Sorry I have been quiet for a while. My last post was in October. I let life and the holidays get in my way. That last post covered what once again is in the news and being attacked by everyone who thinks they understand the Second Amendment, Our Right to Bear Arms.
As I have said before, after every mass shooting, no matter where it may happen, there is a cry for gun control. Not a worry about guns on the street but the control of guns bought legally by law abiding citizens. I will give you this, more regulations need to be put on how they approve someone who is purchasing a gun, no matter what type it is. We have to all agree on the point in fact that the person, I will not mention his name it gives him to much credit, who committed this horrific act in Florida this past week was someone who never should have been allowed to purchase a gun. From the reports given he has been in trouble with the police going to his house numerous times. I am not sure of the amount because I heard one report that said 30 and another that said 39, either way it doesn't matter because they were called there for him and not someone else. He was expelled from the school he attacked last year for bringing, again two different stories I heard, a knife to school and another said bullet shells to school. No matter he was expelled for reasons that should have been reported to the police. The kicker is however, he was reported to the FBI six months ago because of his posts on Instagram and again at the beginning of January the police were notified about his postings and rantings but nothing was done.
Of course after the shooting we also heard he was under doctors care for ADHD and other emotional issues but he has had a rough time losing his family and we can expect someone who lost so much needing help. However, there is no data base hooked from state to state that will tell officials a person has been under psychiatric care and is being treated with medication. I am not sure if this young man was being treated with medication but the first things out of everyone's mouth was mental illness and gun control. My God the poor victims were still at the scene of the crime and everyone is speculating instead of waiting for reports to come in and the truth to come out.
First things first. Our Second Amendment Right isn't a drop in the bucket and didn't take our forefathers a few minutes to stick into the Bill of Rights. They debated this issue and for good cause. They never wanted a government more armed than it's people because that is one of the things they fled from and wanted a better life in their new world. One where they could feel safe and their families would be protected. They were armed and ready to be the militia if it so called for it to protect their families, their homes, and their country. It is no different today, if a person who has a legal gun is needed to stand up and take action be it help the police, protect his home, protect his country if the call so arises, that is what our Second Amendment stands for and why so many people fight for our right to bear arms.
The bigger issue is we are not doing what is needed to vet these people who purchase guns and perhaps change the age limits as to when someone could purchase a gun such as the one used in the shooting this past week. Again just because we change the age to, let's say, 25 doesn't mean the person buying the gun at that age is balanced enough to not use it to cause harm. A good point was brought out this past week on one of the news reports. When you fill out an application for a gun there is a question on it that asks if you have ever been treated for a mental illness. I'm sorry but no one is going to answer yes to that question. There needs to be a data base set up where if someone is even treated for any form of mental illness they should be entered into the system and it shared from state to state since people do tend to move about.
When a police officer is hired he must go through a psychiatric evaluation. I see no reason why someone purchasing a gun should not have to go through the same thing. You are not handing out candy bars at a fair you are giving someone a weapon that can do harm if put into the wrong hands so why not take the time to have the person evaluated and go through the same training for gun handling the police go through. Our police have to qualify to use their weapons not just one time when they get on the force but periodically once on the force. I am not sure each department has the same time such as six months or a year but I would think anyone with a firearm should have to qualify with it yearly or else lose their permit until they do.
So better gun control should mean re-evaluating what age a person could legally purchase a weapon such as a handgun, and what age they should be able to purchase an assault rifle. Of course each state has their own gun laws but this needs to come from Congress. I would like to ask them to put into law the right to carry, no more gun free zones because it hurts the innocent when someone who has a permit to carry cannot protect them from someone who wishes to do harm, for a person to have to qualify at least yearly with their weapon, to change the ages in which someone can legally purchase a gun and an assault weapon, most importantly they need to put a plan into place for a data base for those who are being treated for mental illness of any kind at any age. No more falling through the cracks.
Personally, I don't feel this young man committed these murders because of mental illness. From what we heard this was a well thought out plan. He knew what he was doing to get the children out of their classes by ringing the fire alarm. He knew where it was located and how to get into the school unnoticed. He knew the layout of the school and school procedure so he used that all to his advantage. Does he look remorseful, I'm not sure. I have seen him paraded on television going in and out of court this past week but how much of it is his not wanting to face the people who are hurting and how much of it is he is sorry. I can't tell and neither can anyone else. We have heard his attorney say how sorry he is for all he has done but if that were the case then why even do it. In my opinion, he is showing the remorse to help his case otherwise he can face the death penalty.
Am I being hard on him, yes I am. There are families suffering in the wake of all this craziness and the only thing people want to talk about is gun control. I listened to some young students on the news from this school last evening. Each coming from a different direction on their thoughts of what needs to be done and as to why they are planning a march on Washington and still I hear their parents words and not that of a sophomore or junior in high school. We all know how a parents politics in many cases, can and will influence their children. I think a march on Washington is a great idea and to sit down with the President and talk to him about what they have experience will better help him understand how to present it to Congress but these kids are upset because he addressed mental illness and not gun control. Again they lived it, we didn't, but they are also listening to parents who are upset right now and want to strike while the iron is hot. Many want to take guns from law abiding citizens and many want to have the laws changed so not everyone is on the same page but it is a starting point and hopefully something we, as a nation, can build on. In doing so we need to see to it that no one's rights are infringed upon and everyone is protected. Perhaps out of the mouths of babes is where it will come from and be heard. I wish them the best of luck. They felt they needed to do something to honor and remember their friends and loved ones. This brought them together to work to get the job done or at least started. They will be heard and I applaud each and everyone of them. I hope others will join in on this march to show their support. May God Bless them on their journey and guide them on their way.
We have a President in office who wants to see a better America. He wants to Make America Great Again. I have every confidence in him to listen and weigh what these young people will say to him. To hear their pleas for help so no one ever has to go through this again but what we all have to remember is he is only one man. Congress makes the laws and he signs them. Congress needs to stop arguing over what needs to be done and then pushing it away till some other tragedy comes up and they get to stand on their soap box and shout out about the bill they produced that wasn't passed. We don't want to hear it anymore. These children are asking you to make the changes. They are asking you to come together and stop acting like children and start talking about and seeing to it issues that concern the safety and well being of the American people are addressed. It is not just gun laws you hold your breath on and refuse to compromise so everyone benefits. Time to stand up and do your job and see to it everyone, of every age, in this great nation does not have their rights infringed, are able to feel safe in their own environment, and can once again be proud of their Congress, of their government. Congress, these are children who are suffering, in pain, marching to be heard. Please listen and perhaps you will learn how to come together and in doing so you will succeed in fixing what is broken and has been broken in this great nation for so long. It is time we all work together as a nation, Our President, Congress, State and Local Governments, and the people to Make America Great Again. No more personal agendas. It's all about America and Americans First!
May God Bless these young people as they make their way to Washington to be heard. May God open the eyes and ears of the our law makers so we can make a change for the better. May God Bless our President and May God Bless America!
