Facebook posts

I posted an article this morning about a little boy shooting his little sister to death, commenting that our country needs better gun control.  Most people who commented said gun control would not have at all prevented this from happening.

While I didn't say it would have prevented THIS particular instance, I do believe it could prevent similar instances.  You can't really assess for instances like this one until they happen, however, we can have better education and regulation in the future to help.

I believe people need to be governed.  I also believe people should be allowed certain freedoms.  I do not believe all people are created equally.

Now before you call me a communist, let me explain.  Everyone is born with different talents, different abilities, different mental capacities.  Does it then make sense to treat them all equally?  Probably not.  People with Down Syndrome require special care very different than someone born without Down Syndrome.  People who are born blind can in no way drive a car.  I'm not talking about a person's individual worth, if you want to get religious.  I'm talking about their ability to function in a society.

In the issue of gun regulation, while I don't agree with EVERY proposed idea currently, I do agree that there needs to be some regulation when it comes to who we allow to own a gun.  In the case of the parents of the 5 year old who shot his sister, I would not want them for neighbors.  Because they are allowed to own a gun, same as me, however, while I would keep my gun in a safe, they leave theirs in the living room.  Should someone that irresponsible be allowed to own a gun?  Probably not.  That woman who's son murdered all those school children, her son had access to her guns.  Should she have been allowed to own them?

You can't regulate everything, I understand that.  Accidents can and still happen.  However, a lot of what has been going on lately in regards to gun use hasn't exactly been accidental.  It is people, mentally unstable, using guns to do harm, not protect anything.  Do I know the perfect way to keep guns out of their hands?  No, but am I opposed to finding a solution?  Of course not!  The Constitution of the United States was written by imperfect people, without a sound understanding of human mental capacity, in a time of war (a lot of whom owned slaves, so we can't say their understanding of ethics was very sound either.....).  Just because it is written on a piece of 300 year old paper that all American's have the "right" to bear arms, doesn't mean it is valid today.  Today when more mentally unstable people survive to adulthood than probably did then.  And I don't think people who are just unstable shouldn't be allowed to own guns, I think there should be a complete competency exam enforced in order to be a gun owner.  It makes me think of that episode of "House", where a respectable businessman was actually a crazy lunatic with a whole arsenal of guns in his basement.  Which apparently is completely legal.

What had happened was our government was looking for a way to respond to gun related mass murder problems.  These proposed gun regulations, imperfect as they are, needing to be refined perhaps, are the result of too many instances or violent murder, which has caused unnecessary fear in the American public.  I don't think government officials are sitting in Washington, diabolically scheming "oh yes, first we will take away their guns, then we will turn them into mindless zombie drones simply to do our evil bidding".  Like I said, times are different now than when the Constitution was written.  Violence isn't for self defense, it's for pleasure.  So tell me, does anyone really need to own an automatic weapon?  And do we really want just anyone to be able to be able to have a gun, merely because they can shoot it?  Sure, just make them take a gun safety course, so they can be more precise when they shoot you.  There probably should be a little more than that.  Just because we regulate who can own a gun (which I think should be a privilege because of it's dangerous and serious nature, not just a right), doesn't mean we are sacrificing freedom.

The problem with facebook is that anyone can comment on what you post.  I'm not very quick to take offence, like some other people.  I'm not offended by other people's opinions, but I will stand by mine.  I do however hate when people pull up stupid examples, with nothing to do with the issue being discussed.  Like a couch or playground being just as dangerous as a gun, that's just ridiculous.  Or how more people are killed with knifes.  And duh, drunk drivers kill people.  If I wanted to talk about better ways to regulate alcohol consumption and driving, I would have been talking about that.  But no, I was talking about gun regulation.  And I'm sure the Nazis told the Jews not to worry as they were burning them alive in concentration camps.  So if you want to make a point, you may want to elaborate on what you mean, not just say you are not trying to cause offence while comparing me to Adolf Hitler.  And don't tell me I don't understand my rights because my opinions are different than yours  Like I said, it's a good thing I'm not very quick to take offence.

Anyhoo, since apparently I am the only person in my immediate family to think the way I do, I'm going to just keep my opinions to myself when it comes to them.  Not worth them hating me I guess.