The NRA’s 2013 Convention – should I go?

The NRA is holding their annual convention May 3-5 deep in the heart of Texas. I was thinking about  a big trip this summer.  It’s between this and an Indigo Girls concert out West.  I checked out the NRA website to see what fun might be in store for me.

http://www.nraam.org/

Hundreds of exhibitors, celebrities and fun for the whole family!  What’s not to love?

Sarah Palin is attending.  Hell, if Sarah Palin’s going to be there, you know it’s going to be a Grizzly Mama good time.

They are having a special prayer breakfast.  It will probably go something like this, “Dear Lord,  may I never have to shoot anyone unless it is an animal or in self-defense.  Amen.”

There is a Stand and Fight Rally.  Note to the NRA – you are an organization with guns and 50% of America wants to “control” your guns.  How about something a little less violent than the word  fight?  Maybe renaming it a Stand and Peacefully Protest Rally?  

At the seminars, there is the, “Handgun Retention: Protecting Yourself and your Firearm” also known as the “Holy crap, the bad guy got my gun!” seminar.

There is the 7th annual women’s leadership forum luncheon.  This is the NRA’s smartest and brightest women coming together to share ideas about the organization and how women can inspire each other through the common bond of gun ownership and killing things.  This year’s keynote speaker is none other than a female that has shown proven leadership in the areas of 2nd amendment rights and has championed the cause of gun ownership for many women.

The NRA keynote speaker for 2013 is Mrs…..Sean Hannity!

Wait a minute.  Sean Hannity?  That’s a dude.  Seriously NRA?  You couldn’t find a female available for the WOMEN’S Leadership Forum Luncheon?

Might I suggest that mental health background checks be required to attend the conference? Not to buy guns at the conference, but just to attend.  After all, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity and Ted Nugent will be there. There will be lots of guns and ammo.  I think you should have to prove you are sane just to get in.  This conference is for gun nuts – with emphasis on nuts.

About these ads

Bank Robber Shot by Civilian – Gun Rights People Go Crazy

Dear Gun Rights Advocates:

Me again.

I know.  I’m a pain in the ass.

Likewise…

Since I have subscribed to many of your newsletters, I’ve noticed that a lot of you have been celebrating a recent “victory” that happened out of Trimble, MO last week.  Here’s a brief summary for those who didn’t follow the news.

Bank robber walks into the First Security Bank of Trimble and shows a gun demanding money.

Sounds like something taken from the Bank Robbery 101 play book.

Mr. Bank Robber gets shot in the bank.

Mr. Bank Robber gets in car.

Mr. Bank Robber takes police on a high-speed chase.

Mr. Bank Robber gets caught and is now in hospital and will go to jail.

Gun rights advocates go crazy with joy!  See good guys with guns took out bad guy with a gun – a la Wayne LaPierre.

Everyone lives happily ever after.

The end.

Now so fast my gun totting friends.  Let’s stop and think about some of these facts for a moment.

First, according to my friends at the Kansas City Star, it wasn’t exactly an armed “civilian”, it was a guard at the bank.  I know, here we go again with those silly facts.  Also, it begs the question if it was a civilian doing business at the bank, what’s the point of those silly signs posted everywhere with a gun and a slash across it?

Second, if the guard/civilian did shoot the bank robber in the face, the guard/civilian is a pretty crappy shot.  Mr. Bank Robber gets out of the bank, into his car and leads police on a 25 MILE POLICE CHASE from Trimble, MO to Kansas City.  Now I’ve never been shot in the face, so I’m just guessing, but I can imagine that if I was accurately shot in the face, operating a motor vehicle correctly for 25 miles would be pretty gosh darn hard.

Again, I’m no gun expert as I’ve said in previous blogs, but if I got shot accurately in the face, I would assume I would be dead.  That’s right – probably pretty darn dead.  Now I’m also no driving expert, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say I would need a face to drive a car.  I need  two eyes, my brain, maybe even my mouth to scream, “holy shit that hurt.”  So where exactly was he “shot in the face”?

I know…I can be a total pain in the ass with all of these questions.  I was one of those kids who constantly asked why.

So before you keep celebrating your gun rights victory, take a second and think about some of these things.  I don’t consider a guard at a bank a “civilian”.  I think the Department of Motor Vehicles may want to require on our driving requirements that everyone driving have a face.  That is if we are going to be able to drive say more than 5 miles.

