The last year or so I have found places like Facebook to be incredibly frustrating. Election years always tend to stir up more of the "sludge" of society that most of us turn a blind eye to. Recent years have seen a decline in a once prosperous economy, increasing rates of unemployment and homelessness and an array of other social issues. It seems that America is again struggling with her identity.
Over the last month I have watched meme after meme be posted from both sides of the political spectrum. The ones I find most bothersome are the ones involving the current national conversation about Gun Violence and Gun Control. What really gets to me is the constant barrage of inflammatory, uneducated, unresearched and unwarranted propaganda. The upside to this is that I am reminded that while I may be left-of-the-middle when it comes to politics, I am still in the middle. While I'm being constantly inundated with misattributed quotes and misleading statistics I find myself wondering: are we really talking about this issue or are we simply in a shouting match to see who can yell the loudest? The likely answer to that question is that it is just one big shouting match wherein nothing will really be accomplished. That worries me.
We all seem to live in this bubble of ignorance. Everyone is there on their soapbox demanding that their First Amendment rights be respected all while they insist on disrespecting the First Amendment rights of others. In the land of Facebook arguments ensue in 30+ comments that may or may-not end up in someone un-friending and/or blocking another person (passive-aggressiveness at its best). Everyone is up-in-arms over who has the right to voice an opinion and on which topics. Sure, I too get on that band-wagon. I appreciate the tongue-in-cheek remarks about "if you don't have a vagina you can't talk about women's reproductive rights". Those kinds of statements make a point, sometimes a valid one, but ultimately the idea of "sit down and shut up" negates the potential for a conversation.
Conversation.
Let's define it shall we.
Conversation: (noun) the spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions and feelings.
Think about that. The spoken exchange of thoughts, feelings, opinions, ideas, desires, needs, fears, worries, joys, struggles and endeavors. Exchanging these things implies a transaction. A give and get situation. But what I seem to be witnessing on a daily basis is far from that.
So...
Let's talk... about guns...
Now, I am not a gun-owner. I have never had the desire to use or keep a weapon. I would like to think that I live in a country, in a city and in a community where I can walk down the street and go about my daily business without needing to carry a weapon to protect myself. I am a parent and, like many other parents in this country, I was deeply disturbed by the events in Newton, Conn. I am also an American citizen and enjoy my right to exercise my First Amendment whenever I choose. So in that regard this is what I have to add to the conversation on guns:
I am disturbed by the polarized stances on this subject. I don't believe the answer to this issue is in taking away guns nor do I think it is in doling out more guns. The solution is far more nuanced than that and regardless of what kind of measures are put in place they will not be a catch-all/stop-all for future violent acts.
I am disturbed by the outright disrespect that our President receives on this subject. This issue was not created by our current President and he will not be the last President to deal with this. Using things like Secret Service protection or calling him a tyrant are utterly ridiculous statements designed to incite and inflame people. (If you don't like the people in office then do your part and vote. Get involved in your local and state governments to get people in office that represent your views. Citing excuses like "oh the government is so corrupt" or "my vote doesn't mean anything" or "I'd rather not vote" are cop-outs for your lack of commitment to the country as a whole. Speak up, act or be content in the fact that your silence makes just as big of a statement as voicing your opinion.) Using, creating or perpetuating conspiracy theories are only convoluting the issue. Implying that our President is a tyrant or a socialist is not A) accurate or true and B) constructive. Go look up the terms "tyranny" and "socialism", do a little research on the "facts" you support before sharing them.
I am bothered by the fact that no one seems to acknowledge that the world has changed dramatically since 9/11/01. Technology has changed the world in profound ways that we are just now being able to study. The effect of things like video games, smart phones, and constant communicative ability are being analyzed even now as I write, but we will not fully understand them for years to come. That does not mean that it should be over looked. There has been a change in how people interact and treat one another. The world is different and still changing and we need to understand how and why in order to figure out what is causing these fissures in society. Ignoring, dismissing or downplaying these stressors is only going to exacerbate the underlying problem.
It bothers me that many see gun violence as "the problem" and not as a symptom of a much bigger problem. While I think we need to control for this issue explicitly, we all need to look to the root cause of these violent events.
I am bothered by topics such as mental illness being invalidated and thrown under the bus by various proponents whether they are pro- or anti-gun. Mental illness has been a taboo in this culture for far too long it is time we deal with it. (if you don't know about the Deinstitutionaliziation of the 1970s, you should)
It bothers me that I cannot post questions like: Why do you need to have assault-rifles? Or clips that hold massive amounts of bullets? Without being told to sit-down and shut-up because I don't own a gun so I should have no say in regulating them.
