To Shoot or Not to Shoot - That is the Question

Good morning everyone!  So the topic of today is the major controversial issue of gun control. Gun control has been a topic of debate for some time now, however due to the recent event in Connecticut, it has been fully ignited and taken into serious consideration.

Earlier this morning I was listening to the radio and Reverend Al Sharpton spoke on behalf of the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary. He said he was completely moved by not the tragedy, but the individuals who were taken. Twenty children were taken from their families because a man had access to assault weapons and wasn't treated thoroughly for a mental illness which might have initiated the attack. 

However, what he mainly focused on while on the radio was our culture and how violence is deeply rooted into our psyche. We see it all the time in movies, commercials, on the radio, etc. Unfortunately, attempting to take violence out of our culture will be a treacherous road. Even though the nation knows about the event, many people are still going to side with assault weapons and high capacity magazines to be allowed in the hands of normal citizens. 


For example, there has also been an incident yesterday regarding an 11 year old bring an unloaded gun to school for defense. In my book, that is not bueno. Children should not feel the need to carry guns for their own protection. The thought of using excessive violence to solve problems and defense should not be clouding the minds of our children. Full story can be found here.

Larry Hyatt, owner of the largest privately owned gun business in the country made a statement for the Huffington Post regarding assault weapon bans. He stated that even if we make a nationwide ban, it wouldn't solve our issues. I agree with him because there are many, many different ways of massively killing people as he mentioned in the video above. Laws on just banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines will not completely solve our problems. It is only part of the solution.

So what do we need to do? As Al Sharpton said this morning, do NOT buy toy guns for your kids. Do NOT let them be consumed by violence on television and movies. Monitor your children's behavior because they are the one's who take culture to their heart and soul and mix it in with their rights and wrongs. If they feel the need that violence is the only solution for defense and survival, teach them differently.