possible, at least in part, by easy access to dangerous weapons, we are also seeing a rise in irresponsible gun ownership and use. In recent years, we have seen (among other similar incidents):
Do children present a threat to gun-toting citizens? Of course not. But these incidents are foreseeable, illogical consequences of our nation’s obsession and refusal to regulate guns.
Would it be “sensible gun control” to have required these three shooters to enroll in and complete a gun safety and self-protection program? Of course! While gun rights advocates in Congress or state legislatures do nothing about gun violence, citizens are senselessly and needlessly Dying or suffering grievous injuries.
Here’s why:
“We are becoming a heavily armed nation so fearful and angry, and so hair-trigger anxious that gun murders are just how we take out our frustrations.”
Senator Chris Murphy, one of the few impassioned legislators willing to tackle the gun issue, once spoke these words on the Senate floor. He is correct. Irresponsible rhetoric and political cowardice have combined to return our country to the wild, wild west, where petty disputes were resolved by gun battles in the streets. Neighbors shoot well-intentioned trespassers first and ask questions later. Racial components, like the one in Kansas City, increase the possibility of violence, and an increasingly unhinged and unfiltered president who consistently encourages or inspires violence creates an absolute recipe for potential disaster.
“Minor slights and indiscretions, small arguments, even simple wrong turns are becoming potentially deadly.”
Murphy is right again. My wife and I used to own a black minivan. My wife constantly walked up to the wrong, but identical car, pulling on the door handle, before realizing it’s not ours. We laugh about it. She claims that “they all look alike.” She’s not wrong; many of today’s popular cars look alike.
Today, in America, we must now have a new version of “the talk,” because choosing the wrong vehicle can get you seriously hurt or killed in this country. Think I’m exaggerating? Let’s ask the families of two young cheerleaders.
After Trump’s reelection, LGTPQ+ citizens have increasingly armed themselves. Considering the president’s hate speech and calls for violence, I understand their motives, but this is a recipe for an actual culture war in this country. Trump’s appeal to Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” is undeniable. When he talks, the bigots listen. Consider the rise in violence and hate speech since the election. Anti-Gay, anti-Jew, anti-immigrant, anti-poor, and anti-anything but white Christian has been enabled and “normalized.” America needs new leadership and a referendum on guns. Unless that happens, our country will continue to experience increases in violence and death, especially in these communities. You can stop this madness. You are powerful. Use your voice and your vote wisely.
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, ripped-from-the-headlines, realistic fiction that speaks truth to power and champions the rights of citizens in our justice system. These novels are dedicated to the social justice movement. They educate, spark discussion, and inspire readers to action. One of these novels, Betrayal High, was written in response to school shootings. For more information, please visit www.markmbello.com.
