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Imagine the Future [1]
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Date: 2023-05-17
I will be honest with you. I am still reeling from the mass shooting at the Allen Tx mall from a week and a half ago. I am haunted by the images I saw and that, once again, it’s the AR-15 that led to this carnage. It’s the guns. The AR-15 is styled after weapons used by our troops. Those troops need to be highly trained to use those weapons and the weapons are locked away in an armory when the troops are not on patrol. Why then, do we allow untrained, un-permitted civilians to have weapons like these? Why should they have unfettered access to a gun that can mow down dozens of people in seconds?
I sat down on the Sunday morning after that latest shooting and wrote a letter to my two GOP Senators, Senators Grassley and Ernst, and to my GOP Rep, Ashley Hinson. I am sure this letter has fallen on deaf ears, but I could not continue on with my day until these thoughts were on paper.
I hope you indulge me and read my thoughts:
May 8, 2023
Prayers without action are just noise. I say that because after every mass shooting in this country we hear “our prayers are with the victims and their families”. That’s it. To me that is a cop out. You are washing your hands of this problem. Prayers without action are just noise. We also hear “now is not the time to talk about political solutions” or “you’re politicizing this shooting to take away our guns”. Well I say YOU are politicizing these daily mass shootings by telling us this and that there’s “nothing you can do”. Excuse me? There’s nothing you can do? You’re an elected leader in this country. It’s YOUR JOB to do something. The fact is over 80% of Americans, including gun owners and Republicans, want action. They want universal background checks. They want safe storage laws. They want weapons of war off the streets. 80%. That’s a majority. At least that’s what I was taught in school. Yet, we don’t matter? 70% of households in the country do not own guns. We want to go to school, our houses of worship, grocery shopping, to the movies, to the mall, out to eat, to the local dog park, etc., etc., etc...… without the fear of being shot. You all cry “but the 2nd Amendment!” But why does that take precedence over our liberty and freedom to live quiet, peaceful and safe lives? Don’t we have the right to walk freely and to feel safe when we are out in public? Let’s talk about the 2nd Amendment. It was written by the framers before we had a standing army. Before there were AR15s that could spray bullets at a classroom of 6 year olds in 30 seconds. Why are these words “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state” at the opening of the amendment ignored? Well regulated. Think about those two words. What’s wrong with licensing, permitting and universal background checks? If someone can pass that to own a gun, they shouldn’t worry about more regulations. If someone doesn’t want background checks, permits, etc., that should be red flag that they shouldn’t own a gun. What are they afraid of? Safe storage of guns. Liability insurance for gun owners. There is nothing wrong with requiring that either. That doesn’t stop someone from owning a gun. Their right to own a gun is not infringed by regulations. With all rights there is also RESPONSIBILITY. Why are gun owners exempt from that? And don’t get me started on permit-less open carry. Besides the fact that it makes law enforcement’s job harder in a crime situation trying to figure out who is the “good guy”... why does someone need to strap on an AR15 or even a handgun to shop at their local grocery? Let’s move on to the excuses: “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” That’s just ludicrous on its face. So if that’s true, why are we giving people guns? “More guns make us safer!” Again, ludicrous. If I can’t leave my house to go shopping without the fear of not returning home because someone decides to shoot up the place... how does that make us safer? According to that excuse, our crime rate should be ZERO. “Gun laws won’t stop criminals from getting guns.” Another cop out. And ludicrous. Laws against murder and robbery don’t stop all those criminals all the time... should we get rid of those? “Mental health in this country is the problem.” First, every other first world country has citizens with mental health issues. But they don’t have the mass shootings because of strict gun laws. Also, every single time a mental health bill is presented in Congress or in state legislatures, YOU and your Republican colleagues vote AGAINST it. So you lose the right to use that argument. And finally, don’t come at me with the trope of job stress, violent movies, video game, TV shows, etc. These things exist in every other democracy in the world. Yet we have daily mass shootings because of the easy access to guns, especially AR-15s.. We are the only country that thinks guns are more important than our citizens, including children, living in peace. I will preface this paragraph with the fact that I am a church going Christian. Stop with the “thoughts and prayers” and take action NOW. Stop thinking of your own money and power and do what’s right for EVERY ONE of your constituents now. Not for just a small, vocal minority. It’s time to act now. If an “almighty God” is in control, do you really think that that God is in favor of the slaughter of humans so some people can own a particular weapon? Perhaps that almighty God is sending us a message: DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS. Do not under any circumstances write me back with a form letter filled with same tired NRA talking points and all the other tired excuses. All I want from you is action. If you do respond that way, you will receive that letter back from me with another copy of this letter stapled to it. I’m done with your excuses and I will work with EVERY able bodied, willing person and every gun sense organization in this country to vote all of you out of office. I will make it my mission. Your Iowa constituent,
Whether you agree with all my points or not… or my tone in the letter is up to you. I’m just DONE with the GOP and their blocks against common sense gun reform legislation that between 70-90% of Americans want, including GOP voters and gun owners! Their inaction shows their real constituency are the gun manufacturers and the gun PACs, like the NRA.
Join groups like Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. These groups a two of the many that are doing the work nationwide to push state legislatures to adopt gun safety laws. There are chapters in nearly every state. Join one of these groups and let’s get to work. The states is where the hard work begins. Start with voting in every single local election. Many city and state offices are filled in off years from the federal elections and they are almost more important than those.
Gun violence has now replaced auto accidents for the number one killer of children. Think of that. The so-called “pro-life” party refuses to do something to protect the already living children of this country. To them it appears guns are more important. As of today, people have died in this country from gun violence than during an entire year in every other comparable country in the world.
About 60% of adults know someone who has been touched by gun violence. 60%! It’s only a matter of time until we are all included in that group. Let’s put a stop to this. The first priority is to re-instate the AR-15 ban from the 90s that was provably effective in reducing gun violence. This NPR piece talks about this weapon and how it is the weapon of choice for the mass shooter:
How AR-15-style rifles write the tragic history of America's mass shootings
The AR-15 made up about 2% of guns manufactured in 1990. It is now up to 25%. This is all because of the gun manufacturers and their lobby arms. It’s a marketing scheme for them to rake in the profits, lives be damned.
The final piece I will share with you is this WaPo piece. It’s a gift link so you can read the full article. This piece was written in March so sadly, there have been several more mass shootings that are not mentioned in it.
The Gun that Divides a Nation
Finally, I ordered this t-shirt that I am wearing today:
So that’s it. I hope I haven’t been too long winded. Let’s chat.
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