Disclaimer: This post will contain some things people will not agree with and could be seen as promoting something, but isn’t. It is simply another thing that this geek has strong thoughts and beliefs on.
I started writing this on the day of the Uvalde, Tx shooting and couldn’t find it in me to get anything down here. So, here I am, a little over a week later to try and come up with something to write on this page that not many people will see. And what does it matter? It’s not like something will be done to help any of the kids going to school. It’s been said many times before. If no one did anything after the children at Sandy Hook were butchered, why did people expect any type of good change?
Columbine
As many people remember, the Columbine High School massacre happened in 1999. I was about 14 in the 8th grade at the time. It was something I had never seen or heard of before. I was an overweight girl at an all girl school, I won’t say I was bullied, but there were moments of teasing. I think every person gets picked on a little in their life. Even through the worst of it, I Never thought to pick up a gun and shoot everyone in the school. My brain doesn’t work like that. Even if you’re bullied everyday, this shouldn’t be the answer.
My teacher tried to explain to us what happened and we had questions. I mean, I am 36 now and I still have questions. Where were all the people who could help them? Did they have other friends? Where’d the guns come from? Where were the parents? I saw the movie Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore and even though he talked about many of these questions, it still feels like there is so much missing.
Unfortunately, this was basically just the start of what is now a trend of school shootings. I have seen my fair share, and it is debilitating watching each one unfold on the news.
Ghetto Life
Whenever a school shooting happens, there is talk about gun control. And I am in full support of gun control, but there needs to be more. I am from a city that has been top rated on the FBI’s most dangerous cities list multiple years in a row. Its not anything to brag about, just important to the topic at hand. Anyway, because we are considered one of the most dangerous, our schools have ways to protect the students.
When I was in the 10th grade, I failed algebra and social studies. In turn, I had to go to summer school. This was my first time in a public school in the city, as I went to a Catholic, all girl school. When I got to the school, there were metal detectors we had to walk through and we had to have our bag searched by security. The doors are locked by the time classes are to start. No one is allowed in. If someone did come in the school, their ID was checked and they were escorted to where they needed to go. Since this was summer school, there was only one entrance into the building, but we were allowed to leave through a number of exits when the day was over.
At my school, you had to be buzzed in the building. Now, this school was relatively small, like 40 people in the graduating class small, so its easier to be safe there. That doesn’t mean that the public schools shouldn’t feel just as safe.
The point is, they put all of this: metal detectors, cameras, guards, locked doors, etc… in schools in the inner cities or schools where there is high poverty in the area but they never want it in the burbs. Most of the schools where this happens, isn’t in the “FBI most dangerous cities”. Its in the suburbs of those major cities. So what is the difference?
Race
Uh-oh, there it is. That word that so many people despise but fail to see the connection. I really hate to do this, but let’s be honest: Where do you see most of these mass shootings at schools? I assure you, it isn’t at the school where the majority of the school are people of color. There are already precautions at these schools setup, because of the fear of a shooting. Funny how that works.
When a dude’s getting bullied and shoots up his school
And they blame it on Marilyn and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it’s at!Middle America, now it’s a tragedy
Eminem – The Way I Am
Now it’s so sad to see, an upper-class city
Havin’ this happenin’
Then attack Eminem ’cause I rap this way
While there are shootings in the inner city, they are usually gang related. Whereas the shootings that we see at Uvalde, Parkland, Oxford, Columbine, their intention was to intentionally harm a large amount of random people.
Also, can I state something that may sound like a stereotype? How many times have a black kid went to school with the intention to harm multiple people? Think about the Mass Shootings not just at schools, but at grocery stores, churches, their jobs. Majority have been white and male.
My question is, why are city schools so locked down, when they are not the major problem? My main thought is the parents of those suburban schools, don’t want their kids to go to a school that mimics that of an urban school. They would rather put their kids in danger or give teachers guns, than put any form of a metal detector in their school. Which brings me to my next point:
Teacher With Guns
I mean, sure, if that teacher owns a firearm at home and carries it with them on their days off, I have no problem with it. This delusional idea that teachers should bring a gun into school is… delusional. If I were a teacher, this would be another thing on my list to be outraged about. They already don’t get paid enough, don’t get up-to-date books, don’t get enough supplies for their class, and now on top of all that, they need to be the security guards also. Teachers don’t want guns, they want to enter a safe school environment for themselves and their students and they want to teach. Everyone has a job to do and in the case of school safety, no one is properly prepared for it.