Anyway, sorry for interrupting your gun love fest.

Yours in annoying questions,

Aimee

 

 

Sex and Guns – MO leading the way in ineffective curriculum in schools

Yesterday I was featured on a Fox 4 News segment discussing a MO Senate bill requiring MO 1st graders to learn gun safety from the NRA’s Eddie Eagle Program.  I discussed how a 2004 National Institute of Medicine study found that the Eddie Eagle Program was ineffective at actually changing behavior when it came to guns.  http://fox4kc.com/2013/01/30/nra-gun-safety-school-program-drawing-controversy/

I have a feeling that regardless of any silly study showing the effectiveness of the program, MO is probably going to pass this bill and MO 1st graders are going to be singing this snappy tune all over MO classrooms soon enough.  ”Aimee, why so pessimistic?”

Can somebody say abstinence only education?

Ding…Ding!

That’s right boys and girls. Hey kiddos – keep your hands off each other while you read this post.

MO is one of only 29 states that doesn’t require sex education in schools and when it is taught they REQUIRE that sex education is taught with abstinence only education.

You may be saying to yourself,  ”What’s the big deal Aimee?  The only 100% effective method is abstinence.”

You are correct.  Keeping it in your pants is 100% effective.  However, a lot  of time  Johnny isn’t keeping it in his pants – this from my friends at the Guttmacher Institute:

•Although only 13% of teens have had sex by age 15, most initiate sex in their later teen years. By their 19th birthday, seven in 10 female and male teens have had intercourse.[1]

Overall, abstinence only education has been found to be ineffective. Here we go again with these silly statistics on effectiveness getting in the way of popular opinion and big lobbying dollars. This time it’s from the National Institutes of Health from 2005:

Using the most recent national data (2005) from all U.S. states with information on sex education laws or policies (N = 48), we show that increasing emphasis on abstinence education is positively correlated with teenage pregnancy and birth rates.

and it goes on..

These data show clearly that abstinence-only education as a state policy is ineffective in preventing teenage pregnancy and may actually be contributing to the high teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. In alignment with the new evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative and the Precaution Adoption.

Oh effective curriculum be damned.  Hell there is nothing better than sending my kid to school and making sure that they do nothing more than learn things that don’t actually mean a damn thing.

Good thing we aren’t leading the world in science and math.  We can continue that trend by raising children who can’t actually read these science-based studies from the National Institutes of Medicine and Health showing that the gun and abstinence only sex education doesn’t actual change behavior outcomes.  Well done lawmakers!

Now that we are also in a budget crunch, what other programs are you going to cut in our MO schools?  Art?  Music?  Let’s replace unnecessary programs like these with ineffective programs like Eddie Eagle and Just Say No To Sex. Does Just Say No To Sex have a snappy jingle too?

“You and Jenny like to dance

Just remember to keep it in your pants.

Kissing and necking may be in

but something that isn’t is showing some skin.”

Necking…I now 1955 called and they want their word back.  I know…I know…it needs work, but you get my point.

To the NRA App Help Desk – URGENT Question about my magic wand

1/15/13

To:  NRA APP customer service/help desk

From:  Aimee Patton

Re:  game app

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to ask for assistance with your new ipad/iphone app.  I recently downloaded this app for  my six-year-old to enjoy.  I am always looking for new games and since this game was designed for those “4 and up”, I thought it would be perfect to add to my daughter’s game collection. Sure enough, it fits perfectly between the Disney Princess dress-up game and her Tangled storybook game.

I was listening closely to the NRA’s statement after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.  The NRA and I don’t agree on much, but, LaPierre voiced the same concern I have over increasing violent video games impacting our society:

 

“Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse. And here’s one: it’s called Kindergarten Killers. It’s been online for 10 years. How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn’t or didn’t want anyone to know you had found it?

Then there’s the blood-soaked slasher films like “American Psycho” and “Natural Born Killers” that are aired like propaganda loops on “Splatterdays” and every day, and a thousand music videos that portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have the nerve to call it “entertainment.”

But is that what it really is? Isn’t fantasizing about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography?”

