I'm trying to get a job (with the government, no less), so I have meticulously refrained from getting into the fray. This time, however, I couldn't help myself. The following is a post on facebook from a man that I know personally. A man that is a really decent guy. A man that I have worked with in the ER and is married to my friend. A man that is a cop. A man that embodies, unfortunately, all that is now wrong in this world. This is what he posted, and below the squiggle is my response.
"OK I have one thing to say about gun control talk. It's funny that people talk about gun control after a senseless tragedy. Politicians line up to speak out on gun control and how they need to make it harder to get guns and ammo. But in the same term they drastically reduce state and federal budgets for mental health. Because it is the truth that guns don't kill people, crazy people do. Because if you take away one mean, another will rise up. Maybe next time it will be a bomb, knife, or whatever. Taking away the equipment is not the answer, fixing people is. So lets stop blaming the weapon of the week and step up efforts to improve our mental health system not abolish it."
My response:
"it's not 'funny' that people talk about gun control after a senseless tragedy. that is exactly when people should talk about gun control. guns kill people. bombs kill people. lots of things kill people. but mostly, people kill people. but, when people have more means to kill people, more people get killed. the 2nd ammendment gave us the right to keep and bear arms as a WELL REGULATED MILITIA because we had no standing army at that time. we now have a very well-equipped standing army and no longer need a 'well regulated militia'. times have changed. the 2nd ammendment needs to be ammended. the founding fathers set up the constitution to be ammended as TIMES CHANGE. the right to bear arms did not specify the right to arm oneself with assault rifles. nor did the 2nd ammendment specify that the right to bear arms superceded the right for the american people to feel safe going to a frikkin movie. my right to be safe trumps your right to carry a gun. period. besides, even free speech is 'regulated.' check it out."
"besides that, i agree with you about mental health. but the republicans have pretty much nailed that coffin shut."
Am I just tired? I'm probably going to get my ass kicked on facebook tomorrow:) Not sure i'm up to this.