Before I could even process the shooting in Maine, and the 18 killed and the 13 wounded, there were dozens of shootings across the nation that left 12 dead and wounded many. Yet, it was only one of 582 (and counting) shootings this year.
I see The Onion headlines, the ones that say something along the lines of “How Could This Happen in Only Country It Happens Regularly.” A joke that rings more than true. How are we the only country full of people who love guns but cannot understand the safety that comes with firearm ownership?
Canada allows for long-gun ownership with a permit. The only countries that allow long-gun ownership without a permit is Yemen and America. Only America, Yemen and South Sedan allow for ownership of a pistol without a permit. The rest of the world either requires a permit for a long-gun or a pistol, or does not allow any firearm ownership. America is dooming itself to be a country where firearm ownership will be prohibited solely because those that “love” guns do not know how to act. If you truly loved them, you wouldn’t act so recklessly.
Take out the mass shootings. There are still too many people who are shot in arguments. Too many people who pull guns to “prove a point.” Too many people who allow their children to kill themselves because they won’t store their gun the way it should be. Too many who own guns because they are afraid.
That last part is the key. Did you know that American gun laws are based out of racial fears? In South Carolina, it was a requirement to carry a gun to church because white people feared slave rebellions. When the Black Panthers armed themselves, the NRA supported gun control and states passed laws to control firearms. They were scared of the population they treated less than human. We don’t have guns because our nation’s fathers had them. We have guns because we are afraid. People who are always afraid are always on edge and that much more willing to use a gun.
And people with no morals will use them to terrorize the public. It is too easy to get a gun in this country, especially when it is a country full of fear and hate. In 2020, gun deaths were lower than they had been in years, but now we cannot even get back to pre-pandemic levels. How many more people need to be killed before it’s clear that this country needs some sort of regulation, even if it is just a permit to own the guns. If you need a permit and license to drive, hunt, fish and all the other stuff we can do, then why is it not required to own a gun?
When will we stop with the “thoughts and prayers” and actually do something. Thoughts and prayers don’t keep people alive.