WHY?

 WHY?

This particular blog expresses how I truly feel about the gun problem in our country. Others may or may not agree with me and that is just fine. We will just have to agree to disagree. I just happen to feel that if nothing is done then nothing will ever change. Something must change. Mass shootings are happening way too often. It breaks my heart that no one is truly safe anymore no matter where they go. More than anything, our children are not in a safe environment at their schools. 

Let's start with some arguments that I hear frequently when gun control is the topic of conversation. "Guns don't kill people - people kill people."  Well, yes, it does take a person using a gun that he/she does not have any business owning. I say NO ordinary citizen should own or have a need for an assault weapon. And before purchasing any weapon, a thorough background check should take place to eliminate those with prior arrests  and/or convictions or mental health issues. It has been reported that many of the shooters had some of these issues, yet they ended up with a gun, usually more than one.

The argument that there is no need to make gun owners carry a permit. It is against their constitutional rights. Our state governor is among one of twenty-five who believe there is no need to carry a permit for a concealed weapon. Plus, I might add that after the school shooting in Nashville, TN., his comment was that NOW is not the time to talk about gun legislation. My question to him is, "Then when is the time?" According to the paper he stated that one of the victims was his wife's best friend and they had plans to have dinner with her that very night. 

It is time for our politicians to start taking action to stop these mass shootings. The US had the most of any other advanced wealthy country; having over a hundred while the closest other countries ranged from 6 to 4 in Germany and France. They have specific laws about who is allowed to carry a handgun and no assault weapons are allowed. Obviously they are doing something right.

I am not talking about taking away the right to own a handgun for protection in our homes or a rifle for hunting. There is a way to get this under control if the NRA lobby did not have so much power and our politicians had backbones.

~  "Ask our lawmakers, 'Do you side with the overwhelming number of Americans who support basic gun safety measures, or do you side with the gun lobby?'"  

~ Colin Goddard, Virginia Tech shooting survivor