So when it was time for me to find the next video game to occupy my six-year-old, I turned to the NRA to entertain my child.  I thought it  was a safe choice since your President said violent video games were to blame for our violent society.  I downloaded your new NRA gaming app. This is where I need some help, because my daughter and I can’t seem to figure this game out. Heck, it’s probably user error, but let me explain.

It’s obvious that we get a magic wand.  We were a bit confused when the magic wand turned out to be black, but hey we are open-minded.  All magic wands don’t have to be purple and sparkly.   Then it asked if we wanted to play “inside” or “outside”.  We picked outside, because that is where you can find sweet animals like bunnies to have a nice picnic with.

My daughter took her magic wand to wish for her picnic and there were about 9 holes in the ground.  We assumed that is where the bunnies or other fuzzy animals jumped out of to join us for our picnic.

Turns out it was dishes that jumped out of the hole.  We get it – start with dishes to set the table for an outdoor picnic.  I’m sure the glasses, food and silverware would have popped out next.  Every time we pointed our magic wand at the dishes to set the table for our picnic, the dishes broke.  We can’t seem to get past the part where we get the dishes to set our table for our magical, outdoor picnic.

Now there was a second when I thought that the wand may be a gun and the dishes were for target practice.  I feel silly even bringing this up, because I”m sure that is the farthest thing your gaming developers wanted with Wayne LaPierre’s statement about violent video games causing people to kill.  I may be out of line, but you really should get some better gaming designers who can make these magic wands appear more “fairy-like” since it’s for children “4 and up”.  Usually sparkles and bright colors appeal to children.

Please let me know how we can get past the flying dishes so we can finish setting the table for our outdoor picnic and get to the 2nd stage of your app.  It’s obvious that my black magic wand I’m using is defective or I’m not using it correctly.

Thank you for your assistance and for developing such a sweet and peaceful game for our children.

Yours in raising peaceful children to become non-violent adults,

Aimee

 

Guns don’t kill people, cars kill people

There was a comment posted on a previous blog that I wrote CLICK HERE TO READ and in response to my gun debate with Darla Jay on Friday night. (KMBZ 980 from 6-9 p.m. – thanks Darla!)  that I think needs some attention and a reply.

I’m including the link to this comment, because the comments  are hard to find on my blog:  http://pleasantlyeccentric.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/attention-nra-and-politicians-idea-to-overhaul-mental-health-you-cant-ignore/#comments (note to self – change comments section to be more visible on blog)

Please go read it and then come back.

waiting…waiting…..waiting….

 

Dear Mr. Fisher,

First, thank you for listening to Darla’s show last night and for taking the time to respond to my blog post.  Your response was insightful, respectful and I enjoyed reading it.  It was much better than the text that came in during the show that read “SHE IS JUST WRONG”.  I really appreciate it.

You bring up some excellent points, as did a lot of the callers on last night’s show.  I think it is this kind of healthy dialog that will get real change to occur.

So let me respond to some of your points.

I’ve found that most people that aren’t familiar with guns tend to be a little uneasy around them and don’t see the need for anyone to own one. 

Mr. Fisher, you are correct here, but I would say “uneasy” is an understatement.  The word I would have used is scared.  The outbreak of mass shootings has me on edge.  I know there are statistics that you could find that could show that the probability that I would be shot in a mass shooting is almost nothing.  I get that, but I can’t help but be more than just a little uneasy about guns, mass shootings and the fact that a lot of these guns used were purchased legally.

While you were on Darla’s show a fella called in and made mention about cars killing more people than guns. You said that guns were designed to kill and cars weren’t. Going by the statistics that you like to promote it is pretty clear that cars DO kill many thousands more civilians than do guns. 

You are correct here Mr. Fisher, cars do kill many more people than guns.  I found this argument to be the most interesting in last night’s debate. I don’t know how well I made my point last night, so let me lay it out here.

You can’t ignore the fact that guns were originally designed and produced to hurt and kill.  It may be animals, it may be people, but the invention of guns and bullets was to hurt and kill.  Cars on the other hand were designed to get a person from one place to another – it is far from the same thing.

You go on to say-Lets regulate cars. You know they have a lot more moving parts that can malfunction and there you go, you have an accident. But it probably could have been prevented by better maintenance which you are responsible for or it could have more design controls that would make the car so expensive that you couldn’t afford one. Is that something you are interested in? 

