December 18, 2012

  • Responding to the Newtown Shootings

               So, the conversation has finally begun. What are we going to do in order to protect ourselves from having to endure another tragedy like Sandy Hook Elementary? Yes, I’m absolutely certain that something will be done, and I’m confident of such simply because the word “elementary” is included in reference to the latest mass shooting incident. Perhaps we have reached the point where we are no longer complacent to the news numerous deaths caused by a trigger happy madman.

     

                Yes, it’s flat-out pathetic that we had to wait for 20 young boys and girls to be slaughtered before we finally collectively screamed “enough”, but it is what it is. Here, I will lay out some rather radical proposals for responding to this madness. No, I don’t believe that these will be universally popular ideas. In fact, I fully expect to get tons of hateful responses. So be it. I’m not in this for popularity, but to provide a public service. And, public service often demands that one sacrifices all that he or she has for the benefit and welfare of his or her fellow human beings.

     

                Let us begin…

     

    MENTAL HEALTH

                For starters, we have to acknowledge that part of the problem is that far too many of our neighbors, friends, family, students, and coworkers suffer from some sort of mental disorder with little to no treatment for such. Even more troubling is that a great number of them have these problems without a diagnosis. This has to change. These people are ticking time bombs, and need help now. So, what do we do?

     

                First, I would suggest making all mental health coverage “free”. Yes, we must socialize mental health by making society pay for it. Of course, healthcare in general should be handled in this manner, but I digress. Truth be told, we can’t even begin to expect that we can deal with the issue of our violent culture without curbing the disturbed minds of would-be murderers from committing irreversible and terrible acts against society.

     

                Like it or not, this is also an issue that involves two groups of citizens whose needs often go ignored: veterans and the homeless. The VA absolutely MUST do more to help our bravest men and women cope with life after service. Regular, and mandatory, check-ups must be enforced and thorough. Likewise, these veterans need to be shielded from the dangers of slipping through the cracks and entering the ranks of the homeless themselves. It is simply inexcusable for these people to sacrifice everything just to be forgotten once they’ve hung their uniforms up for the last time!

     

                As for the homeless, we MUST do more to help them – no, MAKE them – improve their lives. They too are in desperate need of regular mental health check-ups, but they also need job counseling and education as well. Society can’t be expected to do everything for them, so they need to be given the skills - and instilled with the desire - to help themselves. If all else fails, it might just be best to commit them to an institution.

     

                More on the mental health front in the following topics…

     

    OUR VIOLENT CULTURE

                I’ll be among the first to tell you that I hate censorship. I grew up watching movies like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th”, playing violent video games, watching violent television shows, and listening to music that some would said promoted violence in some way. Yet, I’m not a serial killer or mass murderer. However, not everyone is equipped with the ability to discern right from wrong. Moreover, not every child is raised in a home where his or her parents are properly prepared or willing to teach them such values.

     

                I’m going to betray some of my anti-censorship principles here, but I think that more needs to be done to prevent the wrong people from being overexposed to violent content. Desensitization is a real threat, and part of it stems from living in a society almost constantly celebrates violence. I’ve mentioned before, on a different blog, that history lessons too often glorify war in such a way that it almost makes young citizens yearn for the next one.

     

                Greater emphasis is placed on the wars in human history than on the times of peace. Sure, history is rife with many examples of bloody struggles that proved to be important turning points in the journey of our species, but something is wrong with this picture. Young humans need to be taught that war is terrible and avoidable, not necessary and glorious. Humanity has spent too much time deifying warriors and demonizing pacifists. It’s time that changed.

     

                When teaching history, educators should adopt an approach that either balances the discussion of peaceful times with those about times of struggle or that attempts to place more emphasis on the good that humanity can do and has done. Not everything is about strong versus weak, and history classes should not create the illusion that every moment of our existence has been about such either. Believe it or not, human history has also been defined by moments of hope and love. In the end, it is the pursuit of our unity that will ultimately move us forward in our continued evolution.

