As a parent with two daughters in college, the tragedy at Virginia Tech hits close to home. My prayers go out to all those families.
As for the solution to this madness, I endorse the words Cheryl Wheeler composed in response to the Jonesboro school yard shooting.
If It Were Up to Me
Words and Lyrics by: Cheryl Wheeler
Maybe it's the movies, maybe it's the books
Maybe it's the bullets, maybe it's the real crooks
Maybe it's the drugs, maybe it's the parents
Maybe it's the colors everybody's wearin
Maybe it's the President, maybe it's the last one
Maybe it's the one before that, what he done
Maybe it's the high schools, maybe it's the teachers
Maybe it's the tattooed children in the bleachers
Maybe it's the Bible, maybe it's the lack
Maybe it's the music, maybe it's the crack
Maybe it's the hairdos, maybe it's the TV
Maybe it's the cigarettes, maybe it's the family
Maybe it's the fast food, maybe it's the news
Maybe it's divorce, maybe it's abuse
Maybe it's the lawyers, maybe it's the prisons
Maybe it's the Senators, maybe it's the system
Maybe it's the fathers, maybe it's the sons
Maybe it's the sisters, maybe it's the moms
Maybe it's the radio, maybe it's road rage
Maybe El Nino, or UV rays
Maybe it's the army, maybe it's the liquor
Maybe it's the papers, maybe the militia
Maybe it's the athletes, maybe it's the ads
Maybe it's the sports fans, maybe it's a fad
Maybe it's the magazines, maybe it's the internet
Maybe it's the lottery, maybe it's the immigrants
Maybe it's taxes, big business
Maybe it's the KKK and the skinheads
Maybe it's the communists, maybe it's the Catholics
Maybe it's the hippies, maybe it's the addicts
Maybe it's the art, maybe it's the sex
Maybe it's the homeless, maybe it's the banks
Maybe it's the clearcut, maybe it's the ozone
Maybe it's the chemicals, maybe it's the car phones
Maybe it's the fertilizer, maybe it's the nose rings
Maybe it's the end, but I know one thing.
If it were up to me, I'd take away the guns.
(P) October 1, 1997
Penrod And Higgins Music / Amachrist Music
ACF Music Group
International Copyright Reserved
I'm with you Steve. We Aussies look on at the (seemingly) American value of being free to own a handgun with constant amazement. (of course we do stupid things that you look at us in amazement over too, I konw that)
ReplyDeleteHere we had ONE massacre, and tightened the gunlaws so hard that unless you're a farmer or in a shooting club, you can't even oewn a rifle. Handguns are never seen except occsionally with mafia members.
Not trying to sound superior because Im/we're not... because there are gun-nuts in Australia and there are obviously (given your post Steve) sensible people in the States. I guess we're just as shocked as you all are at this horrific event and wish/pray for it to never happen again.
Yes I too agree with Steve. I live in the UK and it is a question being asked by some people here too. Is the gun law too lax? Is it really appropriate for guns to be so easily available in the US? We are all shocked by this horrific event and send you all our love and prayers.
ReplyDeleteYes, Steve, I agree. I felt such a sense of solidarity with you for coming out and saying that. I too, have a younger daughter still in college.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up in the 50's we did not have massacres because we did not have guns out the gazoo. Some will call that a simplistic statement to make. Oh well. At least in the days of the switchblade, a person had to face their opponent up close, and could not have killed 33 people at once.
Pete, there are lots of reasons for why the rules still exist that allow guns to be as accessible as they are but none are justifiable in my book.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I am glad the rules allowing the easy access are being questioned. Maybe some of those questions will take hold here in the US.
Debbie, thanks for sharing. I think it is tough enough trying to make it through the college years with the presssure to party on the one hand and the pressure to find a life work on the other. We need to find a better way to make a healthy and long life possible.
I don't wish to be called a gun nut, but I think people do have the right to own a gun as long as they prove they deserve that right. Same with any other right we have that endangers peoples lives. Look at vehicles and you will find that cars kill a huge amount of people and leave an even larger number of people wounded beyond full recovery. This makes it hard for me to believe that we are even considering the path of stricter gun laws when we could cut down deaths but increasing traffic laws and enforcement. If you really are worried about your kids you should consider that between the ages of 9 and 30 the number one killer is auto collisions. So I suppose if it were up to me I would take away the cars. I doubt public transportation will kill as many people.
ReplyDeleteAs for following the Australian plan of taking away guns, that isn't the brightest idea either. I am sure you have all heard this statistic too many times, but in the first year homicides increases over 3% assaults up by 8.6% and armed robbery increased by 44%. With these numbers one would expect to see 507 more murders, 68,468 more assaults and 195,855 more robberies in the united states. That is unacceptable for me.
Obviously guns do kill people, but it is ridiculous to think that by getting rid of guns you will fix all the problems in the world. Think before you act. Guns are an essential liberty and I am glad the founding fathers believed that as well. Thanks for your time.