We do regulate cars!  In fact, the states with the highest number of vehicle fatalities are the states with the fewest regulations.  

http://247wallst.com/2012/05/24/the-most-dangerous-states-to-drive-in/3/

We are constantly increasing the safety standards and passing new legislation to keep people safe on the roads.  I think my daughter has to sit in a booster seat until she is 21 now.  Increased vehicle fatalities means more regulations whether it be in seat belt laws and fines, reduced speed limits, no texting while driving laws and higher penalties and for drunk driving.  Why shouldn’t the same be true for guns?  By the way, remind me not to drive in Mississippi – they ranked #1 on the list for vehicle fatalities.

The 2nd amendment is not free from regulation.  Let’s remember that the 1st amendment is regulated all the time.  Freedom of speech, like I enjoy here, is regulated.  I don’t have the right to yell fire in a crowded theater, I don’t have the right to drop the f-bomb on network television (cable – well that’s another story), I can be sued if I slander someone’s name. Why do gun advocates think that the 2nd amendment is so sacred and can’t be regulated?   

You also bring up mental health - Mental health issues have been connected to a lot of the suicides and school killings. In fact if you are going to kill someone whether it is with a gun or something else you have to have some kind of mental issue. So why not address that? The money you would spend on more gun controls would be better spent on better research and help for the mentally ill. The money you would be spending would help more people and help prevent more suicides and school killings than any gun control you can dream up. 

 

You and I agree on something!  Yes, please let’s do something about mental health!  Again, I’m at a loss for what can be except throw more money at the problem.  What I’ve heard suggested is more state mental institutions, forced institutionalization and the mental health database proposal.  Maybe this is the same frustration you share with me about guns – you are punishing the many for the acts of the few.  If early intervention is the key to prevent more shootings, then who get institutionalized?  Who gets put in the database and monitored?  Like I said last night, millions of Americans take antidepressants.  Do we put everyone in the database and monitor all of these people who take these drugs?  Do we force institutionalization on everyone who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia   How about bi-polar?  Where does it stop?  There are many people who have these conditions that lead productive lives and are not a danger to society.

I don’t think either one of us has the solutions to this complex problem.  Like I said last night, as much as I would like to see a gun-free society, even I understand that isn’t going to be possible.  I think the point of this whole thing is both sides have to give.  Maybe the gun supporters need to stop believing that the government is going to take all guns and maybe those of us who have been diagnosed with a mental illness need to not be so paranoid about being locked away.  I believe it has to be a combination of both – better mental health services and funding and more measures to keep citizens safe from guns.  I hope that maybe I have swayed you just a little.

Again, I can’t thank you enough for providing your comment.  I don’t think either one of us will ever see eye-to-eye, but I can definitely say I understand your point of view better.  Who knows, maybe some politicians in Washington will read your comment and my response and maybe they can learn something.

Sincerely,

Aimee

 

 

 

 

Attention #NRA and politicians – idea to overhaul mental health you can’t ignore

Dear 2nd amendment advocates and pro-gun politicians:

I wanted to take a quick second to talk about something we both agree on.  Yes, I know it’s amazing that there is anything we both agree on, but in a time for unity in this country, I did find something.  The mental health system in this country is broken.  Your spokesman Wayne LaPierre said it many times that guns weren’t the problem and fixing our broken mental health system in this country is what needs to be a priority.  We definitely don’t agree on the first part, but we do agree on the 2nd part.  Quick note – LaPierre used the word “lunatic” repeatedly to describe the mentally ill in this country – step one might be to stop using the word “lunatics” to describe our mentally ill.  A little sensitivity training might go a long way.

Anyway, not to get off track.  We both agree that our mental health system in this country needs an overhaul.  There was a report released from the Committee on Population that compared US life expectancy rates to those of other similar nations.  We ranked #16 in life expectancy versus other nations:

The USA ranks at or near the bottom in nine key areas of health: low birth weight; injuries and homicides; teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; HIV and AIDS; drug-related deaths; obesity and diabetes; heart disease; chronic lung disease; and general disability.

From the Committee on Population: The result is that the life expectancy for men in the United States ranked the lowest among the 17 countries reviewed, at 75.6 years, while the life expectancy for US women ranked second lowest at 80.7 years. The countries reviewed included Canada, Japan, Australia, and much of Western Europe.

