Originally, I wanted to call this new feature, “This Might
Be Controversial…”, but it was a bit too long for the side bar so I decided to
go with #Controversial because the “in” thing to do with most anything is to
hashtag it.
Anyway, the idea is that I write about a controversial topic
of my choosing and well, that’s it. It
may be uninformed and may cause the loss of brain cells, but I’m going to speak
(or more accurately, write) from the gut and leave it out there for me to
regret later.
In case you were wondering, this idea came about a few
months back as I was listening to a program on NPR. In the program, an individual was telling a
story about a writing course she taught and how in order to promote discourse
the class created a game in which a student would state the phrase “This might
be controversial but…” and then proceed to discuss a possibly unpopular
opinion.
I thought it was a cool idea and here I am today with the
first installment of #Controversial.
This might be controversial, but I believe that guns do kill people and they kill whole
shitload of them. Should people be
permitted to possess firearms? Sure, if
they are planning to go into the wood and use that gun to bring home food. But, if their intention for the firearm is “protection”,
then my response is no. A gun has no other use than to kill and unless
you are planning kill for the sake of feasting upon the flesh of a lesser
beast, then you should not have a gun.
Guns kill--they make it easier to kill and they make it easier to get
killed. But, the reality is that guns
are readily available and already in the possessions of millions of individuals
throughout this country and nothing will change that fact. What can change is the ease with which
individuals can ascertain a firearm. It
should be incredibly difficult to purchase an instrument of death and yet, it
is not. On any day in America, I could
step into a gun shop and purchase a firearm and ammunition and all that would
be expected of me is the completion of some menial paperwork and brief
screening period in order to assure that I am not a convict. Or, if I am a convict, I could attend one of
the many fine firearms trade shows that take place in my area and purchase a
firearm from one of the many purveyors of death without the screening. It is these sorts of loopholes that make our
current gun control legislation next to useless.
Now, one would think with the multiple instances of mass
gun-related deaths on our school campuses and in the workplace would serve as a
wake up call to take action to limit access to these devices of death, but that
is not the case thanks to terroristic organizations like the National Rifle
Association that believe owning a fucking gun is more important than the lives
of innocent children. The same
organization that parades around with a logo similar to the seals of our armed
services as though they were some sort of civilian militia. This organization who frightens lawmakers
with threats of smear campaigns aimed toward removing them from office if they
choose to go against their whims. This
organization that uses illogical, straw man arguments to confuse and mislead
average citizens into valuing a couple of chunks of metal that serve no other
purpose than to cause grave harm. It is
because of disgusting organizations like the NRA that we continue to hear
countless stories of needless, easy death because they can spin a good tale
about how for some messed up reasoning we are entitled to guns.
Owning a gun is not a right, but being able to live freely
without fear that some overzealous idiot with a short-temper or one too many
drinks will shoot me to death is one. Sadly, they have convinced lawmakers and
many civilians otherwise and for what reason at this point other than stroke
their egos knowing that in this regard they control the discourse. Sure, there are many ways to die and be
killed, but guns make it much easier to do it and thus guns kill people.
