Raising Arizona -- All Outlets -- Gun Violence
On January 12th, at the memorial ceremony for the victims of the Tucson, Arizona shooting that took place on January 8th, President Obama stated “tragedies require reflection” among other powerful messages.
When I reflect on what happened, it reminds me of the massacre at Virginia Tech, the Columbine massacre, the killings at Ft. Hood, and countless other senseless shootings. I reflect and then I get incredibly sad as I remember the tragic events and loss of innocent lives that could have been prevented. Then I get mad.
I can’t wrap my mind around why and how these troubled people are able to get their hands on guns, or shall I say weapons-of-mass-murder-capability. Can anyone just walk into a sports store or approach a private seller and buy a killing machine? Why is this still so easy?
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the United States Bill of Rights protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted in 1791. 1791 - before there were sawed off shotguns and glocks that could hold up to 33 rounds per magazine!
I know this issue has been the subject of a long-standing debate on the right to protect yourself, but I am worried about the safety of my family. Another law must be passed, that applies to every-single-state that demands that gun distributors abide by The Brady Law, which requires a 5-day waiting period in order to do a thorough check, not basic, point-of-sale background investigation on every single person who wants to purchase a firearm. Right now, laws vary from state to state on nearly every point of gun purchase and ownership. We need to be “united” on this!
Gun purchasers should have to meet some type of mental requirement and not just pass a simple background I.D. check at the check-out counter through the NCIBC to see if there are any felonies or misdemeanors. Am I the only person who has a problem with a program called “National Instant Criminal Background Check?” Qualifying a person to buy firearms should not be “instant.” It should be time consuming! This “instant” criminal background check has done away with the traditional waiting period that was required before the purchase of a firearm.
Along with the restrictions, legal guidelines, qualifications and age requirements in place including: anyone who is under indictment or been convicted of any crime punishable by more than 1 year in prison; anyone who is a fugitive; anyone who is an unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance; anyone who has been committed to a mental institution or adjudicated as a mental defective; any illegal alien; anyone dishonorably discharged from the military; anyone who has renounced citizenship to the United States; anyone who is the subject of a protective order citing stalking, harassment or threats to an intimate partner or child; and any person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, we should be looking at the person’s social networking pages. What have they posted in the past and currently and why? Where did they go to high school and college and what were their grades? What kind of classes did they take? What is their family history? Do they pay their taxes? What are their credit scores?
Firearm sellers should require references and letters of recommendation from parents, teachers, principals, coaches, employers, and friends. If no one will write a letter of support, then that is a red flag right there! This is so simple. If someone truly wants to protect their life or home (what the amendment was actually intended for) and they were mentally stable then I’m sure someone would gladly stand up for them.
I know, I know, I am not an expert on gun control. I am your average citizen. I have a family. I don’t want rights taken away. But, if you want to drive a car, you have to get a license. If you want to buy a house, you have to qualify for it. If you want to adopt a child, you have to go through months of evaluations. Buying a gun should not be any different.
Representative Gabrielle Giffords is hanging onto life by a thread. She’s my age. She was just trying to connect with people and was almost assassinated. Six people died on January 8th, and 13 people were injured.
We owe it to Gabe, Dorothy, John, Phyllis, Dorwin, 9-year-old Christina and all of the other victims and their families from these types of senseless tragedies to make a change, before anymore lives are lost. I really don’t want to have to do any more reflecting.