Kids now run drills to practice if there ever is an active shooter situation at school. My aunt told me about how they used practice hiding under their desks while she was in school in case a nuclear bomb went off. In that scenario, what do you do? Luckily, we never found out, but guns in schools should be somewhat preventable.
AR-15’s
This question has been asked: Why does a civilian need an AR-15? Short answer: we don’t. There is no inherent purpose for an regular person to have this rifle. I get so tired of people talking about how it is a right to have a gun. Fine, by a sidearm and be done. Why are there more guns in this country than people? The only people who should have this weapon are those with proper military background. I don’t even want police to get their hands on them, because the police in this country also don’t have a great track record with weapons. AR-15’s are made to kill a large amount of people in a short amount of time. There is no other reason and anyone who tries to justify it, is either a psycho, a killer, or unwilling to see what is wrong with this country.
Second Amendment Wacko’s
Have you read the Bill of Rights? Have you read the second amendment, like really read it? This is what it says:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Second Amendment
No one has really read it because all they want to do is parrot the same line to liberals.
“You won’t take muh guns or muh freedums”…
Or something along those lines. They like to tell you they have the right to bear arms, but if you really read the constitution the wording can be a bit tricky. Also, seeing as how it was written over 200 years ago and the people who wrote it have no comparison to how the US looks now, so its sort of counter intuitive.
The wording can be interpreted in so many ways. What did they mean when they said “Militia”? I can tell you right now, the militia I’m thinking of tried to plot and kidnap our Governor. Those aren’t the people I want bearing arms. And this is the problem. Anyone over 18 in America can apply for a gun and just get it. How do other countries deal with Mass shootings? They don’t.
Gun Laws in other countries
Have other countries had mass shootings or massacres? Yes.
Do they happen regularly, like here in the US? No.
How? Because when those shootings happened, their government and people didn’t want anything like that to happen again and they put comprehensive gun laws in place. We don’t know what that’s like here in America. You have guys shooting and killing toddlers and we are still arguing about the right to bear arms.
As an example: The Montreal Massacre that happened in Canada was a driving force behind their gun laws. You can read more about the laws HERE.
In Austrailia, The Port Arthur Massacre led to stricter gun laws. A semi-automatic rifle was used and 2 weeks later, government pushed through safer gun laws.
United Kingdom: The Hungerford Massacre was a 6 hour shooting spree that took place in 1987. More than a dozen people were killed and the gunman killed himself. After that, an expanded list of banned weapons was created and an increase of registration required for weapons.
Japan: They have a low homicide rate and only certain weapons are allowed to be purchased. When you do try to purchase one, you will be put through numerous tests, background checks, and questions about how you will be using and storing that firearm.
These examples aren’t to state that these countries don’t have shootings. They don’t have mass shootings on a regular basis like the US. When they have one, their government actually works to figure out the problem and fix it. They don’t have a 200 year old document to uphold.
Mental Health
We all agree that the health system is awful in America. Your brain is a part of your body, yes? So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that things like this keep happening. There are people who want to harm themselves and others. I get it, those people need help and usually, it’s very difficult to get that help in America. Therapists cost money because health insurance costs money, and medicine costs money. A gun, is a one time payment and for some a one way ticket.
Having said all of that, a lot of times I feel as though people lean into the “mental health” angle as a reason for these tragedies, as a copout. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the white supremacist/terrorist who shot up a grocery store and killed 10 people. He intentionally wanted to harm people of color. He LEGALLY bought firearms to do so. Spare me his manifesto. They can be crazy, but still know exactly what they’re doing.
The last thing I have to say about this and many will disagree or not like it is, while I know there are people with mental issues, if their intention is to harm or mutilate, I want them to start with themselves. I do not condone suicide and I wish no ill will on anyone, BUT if the shooter in Uvalde wanted to die, he should have simply helped himself and not harmed innocent children and teachers. A little girl would have been spared of having to smear her friends blood on herself to survive.
Conclusion
The bottom line is America has a gun problem. There are so many ways it can be fixed, but right wingers are pandering to the NRA and being paid by them, while the left talks about doing things but sort of just gives up at certain things. This problem will continue to happen. People will clutch their pearls and be surprised then go back to their daily lives until it happens again. Rinse and repeat. Steve Kerr told us not to get complacent, unfortunately, I think its too late for that Steve. If Sandy Hook wasn’t a wake up call to the US, nothing will be.
