Yep, it is terrible when the adults that buy, and own guns don't have the sense to store, and secure them properly....Why does that mean that people like myself, and you who may have the common sense to own them responsibly, that we should abdicate our rights?
Here is my point. We shouldn't have to abdicate rights to correct these issues. But if the NRA keeps blocking every single idea, keeps painting every single proposed measure as a violation of rights, then eventually people are going to get tired of watching kids die while everything they try is shouted down in ignorance. They are going to get tired of the NRA attacking 1st amendment rights for the second. And then punitively pass laws that do restrict gun ownership rights.
Having a gun in your home does not make you more safe, implying that it does, is misinformation. But that doesn't matter because it is a right. Don't have to justify a right in my opinion. And it is ok to say, the options people are laying out are not ok with you. Ask for more information, put your own ideas on the table. And here is the thing, respect other peoples opinion when others are not comfortable with your options. Agree to come up with new options.
Protecting our children, protecting ourselves, shouldn't be partisan. I am not your enemy. Other Americans are not your enemy. But if you continue to blindly follow NRA talking points and refuse any and all measures, then you will become other Americans enemy. There are already signs now that the majority of people have become tired of NRA stonewalling and propaganda.
You want some different alternatives, other than background checks, and gun bans? I respect that. I agree with that. So we come up with alternatives, and we start with allowing real scientists to study the problem. The CDC. And I know, everyone is afraid the CDC is going to come out and recommend gun bans. But I am not. The CDC will do more than just track statistics submitted by law enforcement. They are going to study economic contributing factors, social, psychological and regional. They are going to study what works. They will look at communities with a high gun ownership rate and low crime and find out what is working there. And they are going to share their data for others to analyze.
Once we have a good clear look at the problem, and not the hodgepodge of broken statistics we are working with today. We can look at real measures that may not even need changes in the laws. What if the answer is to end the war on drugs. Which then stops sending young people to con college, where they would learn how to be criminals, and stops then from having a record that prevents them from a decent job. So they don't have to sell drugs when they get out of con college. Then they wouldn't get into a beef with another drug dealer, and shoot them. That's just one example.
And while the CDC is doing its study, which will and should take a few years, we can take a look at our mental health care system. Put child development specialists in every school that can spot these mentally unstable kids, and launch a new nationwide safety initiative. Much like what the NRA used to do before they were taken over by extremists. I in part blame the NRA because they focus so much on how to sell more guns, instead of how they used to be, focused on educating people about guns.
Instead of focusing on personal safety, focus on how banning alcohol lead to the Mafia, and banning drugs lead to the cartels. And then say something like, I don't like any of the options on the table today because they are based on misinformation and propaganda. We need a real look, scientific look, at what can be done. Because background checks and gun bans haven't worked and they make me feel like my rights and the rights of every American have been infringed. I want to help with the problem, so lets fund research and find some better options.
And for the love of god, stop believing that other Americans just want to take guns for no good reason or partisan politics. Stop making it an us vs them, your countrymen and women will respect your opinion if you respect theirs.