The world is pretty messed up right now. Hope I didn’t shock anyone by just stating the obvious like that, but it is true. People using guns as the solution for their feelings is weighing heavily on my mind. Are you having a bad day? Maybe you’re depressed and want everything to end. Did someone cut you off in traffic? You saw two people happily living the life you secretly wish you had and that made you jealous? Could it be that your parents took away your favorite toy? Regardless of the cause, when did it become okay to translate what you’re feeling at those moments into the act grabbing some guns and killing a bunch of people?
I don’t know when it became okay, but the metrics point to the fact that I missed the memo. Over half of the news I hear or read about lately has to do with guns. We’ve seen 250 mass shootings in the United States as of June 2, 2022. There were only 91 mass shootings in 2014. 2021 had 240.
In the first 5 months and 2 days of 2022, we’ve broken through last year’s record. I guess it should come as no surprise. With polls showing things like 85% of Republicans believe gun violence is the price everyone has to pay to live in free society. The price we have to pay? Modern society condemns ancient cultures as savages because they performed human sacrifice, but mass shootings are the price we have to pay to live? I can’t even believe people have the nerve to make such a statement let alone make it publicly. What is wrong with people?
Protecting the Rights of Gun Owners
That’s right…Protect the rights of gun owners. That’s the other phrase that gets thrown around a lot lately. People are dead. Children are dead. All of the potential those children had to possibly change this world for the better is gone, but we need to protect the rights of gun owners? This next bit is going to offend some people. If you are easily offended, you probably should stop reading now and might want stay away from the thoughts and opinions category on my site altogether.
Anyone, and I do mean anyone, who thinks their right to purchase a weapon on the spot, no questions asked, is more important than the value of someone else’s life…anyone who thinks that right is more important than the value of an innocent child’s life…is an absolutely horrible excuse for a human who should pick up the nearest gun and use it on themselves. Oh, if you do this, please make it a fatal shot too. I don’t want my taxes going to pay for you to live out the rest of your life spewing more hate and ignorance in the world while on disability because your aim was off.
Just saying what others are thinking
Yes, I said it. I mean it too, and I’m not the only one who feels this way. Maybe you missed the blog about me not being a very “nice” person. When I started writing this, I had just read more than one news article about church leaders calling for LGBTQ people to be lined up and shot in the head. So, don’t try to make me out to be the bad guy here.
I’m not advocating more violence. I’m not suggesting, like that self proclaimed Christian pastor, that anyone be murdered. It’s just that we have a problem. This nation doesn’t need more power-hungry rich people getting richer off the fear and manipulation of others. We don’t need more innocent people gunned down. So, if you think guns are so hunky dory, then grab one and use it on yourself. Don’t shoot anyone else. Just get out of the way of the people who are trying to do some good. Stop being a tool and stop being so self-righteous that you don’t even realize you’re nothing but a tool.
But what about Heaven?
If you’re one of those who’s about to claim you can’t comply or that someone else shouldn’t comply with my suggestion because “suicides don’t go to Heaven”, don’t worry. I got you covered. I’ll let you in on a secret. That idea is predicated on the belief that we are created by God. To destroy His creation is blasphemous. Ergo…suicides don’t go to Heaven. Here’s the thing…People only pull that line out when it suits them. There are lots of reasons people won’t see their Heaven. If you fit the description of the person I’m talking to, you’ve already failed the whole honor and respect His creations thing. So much hate, loathing, and sanctimonious BS already fills you that you’re not going to Heaven no matter how you leave this world.
Let’s think about this logically
How is raising the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 going to seriously impact a person’s right to own a weapon in the United States? Is enforcing stricter background checks before someone can buy a gun going to seriously affect the rights of the people who were going to be approved to get one anyway? Why are people arguing that making the magazine smaller or banning assault rifles is taking away a person’s right to bear arms?
There were no age limits or background checks when the constitution was written. There are now. Those all came later because the members of society weren’t doing a very good job of policing themselves. 18 doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe 21 will work better. We’re talking about three more years and a few more days. Those extra days for the background check mean more time between wanting a gun and getting it. That extra time could allow a person to take a breath and calm down from whatever was upsetting them.
I’ve been 18, and I’ve been 21. I’ll even admit those three years don’t offer up a lot more in the way of sense, but they do offer up a lot more in the way of life experience that isn’t happening under the carefully controlled bubble mommy and daddy created. You get out of school and into the real world. You learn how to deal with other people in a way that doesn’t involve name calling or beating someone up in the locker room. I wasn’t allowed to buy liquor until I was 21 because “the powers that be” felt I wasn’t capable of managing my own actions. Why is buying a weapon any different? It shouldn’t be.
Assault Rifles
As for assault weapons, you will never convince me there is a valid need for a civilian to own one. Never. You might want one, but you do not need one unless you plan to go out and kill a bunch of people which you should not be doing in the first place. I wouldn’t be allowed to go buy a nuclear bomb just because I wanted to own one. This should be no different. Both are a weapons of war and should only be used in that setting. Get real people! This is 2022. There is no war currently occurring on American soil. We are not facing the zombie apocalypse. We’re talking about not giving weapons for assault to people who do not have a need to assault anything.
I’m not anti-gun
“You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead hands.” I’ve heard that quote my whole life. Damn right too! I own guns. My family was raised around guns. No one is getting my guns. No one should be allowed to come get yours so long as you are being a responsible gun owner. We were also taught what being a responsible gun owner means. It means guns are not toys. Don’t allow people who should not have a gun to gain access to one. Lastly, it means never, ever, pulling your gun on another living thing unless you intend to kill it because it is trying to kill you. Responsible gun ownership is easy.