It disturbs me that the logic we use in regulating, monitoring, tracking, licensing, documenting and/or tracing items like cars, cold medicine, fertilizer, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, marriages, deaths and people is immediately dismissed when it comes to guns. I pose these questions: Why is there such opposition to waiting periods? To background checks? To a database of sales? If you are afraid of government tyranny then why do you have a driver's license and social security number?
It also bothers me that the pro-gun side takes offense to the topic of accountability. If you are in a car accident and cause damage to another person's vehicle you are financially liable for that damage, why should property damage due to gun use be exempt? If you are in a car accident and accidentally kill someone you are liable and often charged with involuntary manslaughter, why should accidental deaths due to guns be any different? Guns, just like cars, have the capacity for destruction so why should the rules for accountability be different?
It bothers me that another argument used by gun proponents is protection from tyranny. What tyranny are you afraid of? Fear of the government? Fear of your fellow citizens? Fear of immigrants? Of criminals? I don't understand why any of these would result in stockpiling as many weapons and as much ammunition as possible.
Lastly, I am bothered by the misuse, misapplication, misinterpretation and outright manipulation of facts. It bothers me that people can't spend an extra 5 minutes reading a cited article or listening to an entire speech. It bothers me that slips in speech or jumbling of words (something each and every one of us does every day), smile, smirk, frown, or other expression is interpreted as some kind of conspiracy, insult, or confession of a projected "crime", attitude, or diabolical scheme on the part of that person just because they happen to be on the national stage. It bothers me that so many people take and use things out of context and don't even seem to know what context is.
So where does that leave me in this conversation?
I am not pro- or anti- gun. I don't think we should take away the legally obtained and maintained guns. I don't think the answer to this issue is in doling out more guns. I don't think we should put guns in schools, at least anymore than maybe a stronger police presence in the area or properly trained armed security agents. I think we need to enforce the laws we have which include background checks and waiting periods. I think that purchases from both dealers and private parties should be documented and accounted for just like cars at the DMV. I don't think the average citizen should own weapons of the same caliber or capability as those used by our military personnel in war.
Mostly I think we need to educate our populous about violence of all kinds. For those who choose to own guns perhaps a class in gun laws and safety (likened to a learner's driving permit and/or driving test for a license) should be required. I think we need to take more responsibility for what we teach our children when it comes to violence whether through video games or real life. I think there needs to be more accountability for gun owners in the event that their weapons are used in a tragedy like Newton or if in the well intentioned fervor of an armed conflict someone's property is destroyed or a bystander injured. Car owners have to carry insurance in case of an accident, home owners carry insurance in case of a break-in or disaster, why shouldn't gun owners carry insurance as well?
Regardless of how this conversation works itself out there are a few things that we all need to keep in mind: There is never going to be a time when all violence or all crime ceases to exist. Holding up potentially helpful laws because "criminals will still get guns" or "that regulation isn't going to prevent another Newton" are not good enough reasons to NOT act. We also need to keep in mind that in order to live in a peaceful, safe and productive society we need to understand that that means giving up certain freedoms. No, that does NOT mean revoking First or Second Amendment rights, but it does mean that maybe you can't own assault-weapons or stock-pile ammunition. We already agree to follow certain "rules" in order to live in a mutually beneficial society (think traffic and property laws or just plain old etiquette). Those rules are an infringement on our ultimate freedom to do whatever, whenever and however we want. We don't (necessarily) go speeding through red lights just because we want to get somewhere faster, no. Why? Because 1) we've agreed to follow certain rules pertaining to travel and 2) we know there are consequences for breaking those rules. The same kind of logic should be applied to issues like guns and violence.
It takes a common sense, middle-of-the-line approach to handle these kinds of issues. Pointing fingers or creating conspiracy theories about our nations leaders are not going to change the fact that the world and our society is changing. We would all be better off if we would climb off our soapboxes and LISTEN to one another for a change. I for one am always interested in what people have to say... I may not like what it is or agree with it, but I would much rather listen to my fellow citizens than perpetuate an unrealistic state-of-fear. All I would ask of anyone engaging in the gun conversation, the abortion conversation, the immigration conversation or the drug conversation is to Educate yourself first. Understand what exactly it is that you are buying into before you start shouting it from the rooftops. Passion is wonderful but passion without direction or purpose is dangerous. So please, lets put on our big-kid pants and talk.
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