Reflect with me for a moment. We knew the children who were shot and killed in Nashville. And the adults. They are our neighbors.
We have seen 9-year-old children gleefully following their parents at school events or walking down the aisle in church or on the playground. And we know those late career professionals who have dedicated their lives to education. They are all a part of our community.
They all became targets of a deranged mind. While those in charge look for motives, we know warped minds don’t lend themselves to understandable motives. But what we do understand is the reckless availability of guns first designed for military use. Guns that in seconds can cause a school corridor to look like a battlefield.
Almost two years ago to this date I wrote a column on guns. Enumerable times since, I have started to put pen to paper on the issue of how we deal with guns but each time pulled back. It is not an easy subject. But I am drawn to the flame.
Let me begin illustratively with technology. It has increased gun lethality but it has not been used widely to increase protection. Biometric keys, passwords and the like personalize and protect our homes, cars, phones and more. Protective technology’s use in manufacturing and retrofitting of guns should become as ubiquitous.
But then there is the larger problem. Can citizens act or must all the action be shunted off to politicians who will engage once again in the theater of the absurd? And much of the political activity will occur on a State-by-State basis and the problem is national.
Any steps of consequence will not be taken swiftly and actions that lessen problems in the long run will not sate our immeasurable desire for quick results. So why not go long as I have suggested before. We need a nationwide campaign to amend the Second Amendment.
Women’s rights, for example, received a huge boost from a nationwide effort to add an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment failed but the drive made women’s rights topical and constructive actions followed. And, for those of us who were watching our draft status during the Vietnam War, we know that the momentum of the anti-war movement hurried our troops return.
Additions to the Constitution are difficult. If the Second Amendment is to be amended, the addition should be simple, clear, limited and broadly appealing. My suggestion, a second sentence that says: The possession and use of military weapons and their derivatives can be regulated.
Today there are many efforts to regulate gun possession but often gun ownership or use that doesn’t need to be regulated gets swept up in our zeal to regulate military-style weapons. A successful drive will recognize our nation’s history with guns used for lawful purposes.
It is beyond this brief essay to detail either constitutional or legal language to lessen the threat from guns being used by deranged or vengeful minds. We have, however, come to a point where the nationwide outrage should push lawmakers beyond their well-practiced talking points.
Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.
Sian Salsbury says
You are so right. But when we have guns as top prizes for fire department fundraisers, thus implied government sanctioned gun ownership how do we get common sense gun regulations passed? Prevent children’s exposure to certain books but send them to school to be shot…brutally shot…brutally shot until their bodies are unrecognizable. Sue to stop showing the Ruby Bridges movie but don’t regulate guns that were developed for military use. Initially the NRA disapproved of marketing the AR15 and its kind to the public. Obviously people are willing to just send these lambs to be slaughtered. As an educator I resent being forced to be put in the position of saving children and possibly leaving my family grieving.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Agree! I am disgusted by the hyper-individualism perverting their so called “rights”. The AR-15 was developed as a more efficient killing machine for the Viet Nam War. Now it is being used as a prop in
twisted Christmas cards by people like the Congressman who represents the district of the latest attack. And he defends
this. What a hideous man. Rights have responsibilities just as citizenship is a right with obligations. But more than that. If people want to
get their jollies firing a semi-automatic fine. Keep these at gun ranges under lock and key.
All these poor victims, so many children. Members of Congress, all Republicans, should be made to visit the bodies
of victims of mass shootings.
Ban weapons of war!
Anne T Stevens says
I agree. Thank you.
You have a solution.
Extreme politicians ignore the will of the majority.
Don E. Itall says
I have quite a few “weapons of war” in my possession. I could lay them all on my kitchen table and watch them all day and night and I guarantee that none of them will ever jump up and start shooting. The same could be said for my several hammers, baseball bats and knives. I also keep a close watch on my hands and feet when I roam from my home.
According to the latest (2019) FBI statistics, murders carried out by these weapons are outnumbered by knives, clubs and other similar bludgeons and hands & feet by a factor of very nearly 10 times. If I look for the data, I’d like to find how many murders take place what’s known as a target rich environment, ie. “Gun Free Zones”. Additionally interesting would be data on the number of these school, shopping mall, church shooters who are also on psychotropic drugs.
As long as so called solutions refuse to address the actual causes of these tragedies; broken homes, broken & confused individuals, refusal to provide protection vs removing protection (gun free zones), the problem will not go away. Wringing of hands about the tool used is as effective as banning spoons to prevent obesity or banning cars to prevent traffic accidents.
Chris Gordon says
Why do you feel you need to own weapons of war? I’ve never understood that compulsion. Can you explain it to me?
Don E. Itall says
“Weapons of war??” Why is there the necessity to explain my own ‘needs’? Why do you feel the ‘need’ to go to the beach? Why is there the ‘need’ for you to read a particular newspaper? Why do you buy brown or white shirts? What is it to you? What business is it of yours what I do??
Deirdre LaMotte says
Delusional. Every country on earth has “ broken and confused individuals” but NONE have anywhere near the guns deaths as the US . How many mass shootings since 1/1/2023? I’ve lost count. And the Right’s
glorification of a semi-automatic, a gun that does horrific damage to the body, is repulsive.
Chris Gordon says
PS: Your FBI statistics are way off. The official numbers for 2019 show 74% of all murders are by firearms.
Don E. Itall says
My statistics are correct…in as much as the focus is the dreaded ‘weapon of war’, I listed murders by rifle.