So…injuries and homicide was listed.  We all know LaPierre’s famous statement, “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”  I’m still waiting on my bumper sticker by the way.  What is interesting in this report is injuries – intentional injuries specifically –  a.k.a. suicide.

The number one way that men commit suicide – GUNS – handguns to be specific.

Now we will never if the men who committed mass shootings were suicidal and decided to kill innocent lives as part of their suicidal mission, but what we do know is that suicide in this country is reducing our male life expectancy.  We do know that men are four times more likely than women to have successful suicide attempts.  We do know that handguns play a major role in suicide.  We do know that in domestic violence death can be linked to homicide of the victim and suicide of the murderer.

To ignore these statistics is to be irresponsible to the commitment to “overhaul our mental health system”.  To ignore this is to ignore the big elephant in the room.  To get into someone’s head who is mentally ill to find what the triggers are, get them adequate counseling and monitor their medication to prevent further tragedies and suicides is one difficult if not almost impossible task unless effective mind reading is a new medical advancement.  Reducing the number of guns that get into the hands of people with mental illness is something that is very possible and a very good start.

Millions of lives depend on solutions like these.  You can’t ignore statistics.

Thanks for keeping all options on the table to help solve this American crisis.

Yours in keeping people alive,

Aimee

URGENT – A Plea to Responsible Gun Owners

I couldn’t help, but pause yesterday during Christmas and remember the families grieving in Newtown as they dealt with their first Christmas without their precious children. As we continue to process the gun control debate in this country there is so much to consider.

My wish is that guns were outlawed altogether. Even I realize that is extreme.  I understand there is a time for compromise.  I continue to debate alternatives that may make our kids and our society safer.

The nation is already discussing the ban on semi-automatic weapons.  I think that is something that we will hopefully see happen.  I think there is also another option that should be considered.

In this country, we have determined that if parents serve alcohol to minors we hold them responsible.  Here is the following language from VA:

Parents may be held responsible if someone, as a result of alcohol use:

• Gets into a fight and hurts someone.
• Falls and hurts themselves or someone else.
• Sexually assaults someone.
• Damages property.
• Dies from drinking too much.
• Injures or kills someone while driving after leaving the party.

You have a civil liability (meaning you can be sued) to pay damages if either a partygoer is hurt or a third person is injured. Virginia law recognizes your liability for negligence if you provide alcohol to a minor who causes injury to another or him/herself. You may also face criminal charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Going off of this line of thinking, if gun owners in this country are “responsible gun owners” like the NRA claims, let’s up the expectations.  If a gun owner’s gun gets in the hands of their children or another person and that gun hurts or kills someone else, the gun owner is responsible and can be charge with the crime as if the gun owner committed the offense.

Let me be clear  - if your gun commits murder, you are charged with murder.

That way a person who feels compelled to own a weapon for “protection” or for sport will have to be seriously dedicated to do so to take the risk.   It may reduce the number of guns in our society, because of potential consequences to the gun owner.

I’m sure Nancy Lanza thought she was a responsible gun owner.

Also, there are no more gun accidents.  If your gun hurts or injures a child, you go to jail.  Again, this is based on the assumption that everyone is a responsible gun owner.

Your blessed 2nd amendment remains intact and it’s a win-win.  Again, if everything is on the table, then I believe this option should be as well.

If we treat alcohol as a deadly weapon and we hold adults who provide it to minors responsible for crimes they don’t necessarily commit, shouldn’t we hold gun owners to the same standard?

I’m asking you NRA.  I hope you are listening.

 

 

URGENT Congress- a must read response to LaPierre’s interview

Dear Congress:

I know you all are on Christmas Break.  I hope you can take a second to read this.  I’m sure you already know that Wayne LaPierre , the NRA’s spokesman, gave a press conference on Friday and appeared on Meet the Press.  Some Congressman and Senators have  issued statements also supporting no new gun control laws that would infringe on the 2nd amendment.  LaPierre asked that we put an armed security guard in all of our nation’s schools.

“If it’s crazy to put more guns in schools, then call me crazy.” LaPierre said.

You’re crazy Mr. LaPierre.  That was easy.

Here’s why.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics in 2009-2010 there were 98,817 schools in the United States.  This year we had Sandy Hook – that is one mass shooting out of 98,817.

