I will start off by saying that I own multiple guns, I don’t disagree with the direction of gun control conversations, but believe that any requirement imposed on guns owners will not be easy to come up with nor solve this problem. A law cannot take hatred out of a human heart. A law is not going to eliminate death at the end of a gun, violent acts involving guns, or from people getting up in arms (no pun intended) about the violent act of a person who used a gun after the new law is passed. It is not a peson’s competency with a gun that makes him/her the right person to have one, but the condition of their life and mentality about said life.
In the case of the Harrisburg High school shooting this week, 3 things. First, they don’t know where he got the gun. He and the family didn’t own one. No law, class or test would have stopped this. To use an example, It was like someone who wanted to drive a car at 70mph going out and stealing one without a license and hitting an innocent pedestrian. More car laws would not have stopped that either. Second, if he was more competent with the gun, the principal may have been dead rather than shot in the arm and the vice-principal probably wouldn’t have been able to tackle him so easily. Third, I am following the story because I spent ten years there and my son would have been in that school that day if we hadn’t moved. In all that I am reading about the story, it is over and over again stated that ‘the dad hadn’t seen him in months because he was living with mom’. Today I read that the family didn’t even show up to his first court appearance! I think we are to the root of the Harrisburg shooting. We have a rogue 16 year old kid with no guidance in life who just crossed an unacceptable line in our society. Maybe in a way he was trying to get someone to give him guidance, but didn’t know how to ask. Anybody thought of that? Anybody see someone ask that question on social media? Anyone concerned for these 2 young men?
Our system is now going to (probably) throw a 16 year old kid into prison for 50 years (mandated for his charges). I don’t think that is right either. It is safe and America likes feeling safe. Get the gun handler off the street. I think not! How about we engage this kid with adults with solid heads on their shoulders and teach him how to be a man? To life with character and integrity? To win over the heart of a woman? To enjoy work and recreation? Let’s spend our time helping young people whether 16 (in S.D.) or 20 (in Oregon) develop a fulfilling and happy life they were created for rather than spending our time debating more laws so the next abandoned 16 year old who reaches out for attention in the wrong way goes to jail for longer.
Most you know my heart and that this is what I’ve given my life to. My challenge to you is to head down to the closest public school to where you are and see how you can help influence a student in the right direction in life. I did say that last sentence singular student and not students. Everyone wants to do something big. But if every single student in the U.S. would have a single caring adult come alongside them outside of family, I believe school shootings would stop today. Want to create a law? How about getting a tax break for those involved in any way, shape, or form in the life of a teenager? Soccer coach. Big Brother/Big Sister. Church youth group volunteer. Class assistant at the high school. Mentor at Juvie. Get involved, get a tax break, and simultaneiously end gun violence at the heart rather than the court.
