Prayers and Condolences
“Prayers and condolences”… an oft used platitude uttered in that moment when one should say more and yet what is there to say? Oh yes… you could say, “No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.” True enough but then what is being done to ensure their safety? Nothing. Not a thing. Because this isn’t the right time and never is because the economic and political power of the gun lobby carries more weight than the desire to protect our children. Because their real power, the power of their membership, has been wrongly convinced that AR15s are their God given and constitutional right and those rights are more important than the rights of our children to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The propaganda has left the machine even before the bodies are cold.
“Prayers and condolences” … because even when you say “Mental health reform is a critical ingredient to making sure we can try to prevent these things from happening,” what you really mean is let’s make it easier for the mentally ill to buy guns by removing regulations that make it more difficult. And considering the man who tweeted this has made it his life’s journey to gut mental and medical care and disability the source is hardly credible even if the sentiment is valid. Watch what they do not what they say.
“Prayers and condolences” … because they refuse to make it harder for those who commit domestic abuse; and those who have committed serious crimes; or even those on terror watch lists to purchase guns because since we can’t stop some we shouldn’t even bother to stop any. “Analyses by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence show that, with few exceptions, states with the strictest gun-control measures, including California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, have the lowest rates of gun deaths, while those with the most lax laws like Alabama, Alaska and Louisiana, have the highest.” (1)
“Prayers and condolences” … because when you really stop to think about it are words that ring hollow and false in the face of facts:
- In 2018, Seven incidents during school hours (five resulting in deaths or injuries)
- In 2018, Two incidents on school grounds after hours resulting in death or injury
- In 2018, Three accidental shootings during school hours, one injured 4 students when a semi-automatic went off accidentally
- In 2018, One successful suicide when a middle school student shot himself in a bathroom
- In 2018, Three random incidents during school hours for unknown reasons; thankfully with no incidents of injury or death
“Prayers and condolences” … such a convenient, mindless phrase to roll off the tongue or pop into a tweet. Consider the words of Lex, a student who was barricaded inside a classroom as her classmates were methodically killed: "These days literally anyone can buy a gun and do things like this. There has been so many school shootings and yet nothing is being done. At this point, I personally don't care about Trump's 'condolences' ... something has to be done." (2)
So do something. ANYTHING. Advertise who gets NRA donations. Write and call your congressional representatives and tell them this is the time. And vote them out when they don’t listen. Educate yourself on what common sense gun control means.
Statistics, Resources and Talking Points:
Organizations:
Articles
- Snopes: How many shootings in 2018? https://www.snopes.com/2018/02/16/how-many-school-shootings-in-2018/
- 50 State study: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/50-state-study-more-gun-laws-fewer-deaths/
- How much NRA money are they taking? https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/nra-donations/?utm_term=.0c21581b4bc7
- No to SD4 https://www.nraila.org/articles/20170303/cornyn-introduces-the-constitutional-concealed-carry-reciprocity-act-of-2017-in-the-senate
Talking Points
The DUI argument (4320 Deaths in 2018 due to Drunk Driving and No One is suggesting we ban cars)
- No one is suggesting you get a driver’s license without 6 hours of classroom training; 60 hours of supervised hands on training under a variety of conditions; A written exam; A practical exam
- No one is suggesting that you have a constitutional right to drive and own a car
- No one is suggesting that we eliminate laws requiring insurance to protect others from harm you could cause with your vehicle
- No one is suggesting that just because you can’t stop all drunk drivers you should eliminate DUI laws
- No one is suggesting that car manufacturers be allowed to ignore safety features when manufacturing cars including seatbelts, crumple zones, breakaway engines, fuel tank regulations
- No one is suggesting that those proven to be dangerous behind the wheel get to keep their licenses or avoid jail because they’ll just do it anyway
The everyone should carry guns argument (Teachers should be armed)
- Teachers are not first responders; Anyone not trained in combat situations has no business wielding a gun during an active shooter event
- Accidents happen (see the stats above)
- Anyone with a gun in an active shooting event becomes a target to law enforcement (This is the same argument against open carry)
(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/nyregion/florida-shooting-parkland-gun-control-connecticut.html and https://www.cbsnews.com/news/50-state-study-more-gun-laws-fewer-deaths/
