Guns. The good,the bad ,and very ugly.

There is something to be said about the way  journalists pounce on a horrifying tragedy involving innocent Americans and use it as a way to promote their own political agendas, as well as their ignorance when it comes to the origin or cause of the event.  Since every one is talking about the Batman movie massacre and using it to defend or argue against our 2nd amendments rights, I think it's only fair that I jump on this as well.  And I can, because I am not a journalist :)

When I first heard the heartbreaking news, my mind quickly went to prayer and not politics.  It wasn't until I started hearing the typical liberal media make an immediate biased attack on conservatives by reporting that the shooter, James Holmes, had joined the tea party movement in Aurora last year that I started getting huffy.  Jordan and I both knew conservatives would be targeted and that debates about gun control would start to take over the evening news.  However, one minor detail: this James Holmes was a middle aged man, while Psycho James Holmes was 24 years old.  Clearly not the same person.  Aren't journalists supposed to research and confirm things before they report them?  Sorry libs, I'm afraid Sarah Palin had nothing to do with this one.

Guns are dangerous.  Criminals and the mentally disabled in possession of guns is catastrophic.  People with guns have protected people.  People with guns and killed innocents.  What do you do?  We are granted the right to bear arms by our Constitution, yet I'm sure our founding fathers didn't mean for us to grab the coolest assault weapon we can find and keep it conveniently located under our bed.  I like to think they entitled future Americans with this right as a way for us to stand up and protect our family and possessions.  Then you think about Gabby Giffords and Trayvon Martin and you wonder, if guns were harder to possess, would these incidents have only ended up with minor injuries that boo-boo bunny and a Dora the Explorer band-aid couldn't fix?

I can't help but answer yes.  However, I also can't help but answer no.  I believe evil will find a way if it is determined.  If someone wants to hurt a mass amount of people, they will do it, with a gun or without.  What if someone in that audience had their own gun handy? Could they have taken down the shooter and saved lives?  What if  Holmes didn't have a gun and only came in with a toxic gas bomb, would less people have died.  Again, I can't help but answer yes to both questions.

Like so many things in our lives, I think this issue is an issue of balance.  The first video below is of Hilary Clinton making some comments on gun control and I felt like she really says it best.  The second is one of Chuck Norris because all good republicans always check to see what Chuck Norris would say.  

I shake my head in anger when I think of the families effected by this horrible event.  I hate that it takes something like this to fire up the people to think about possible solutions when , like Hilary says in the video, we should be smarter than this.  Something should already be in place, something in balance, to prevent mass murders like this from happening.  So the next time something like this happens, which I hope it won't, time won't be wasted on evaluating the conservative or liberal influences. 

 I think about my role as a teacher.  I think about the students that are always angry, shy, and bullied.  I pray that I am given the strength I need to reach these students in effort to give them hope and a positive outlook on life.  I strive to be a good role model and to make an impact on them so if they ever get into a situation where they will harm themselves or others, they may one day think back to "something Ms. Smith said."

I think about my role as a parent.  Perhaps this is where it must start, with family.  I humbly ask for God to guide me in my role as a mother so I can prepare Shadow with what he needs to lead a life pleasing unto Him, but also a life that will serve others.   A life where he will be devoted to taking care of his family and community and not to destroy it.  And, most importantly, I hope he knows that it is very impolite to ruin a good movie!!!

So maybe this answer is as simple as this:  Let the hunters have their rifles, let the people have their little handguns.  Keep the bad-ass-assault weapons locked up unless their is a military worthy situation.  Hire good teachers.  Be good parents.  Pray.