Since 1927 there have been 11 school shootings. I am in no way minimizing these tragedies.  I, like any other concerned parent, realize that one tragedy is too many. However, common sense tells me that the odds are that my child will be safe.  Common sense also tells me that restricting the access to assault weapons would have also reduced the number of casualties in these shootings.  It’s not more guns to arm our teachers and added armed  guards to attempt to shoot intruder, it’s less high-powered guns to reduce the number of casualties.

Here is another point that Mr. LaPierre and politicians are leaving out.  The onset of most mental illness in people is 14 years old.  If mental health really needs to be overhauled in this country why have politicians frequently tried to cut school funding for vital programs like school counseling?  In some states school counseling programs have been eliminated altogether.

What do school counselors do?  According to the School Counselors Association,”Secondary school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population.”

The legislative update from the School Counselors Association reads:

The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP), the only federal program dedicated to creating and expanding school counseling services in America’s public schools, remains funded for FY12. Although the House of Representatives attempted to eliminate the program, the Senate and House ultimately agreed to fund ESSCP at approximately $52.296 million. The FY12 funding amount is a cut of 0.189 percent from FY11, which is the amount that was cut from all education programs.

I went through the list of each state and who has funded school counseling programs.  You can read the complete list here.

Some interesting findings:

Connecticut
Is school counseling mandated for grades K-8? No
Is school counseling mandated for grades 9-12? No
Is a mandate being considered? No
Certification rule (see p. 111)

Colorado 

Is school counseling mandated for grades K-8? No
Is school counseling mandated for grades 9-12? No
Is a mandate being considered? No
Other: Colorado is a local control state, which means many pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public education decisions (issues of curriculum, personnel, school calendars, graduation requirements, classroom policy, etc.) are made by the 176 school district administrations and their school boards.
Certification rule (see p. 165)

and my own great state of KS

Kansas
Is school counseling mandated for grades K-8? No
Is school counseling mandated for grades 9-12? No
Is a mandate being considered? No
Certification rule

I’m not a journalist, just a concerned parent.  I know that if we really want to do something to improve mental health in our nation, it is early detection and intervention.  Not funding and mandating school counseling is wrong.  There is still a need to ban assault weapons.   Putting armed guards in 98,000 of our nation’s schools costs money.   I would rather us arm every school with a qualified school counselor than a security guard.  

If I remember from the last election cycle, most of you ran on fiscal responsibility and no more “politics as usual”.  Show me you stand by your promise.  Fund programs that work like school counselors instead programs we know don’t work like armed guards in schools. Require that every school in our nation have a qualified school counselor with mental health screening for our youth.  Not only can we help prevent tragedies like shootings, but also other mental health initiatives like suicides and bullying.

Thank you,

Aimee Patton

Parent to a six-year-old and voter

Dear NRA – Go To Hell

Dear NRA,

I’m sure you are overwhelmed with love letters today by gun owners who are counting all the ways they love you and your colorful news conference.  I’m sure the comments involved quotes like,

“Way to go man!”

“Screw the government.”

“Liberal freaks won’t be takin’ my guns!”

I’m sure you are celebrating in your offices the way all rich, white males do when you think you hit one out of the park.  The bumper stickers are already at the printers reading -

The Only Thing That Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun is a Good Guy With A Gun.

It’s long, but I bet on your huge monster trucks and SUV’s it should fit.  Our liberal hybrids won’t be needing one anyway so it’s a win-win.

Can you take a quick sec out from your whitemanpalooza celebration to listen to my argument?  I’ll try to be brief.

Here’s the thing-Your argument of a bad man being stopped by a good man with a gun is a reasonable one.  Hold on liberal peeps and hear me out..

Like the violent movies you referenced in your speech, when the bad man came to town in the Western movies, he was met by the good guy sheriff and they had a shoot out on Main St.  They were both shooting the same rifle at each other.  The good guy always won and the movie was over.

Your argument is flawed due to the following reasons.  I know logic isn’t something you are used to so I will lay this out point by point so you can follow along:

1.  As catchy as your statement is, it assumes that both parties have the same type of gun.

2.  It assumes that one party isn’t fully outfitted in body armor.

3.  It assumes that one party doesn’t lead a sneak attack against another party.

Once we go down this path, what is the next step?  Will it be that the good guys should always carry a bigger, more powerful gun than the bad guys?  Why stop there?  How about if we arm them with grenades and rocket launchers just in case?

