I would like to send a prayer to all the families who suffered a loss as a result of the shooting that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. It breaks my heart that there are people who live among us that have no regard for human life. The fact that children were this deranged shooter’s targets makes it even more painful. What did these young people do to deserve this kind of treatment? These questions along with many others may never be answered since the cowardly shooter ended his life.
It is impossible to imagine what was going on in the mind of this twenty year old when after he killed his mother he turned his wrath on defenseless kids. This senseless shooting is on the list of all the other senseless shootings that have taken place across this country in recent years.
In each case I am saddened at the loss of life. I am also angered how anyone can justify going after targets that can’t defend themselves. What also angers me is the length of time it is taking for our lawmakers to come up with legislation that will make gun control a national issue.
The second amendment gives all Americans the right to keep and bear arms. I do not own a gun but I see nothing wrong with someone owning a hand gun or a rifle for their protection provided those weapons are registered and provided the owner is not suffering from any type of mental disorder.
I have a hard time understanding why someone would want to own any high powered weapon. These are tools of the military. There is no need for anyone in civilian life to own one.
Here in New York City there are very strict gun laws. The gun laws here are some of the toughest in the country. There is also a separate law that bans assault weapons. The federal assault weapons ban of 1994 prohibited the use of some of these high powered weapons. That bill expired in 2004. It is a shame that our legislators have not come up with a replacement in eight years.
In this country each state is responsible for maintaining its’ own gun laws. The problem is that there is no national gun law. The laws in one state could be completely different from the laws in another state. In some states I don’t have to be a resident of that state to purchase a gun in that state. I could make my purchase (purchases), put them in my car and take them anywhere I want.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City is one of the few elected leaders that understand the need for a national bill on firearms. In this city many crimes that are gun related are committed with guns that were bought in other states.
Just as with some other issues there should also be a national law that would ban the interstate movement of firearms and ammunition. This should include all purchases that are made online. It’s alarming to know that I could buy and sell guns at home in my pajamas.
There have been 62 mass killing events in America over the past 30 years. In almost all those cases the shooters were able to obtain their weapons legally.
It is my opinion that a national gun control law could be used as a means to red flag any large purchases of guns or ammunition. Since there would be also a ban on certain weapons, those who intend to but one of these forbidden items, could be easily found by the police.
In addition to this law there needs to be something in the educational system that could help young people so that they could learn how to handle the stresses that now exist in this fast moving world.
The events of the past week have been especially stressful for me. I have a child in the third grade. The school he goes to has no metal detectors to protect him and his classmates from any intruder.
His school, in addition to all the other schools in New York City, has at least one school safety officer. The larger schools have more. They report directly to and are trained by the New York City Police Department. They don’t carry guns but they are the first line of defense in the school system.
Despite their training and the backing of the NYC Police Department, I’m not sure how effective they could be if confronted by a deranged individual.
On Friday our local news was filled with reports about the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. The event was so distressing that I turned the television channel to a sports event. I couldn’t bear to hear about the deaths of all those young people. There were also eight adults that died. Even the sports announcers talked about it. There was no one, anywhere that was not affected by this horrific event.
While watching one of the games I took a moment to call my eight year old. I wanted to hear his voice and I wanted to tell him that I loved him. He was in the middle of playing one of his video games. Our conversation only lasted for a few moments but, I felt at ease after hearing his voice.
I guess the hidden message in all of this is that we should be grateful. Despite all the commotion caused by these killings and the other recent event, Hurricane Sandy, I am grateful that my family is alive and well.
Let your family know that you love them.
Merry Christmas!!
I LOVE BEING A DAD!!