Guns are pretty. Shooting guns is fun. I’ve shot handguns, rifles, shot guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and even a Gatling gun. Those last three were a so much fun by the way. The difference is that we were on a shooting range in a setting controlled by FBI agents trained on each weapon. We were not losing our temper or getting depressed and going around mowing down defenseless, innocent people. Do not twist the point I’m trying to make.
Magicians
About this time is when people start spouting statistics and minute factoids to rile everyone up to detract from the point I’m making. They make the argument that if a solution isn’t going to solve EVERY SINGLE SITUATION, then why do anything. Inflammatory claims about God and country and “those people” trying to take away your rights. I’ve even had people fight logic with completely illogical things like, “Don’t listen to him. He’s a pervert who sleeps with men.” Go watch Star Trek. Focus on Spock. Learn what logic is and come back to the conversation if tricks like that work on you.
We are talking about guns and the need to do something to curb the violence in this country. It is like a magic act. Get the people to pay attention to the half-naked lady and they won’t see what the magician is up to. That is what the fearmongers do. They say, “Look over there. Don’t pay attention to what is really happening.” While we aren’t paying attention to the magicians, they’re over there preventing progress from being made so they take more power for themselves.
Big player
I’m sure each of you has heard of the National Rifle Association or NRA. Two men founded the NRA in 1871 to “promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis”. Since the topic of what is or isn’t in an original document being the basis for what is or isn’t allowed has come up so often lately, let’s think about that. There were no assault rifles in 1871. If abortion isn’t protected because it wasn’t in the original constitution, then just because the word rifle is in the name, doesn’t mean the NRA should be trying to promote and encourage the shooting of a type of weapon that didn’t exist when they were founded. Seems to me that the founding mission of the organization has been lost.
The NRA is for all intents and purposes a company. All companies exist for a purpose. They exist to become powerful, push an agenda, and make money. It is not the core mission of any company to care about individual people. Yeah, yeah…I know the NRA is technically a non-profit but come on. The NRA admits they spend 3 million dollars a year. In 2020, it is estimated they actually spent around 250 million dollars by funneling money through other paths that don’t show up on their main budget. At either end of that pay range, it is still more money than most people can even fathom owning. They have a purpose. The NRA is certainly powerful, and they make money. It is a company. They do not care about the people.
It’s all about power
The NRA uses their money and power to influence people into doing what they want when it comes to gun policy. Why? Because that’s their business. That’s what keeps them in power, and they don’t give a rip about anything other than remaining in power. The people they are influencing don’t care about anything other than remaining in power either. That’s the magicians at work again. They talk out of both sides of their mouth and manipulate the masses any way they can.
Is the NRA the root of all evil? No, they aren’t. The NRA is just a company. A company is just a thing. It takes something with a consciousness to do evil. The NRA would lose all power if people decided to stop donating to them and if people stopped allowing the NRA to influence them.
All the same
The people of this nation, and really of this whole world need to wake up. No, I am not talking about “get woke”. I am talking about pulling your head out of the sand, or the clouds, or out of your own ass if that is where you shoved it. Open your eyes and see that everything on this planet is connected. Look past the end of your own nose and really see the results of your actions.
Every one of you has power. You may not think so, but you do. You may only have the power to choose not to pick up that weapon and end the life of another person. Maybe you only have the power to start thinking for yourself so you stop blindly following what others tell you are right. There are even some powerful people in America have the decision to make a change or not. I’m talking about our lawmakers. According to the polls I saw, only 7% of Americans believe their leaders will do something to correct the problems facing us. That’s a 93% vote of no confidence in the people who were appointed to represent the people of this country. 93% of us think all of you lawmakers will make the wrong choice. The Prime Minister of the UK could have been removed from office with a smaller no confidence percentage. I say to every lawmaker in this country, “Prove us wrong by doing the right thing!”
Do Good
It doesn’t matter what your religious leaders tell you. It doesn’t matter how you were raised. All life is connected. That is not new age, hippie BS. It is a scientific fact. Maybe you prefer me to say, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” It is the same thing. We are all connected.
You can not do harm in one place without causing more harm somewhere else. We all have a choice. Even doing nothing is a choice, and it isn’t always the best choice. Stop focusing on the negative. Stop thinking the battle is lost before you even try. Try anyway and try again if your last attempt failed. It really is that simple because there’s another way to look at things. You can not do good without causing more good to occur somewhere else.
Do good. Do actual good. The kind of good that your conscience tells you is good. My aunt repeated a lesson to me over when I was younger. She would sit me down on that little yellow step stool in her kitchen and ask, “Are you thinking your own thoughts or are you listening to the thoughts of others?” It is only when enough of us start thinking for ourselves that things will get better. Please think your own thoughts. If someone tells you to feel a certain way or do a certain thing, examine why. Who is it going to benefit? Is it going to benefit the person who asked? Will it benefit you? Is there anything other than the word of the requester to prove it will benefit you? Will it benefit the world we live in? Will it harm any other being?
Stop making excuses
You might claim, “Daniel, you’re being a hypocrite. You are telling me to do something just like all the others.” Great point, but let’s run that through the paces. I am asking you to think for yourself and do good things. Who benefits from that? Every living thing benefits. Will it harm any other living being? No, it will not. Even my suggestion from earlier would still pass the test. It might not pass with an A+, but taking only your own life still does less harm than taking the lives of others. It still passes the test. So stop finding excuses to ignore what I’m saying. Just do the right thing. Make the right decision on gun control, and then keep making decisions that add more goodness into the world with everything else that comes your way.
Links
Washington Post article on the number of mass shootings. Click here
Guardian article with some of the poll statistics used in this blog can be found here.
For accurate information on mass shootings in the United States, visit the Gun Violence Archive.