My daughter goes to a sweet elementary school in a quiet neighborhood.  I will pass on your offer to have her walk past an armed guard carrying a loaded AK-47 every day on her way to class.  I will also pass on having her teacher carrying a weapon on a holster that she has to move out-of-the-way so she can sit criss-cross applesauce with the other six-year-olds for circle time on the floor.

I love my child with all of my heart, but because I love my child, I will reject your offer of more guns and fight to raise her in a world of fewer guns.   I strongly oppose having any of her teachers at her elementary school armed even if you think this is within their rights.  I love my child so much that I will continue to push my politicians to ban assault weapons, ban gun shows and any internet sales of guns.

I am fine with responsible gun owners having shotguns for hunting, but assault weapons like the ones used in the previous mass shootings should be a thing of the past.

You may be one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, but the love I have for my child and others like me have for their children is a force to be reckoned with.  One speech will not make us go away.

Go ahead and keep blaming movies, video games and the media.  As I teach my daughter, shifting the blame doesn’t make you any less responsible.

Aimee Patton

 

Gun Control Debate – Let’s do this.

Another shooting.

This time involving kids at school..an elementary school.

Details still developing.  Kids and adults are dead.  Lots of kids and adults.  Too many kids and adults.  One is too many.

The shooter had 2 handguns.  Did he get them legally?  What was his motive?  I’m sure we will find out more as the day goes on.

I can already hear the gun advocates – “Today is not the day for the gun control debate.  Now is the time to focus on the victims.”  Same quote, just different victims.

Isn’t that what they always say?  The problem is there are so many shootings and so many victims that we never seem to get a break to actually have the gun control debate. It is time to have the debate as a way to honor the victims.

So let’s do this.

Politicians read this –  we need more gun control.  Sane people and mentally ill people are getting guns and killing innocent people.  The system is broken and our society needs help.

If the 2nd amendment is your banner to keep guns legal and in the hands of people who will shoot up elementary schools, movie theaters and other public places-too bad.  That’s right.  Get over it.  The founding fathers didn’t intend for guns to be used in this manner.  The founding father’s also didn’t intend for black people and women to vote.  We, as a society, have recognized that as being wrong and have evolved.  It’s time that we stop hiding behind the 2nd amendment as it was writing at the birth of our nation and evolve to protect our people.

How about the old, tired argument that criminals will have all the guns if we have more gun control.  Yawn.  Here’s the deal.  Criminals want our stuff. People passing background checks and getting guns legally are the ones shooting up public places.  Stuff can be replaced.  Having loosie-goosie gun control laws at the sake of public safety so that we can keep our flat-screen televisions and iPads doesn’t justify the loss of life.

You got a better argument for keeping the gun-control laws the way they are?  I’m ready to hear it.  Afraid the government will do what if our citizens are unarmed?  Guess what?  Lots of citizens in the United States choose not to carry weapons.  How about we get those paranoid about what our government might do to them if they give up their arms some Xanax and to tell to chill out.

Worried about hunting in American we crack down on gun control?  How about hunting with a bow and arrow?  Merida from Brave does it quite well.  If a fiery red-head can do it, so can you tough men.  If not, go get your food at the grocery store like most people.  Hunt in the frozen food aisle.

Sometimes people have to sacrifice something for the greater good of society.  It may not be what you want, but it is for the best.  I’m sure we the story develops today we will find out more about what led this shooter to go crazy and kill kids and adults.  I’m sure our president and politicians are tired of offering up condolence speech after condolence speech to yet another community in the wake of yet another tragedy.  I know my heart is heavy another day.  I can’t sit by and let the gun lobby continue to tell us that this is not the right day for a gun control debate.  To them, every day is not the right day for a gun-control debate.

Let’s tell the NRA that we as a society won’t stand for it anymore.  More gun-control, fewer guns and see what happens.  I know I’m tired of sitting by and letting the gun lobby continue to win this argument.  I’m tired of saying, “today is not the day for a gun-control debate.”  Today is the day.  As long as people are dying in the control and guns are the cause, every day is the day for a gun control debate.

If you agree with me, please pass this along.  Together maybe we can get people to listen.

God bless the kids and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary.  I pray for strength for the grieving families during this tragic time.