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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Can We Stop This Now?

Twenty children are dead. Babies. They were six and seven years old. They held no political affiliation. They were not bullies. They were excited about the holidays and Santa and wearing party dresses.

There are adults who are dead, as well, and I mean, in no way shape of form, to minimize that or their sacrifices. But dead adults don't register, or we wouldn't've been in this mess to begin with.

These children were killed with legally procured guns. The gun control laws worked and were in effect.

It's time to stop this. The right to bear arms can be protected by revolvers and shotguns. Automatic and semi-automatic weapons have no place in civilian hands. Period.

It's time to stop this. Free speech is a magical thing. Freedom of the press is vital. Both are some of the few things I find worth fighting for. We can, however, stop talking about "the second worse shooting in our nation's history" or "the shortest time between such incidents" or anything else that draws a comparison ~ and can foster competition. Oh, but Pobble, only crazy people would consider it a competition! Only crazy people shoot up schools. Who do you think is listening to these reports and these comparisons?

In 2010, 2777 civilians were killed in Afghanistan. In 2010, 8775 civilians were killed by guns in the United States. You want your constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms? Until/unless that amendment is changed, I really am okay with that. And I'm not about to be an asshole and tell you that you can only keep a weapon that would've been available in 1787. I happen to believe that our founders were incredibly smart men who anticipated technological growth. Great. But if you really believe your right to own a Bushmaster .223 caliber is more important than these 8775 people, I truly don't think you understand the United States, or the founders, as well as you think you do.

It is time to stop this. None of the above changes that. Children are dead. More civilians have been killed than in a war. How is this anything but obvious?

It is time to stop this.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.


3 comments:

Cut Porker said...

You know, the thing is, firearms have not changed so much in the last 100 years. They still work the same and, having received military training in the early 90's, I can tell you that you should almost never put the thing on full auto. Waste of ammo.
My beef isn't with the weapon, its with irresponsible storage. People... remove the bolt. Put a trigger lock on it. Put a chain through the action. Don't keep bullets in the house unless you plan to go hunting. If you must, put them in a secure gun locker. LOCK the gun locker. DON'T tell your kids the combination.

"But its no use if its not loaded..." they'll say. I ask you this, how many of those 8775 people were killed trying to break into someone's house?
None.

Know what? Most cops that get shot get shot with their own sidearms. If you carry a loaded weapon or keep on around, you are actually MORE at risk. Not less.

Duh.

neo-prodigy said...

I remember a few years back you stated that as the economy goes into shambles and there's more upheaval that people are going to become unhinged and we're going to see more incidents like this.

The fact that this happened so shortly after the Colorado shootings........

Those kids.

*rubs eyes*

Damn

BostonPobble said...

Cut Porker ~ Appropriate storage is absolutely important. Many, many lives will be saved by appropriate storage. And I still say semiautomatic weapons have no business in civilian hands.

Neo-Prodigy ~ I would've loved to have been wrong. Those kids...