2 years ago, I would have hit social media and bashed “guns, bashed what happened, and called for stricter “gun control laws.”
However, times have changed. I’ve spent the past two years residing with a person who is indeed “mentally ill.” I have also spent the past two years residing with someone who has a love for “guns.”
My thoughts have changed. Before I write further, I just want to begin by saying, yesterday has weighed heavily on my mind. My hearts truly go out to EVERYONE affected by this tragedy. The victims, Sandy Hook Elementary School, the lives of small precious children that have been loss, and to any mother or father who has young children at home. Yesterday was an extremely emotional day for many. Prayers have been sent, prayers have been made, and candles have been lit.
However, yesterday, as I watched the conversations that were said, as I watched the postings made via twitter, via facebook, and elsewhere, I grew sad, frustrated, and irritated.
I got frustrated when people made mentions to the mentally ill, made notions about gun control law, as people were trying to UNDERSTAND what happened.
The fact is, I don’t think there is anyway to UNDERSTAND what did happen, because, none of us have the mind of a “killer.” None of us could create such a heinous act.
The other part I truly feel is that if a person wants to create such a heinous act, no matter the gun control laws that are place, no matter the services available, they will DO WHATEVER it takes to create such a crime.
In Norway, one of the heaviest countries on Strict Gun Control Laws, had a heinous crime take place, on an island, of all places using a gun and car bomb, killing 69 people.
In China, yesterday morning, a man went into a school with a knife, and hurt 22 children.
Yes, since 1999, 31 school related crimes have taken place, and it breaks my heart. Is there a way to stop these crimes from happening? At this point, I just don’t know.
The US National law states if a person is deemed harmful to themselves or others by mental health professionals, they may not buy a gun. (http://www.jaapl.org/content/35/3/330.full.)
However, yesterday, many cases were made about the mentally ill owning guns, preventing them, etc. Although I am no care specialist, no Ph.D, I have resided with a person WHO is indeed capable of owning such a weapon. This same person has taught me how to operate a gun, how to care for one, and how to shoot one, and in the safest of ways.
There are a lot of “mentally ill” out there, but a lot of the “mentally ill” are fighting inner battles within themselves for only wanting to cause harm to themselves, and not others. There is such a SMALL SMALL number out there who actually want to cause harm to others, and the ones that do, aren’t talking loudly about it, most likely aren’t even talking about it at all. So there’s no signs showcasing that they EVEN need help.
The first time I ever held a gun, I was in tears, I was afraid, I never thought I’d touch one. There are so VERY few of us who would actually go out and create such a crime, would EVEN think about creating such a crime.
But the ones that do, those are the people we need to be fearful of. However, it is these same people, that won’t go out and seek the help they need. They are very much in their own worlds, and very set on what they believe at whatever point in life they have reached. These seem people that very much need the help are the same people that will FIGHT getting any sort of help at all.
I don’t think any amount of gun control laws, services available, will EVER reach these people, or stop them from creating the crimes that they do.
If guns were banned completely there would be other means: knives, fires, and other things I can’t even create in my mind.
And that brings me to The Second Amendment, “The Right to Bear Arms.” This law was put in place, and more than ever, I believe in it. This law was put in place so our government could never grow too strong. This was another measure to protect the citizens of this country, for them to stand up, if the government EVER became too powerful. Must we not forget that in the months that lie ahead.
I just needed to write about this, the thoughts of the mentally ill are very much in my mind. Not EVERY person with a mental illness is BAD, or even capable of creating such a heinous crime.
And not only that, I don’t think it’s possible to “CONTROL something we have no CONTROL over.”
And on a last note,
With every tragedy, stories come out about the heroes that stood up during these hard times. TEACHERS, who protected the children of those classrooms, who lost their own, need to be remembered. Take this time to thank the TEACHERS in your life for what they do.
The names of the victims were released today, and let us lift these names up, may these innocent people with warms hearts, warm thoughts, and warm memories be remembered for who they were.
I didn’t write this post to start debates, I didn’t write this post for my own political agendas. I took my blog off of triberr so no one was forced to share something they didn’t feel comfortable sharing, but I wrote this because this is what has heavily been on my mind.
