I Have no Solution

It's been a week since a crazy man decided to end the lives of 20 first graders and their teachers.

I wish I had something intelligent to say.  I wish I had something that would prevent this from ever happening again.  I wish the tragedy in Newtown had never happened.  I wish these children could live their lives and that their teachers who died protecting them could have the rest of their lives.  I wish I could magically make all of the hurt and anger in Newtown vanish.  I can't.

I am still speechless when I hear about the massacre and the toll  it has taken on  the Connecticutt town.  I, like most people who have children of that  age in their family, teared up when President Obama read the victims names last Sunday night.  I got choked up when I saw images of the small coffins at the funerals.  And I am angry as I write this that this type of massacre has happened again.

Something has got to change.  We can not go on living like this.  We are one of the most affluent nations in the history of the world, yet we are the most violent in the history of the planet.  How is it that we have had seven of these slaughters in the United States this year alone?

I pray our country has leaders who are smarter than I am and have the courage to take the action needed to change this.  There is no one answer but our elected officials should be calling on people who really understand the problem.  Let's combine their expertise and come up with a plan.  Yes, I know I am simplifying this.  But, other nations, notably Japan do not have murders by assault weapons and handguns.  I read an article this week saying only seven people in Japan were  murdered last year by guns.

The NRA came out with it's "answer" to the issue today.  The plan...put an armed guard in every school in the land.  I don't know how many schools there are in the United States but the first question I have is OK, who is going to pay for this.  And then what does it do to the children attending classes.  Does it make them feel that an armed guard is the answer to all of life's problems?  Personally, you and I know better.  My advice is if this is all you could come up with after a week, then maybe you had better go back and try again.

If I had been the NRA my first answer would have been let's get rid of the assault rifles and the handguns.  I am a hunter and had been a supporter until a few years ago of the organization.  I can tell you that it does not take assault rifles to kill a deer or turkey or quail or rabbit or squirrel.  The rifles I have used in the past have been plugged with three rounds of ammunition.  If you need more than this you are not much of a hunter.  And when you hunt with a shotgun for birds, two shells are plenty.  If you don't knock the bird down with two shots than  you aren't a hunter.  As far as selling weapons, the screening process would be extremely tight.  If you have had any alcohol or drug arrests; any treatment for a mental or nervous illness you would not be able to buy a firearm.  And for crying out loud, if you are on the no fly list, you sure as hell shouldn't be able to purchase a firearm.  My proposals above are obvious and should be looked at by our leaders immediately.

I don't have an answer to this and am still perplexed by those who advocate the ownership of not one, not two but multiple assault weapons.  The argument I hear is..."if this country collapses I need to protect my family".  Bullshit.  If the government and society collapse you aren't going to be safe regardless of the number of weapons you own.

I wish I could snap my fingers and the problem is resolved.  But, it wont happen.  Until it is I will continue to have more questions than answers.