Tony Guadagnino is a marketing consultant. Located in New Jersey, his clients are based across the country, focusing on social media to build their presence on the internet. He studied creative writing in college and is currently working his first novel on the subject of bullying. He lives with his partner Mark.
Here We Go Again!
Once again, America was faced with an ongoing controversial issue — GUN CONTROL!
There was ANOTHER school shooting in Florida last month, where 17 innocent people were shot dead, and 14 more were wounded. This attack has now been labeled as the world’s deadliest school massacres. Not the nation’s deadliest — the WORLD’S.
I am at a loss for words as to why nothing has been done about the gun epidemic in the United States. There have been countless attacks in our nation, and with each time, the people in power continuously send their “thoughts and prayers.” Am I the only one who is FED UP with hearing “thoughts and prayers”? Am I the only one who is fed up with politicians in bed with the NRA, lining their pockets to keep everything the way it is? What will it take for Washington to try and fix the problem?
So that you clearly understand where I stand on this issue, I am going to come right out and say it.
I DO NOT want to take away everyone’s guns. Contrary to the gun lobbyists, NOBODY wants to take the guns away from the responsible gun owners. There are thousands of gun owners who know how to be responsible with a weapon. My Dad was one of them. Raising three sons, we knew he had guns; we knew where they were kept, and we also knew they were not toys – we weren’t allowed to touch them, to play with them … in fact, we didn’t even look at them. When we were older and showed a level of maturity, Dad had taken us to a firing range to learn how to responsibly handle a gun. People who are conscientious with a weapon should be allowed to keep their firearm. I absolutely have no problem stating that on record.
But, these assault weapons need to be away from the public. When the AR-15 assault rifle was invented, its purpose was solely for military (which was later labeled as M16). It was not invented for civilians; it was not created for hunting. When the Federal Assault Weapon Ban expired in Sept 2004 (President George W. Bush’s 1st term), these dangerous machine guns became available to the public. In April 2013, a bipartisan compromise to expand background checks for gun buyers, a ban on assault weapons and a ban on high-capacity gun magazines all failed to get the 60 votes needed. I really wish someone who owns an assault rifle would explain to me why it is imperative to own one, besides the foolish responses of (1) because I can own one, or (2) I use it for hunting. An AR-15 isn’t a hunting rifle; it’ll blow up a deer into bits.
I applaud the efforts the students at the Stoneman Douglas High School; they are taking action to get gun laws changed. And, as always, there are the “internet trolls” labelling them crisis actors, corporate conspirators who were hired to get the government do what they want. They are the generation who is currently under attack by the shooters; let them speak up! And anyone who believes a conspiracy theory (led by Alex Jones) really needs a psychological evaluation, because burying friends isn’t a ploy, it’s the truth.
In the past few weeks, I have seen social media posts from people who feel the solution is to arm the teachers. WRONG! That is not the solution. I hold a teacher certification, and for the past four months, I have been working with first graders, kids who are only 6 and 7-years-old. Do people really think that the kids would sit quietly while they witnessed a shotout between their teacher and a stranger? Do people think it would not be traumatizing for them to witness this?
At the time I am writing this, Trump held an open forum at the White House with families who were affected by the shootings. He has recently announced that he would push for “comprehensive background
checks with an emphasis on mental health,” as well as support an increase in the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21 and ending bump stock sales.
Words are words, so I hope we will see action behind these words. Gun laws must be changed to stop this ridiculous bloodshed in America.
It’s time for America to support more stringent Gun Laws!
It’s time for the NRA to stop owning the government.
It’s time for America to work together in a bipartisan relationship.
Let’s fix this problem together.
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