After the Texas mass shooting that killed 26 people, or 4% of the little towns population, I hope we will all get a good nights sleep tonight. The shooter is dead. After all, guns don’t kill people, you say. People kill people.
But is there another shooter out there somewhere?
Why do we love guns? When I was a kid my uncle carved me a large wooden “rifle.” I secured a large locking clothespin to the butt, placed a giant rubber band at the tip of the barrel and pulled the band into the vise of the clothespin. I was able to fire the rubber band across the room with such force it would nearly topple a small lamp.
I remember my sense of power and aiming talent. I also remember accidentally shooting my dad in the forehead while pointing my weapon at him while he was reading the newspaper. I also remembered my spanking.
So I suppose humans will always be fascinated with cause and effect. When I pull this trigger, this is what will happen beyond my reach. I was the same kid who was amazed at the cause and effect of mixing vinegar with baking soda. I always took superhero credit for the resulting explosive foam of bubbles.
Guns don’t kill people, you say. People kill people.
I suppose that is correct. There is nothing inherently bad with a gun. There is also nothing inherently bad with a nuclear bomb. By itself, a nuclear bomb is harmless. I’ve heard some say if we have more gun control then we must also have more car and truck and airplane control. After all, these have also been used to kill people. I would like to note that cars, trucks and planes did not arrive from the human imagination to kill others. They had other purposes. In this case, to transport us from one location to the other.
There is also nothing inherently bad with a knife. By itself, a knife is harmless. If used with a warm heart, a knife can be used to slice bread and share with others.
The origin of the gun was not invented for the sport of target practice. It’s purpose was to kill. It aided hunters in gathering food and gave protection from aggressive beasts.
It is sad how humans always find a way to use our intelligence for evil. One persons rubber band gun can turn into a pellet gun where cause and effect can now make a songbird topple from a tree. The chemicals we mix with the intentions of keeping us healthy can turn into a weapon that may kill others from simply breathing it. The invention of drones and quadcopters heightened our visual experience by fitting them with cameras. Never-before have we been able to see this new awesomeness of our world at a higher elevation. However, it wasn’t long before we realized we could fit them with a gun that could make them weapons of war. Nuclear fission was a human breakthrough in understanding and harnessing atomic power. Today, that breakthrough transformed into an unimaginable weapon of death and destruction.
Speaking of the Texas massacre, President Donald Trump said, “This isn’t a guns situation. This is a mental health problem at the highest level.” USA Today. 11-6-2017. This was a reckless statement that brushes off a real problem and eliminates the urgency of our national epidemic.
I understand people will always kill people. It is a sad, inevitable consequence of our species. There will always be those with mental disorders and those filled with hate. But can we agree to WAKE UP now to create a deterrent for people from killing others, starting with the objects that are intended for killing? If we want to help reduce the senseless murders that have ravaged our country this year alone, let’s begin with a legislative force-field to help prevent unauthorized gun access.