     

    PUBLIC PLACE SECURITY

                As sad as it may be, we must do more to protect public locations. Schools must be refitted with bullet-proof windows, regardless of the cost; as should every publicly-owned facility. Security at both public and private facilities should be improved to the extent that someone is always on guard, complete with proper weapons training. Simply put, more has to be done here!

     

    GUN CONTROL

                And, here goes the more controversial of the topics in need of our consideration. We are not doing enough to keep guns out of the wrong hands. Our weak-kneed approach has largely been guided by the fear of politicians that the dreaded National Rifle Association will come and get them – politically-speaking – if they take ANY action to strengthen our gun laws. After Newtown, this HAS. TO. CHANGE.

     

                In 2004, the Urban Assault Weapons Ban passed in 1994 was allowed to expire when BOOsh and the Repugs in Congress decided that the nation would not suffer from having military-style weapons in the hands of a largely-unregulated citizenry. Some idiots out there believe that the “right to bear arms” – which, until the Supreme Court ruled differently in their 2008 D.C. v. Heller decision, used to only protect a state’s right to have its own military protection – means that every individual should have access to a vast array of weaponry to enable them to revolt. RIIIIIIGHT! Someone has already said it better than I can, but I will paraphrase their point anyway; like we can realistically expect that we can adequately defend ourselves from every weapon possessed by the United States Government! LMMFAO!!!

     

                There is NO REASON why ANY American should individually own anything other than ONE handgun! One doesn’t need enough weapons to arm a small militia or terrorist cell. Not even owning hunting weapons is necessary. A handgun at home should be allowed for protection of the home, and a rented hunting weapon should only be made available at official hunting locations equipped with a hunting headquarters that houses said weapons. Are you starting to catch on yet? I’m just getting started.

     

                From now on, everyone who owns a gun should have to register EVERY weapon in their possession. Not only that, but they should also have to have an official document affirming that they – and everyone in their home - have undergone a full background check (complete with a thorough psychological evaluation). Moreover, it should be required that same said weapons be secured, and that only the approved owner thereof should be able to remove it from its secured state and use it. Thinking into the future, it should be required that all weapons be retro-fitted and protected by some type of device that only unlocks upon recognizing its owner’s unique features (come on, this technology exists, people!). In order to strengthen these regulations, every weapon owner should be given a year or two to comply (retroactively), with a four-stage punishment system implemented that includes: first offense (or, first time that someone is caught in the possession of an unregistered weapon) = warning, second offense = heavy fine, third offense = seizure of all weapons and permanent loss of “right to bear arms”, and fourth offense = imprisonment.

     

                What about the gun shows? It should be required that every such “show” is registered with official police surveillance. No sales should be permitted at these shows, and every person entering and leaving the premises should have to go through a police checkpoint where they will have to affirm that they have not acquired any new weapons during their visit. Any violators should be immediately apprehended and processed and subject to the aforementioned four-stage punishment system. As for the hosts of the gun show, all suspected sellers of guns should be subject to a simple zero-tolerance policy: if you sell, you lose your license to partake in all future shows and may (depending on the severity of the offense) face further punitive measures.

     

                Weapon sales should not occur in any capacity beyond preapproved official weapons shops. This means that no individual owner should be able to sell or purchase a weapon outside of this capacity either. Consequently, no weapons or information pertaining to how one could go about constructing one should be legally available online.

     

                Sound oppressive? Well, these proposals are not nearly as oppressive as the heartache that a loved one must endure after needlessly losing a loved one to an act that may have been prevented with such measures. The “right to free speech” is not absolute, and the Supreme Court has upheld that position on many occasions. So, if one can not completely “speak freely”, then one should not expect that they have an unbridled “right” to possess any weapon of their choosing.

     

    Tonight’s Conclusion

     

                Now that I have offered my take on what needs to be done, I will now reiterate here what I said yesterday via Twitter, Facebook, and in email: I’m prepared to get more involved should my Congressman – Republican Pat Tiberi – not act. In other words, if he chooses to cower in the face of NRA opposition, I will run against him in 2014.

     

                Today is my first born’s sixth birthday. He is presently at school with his Kindergarten class. Sending him to school on Monday was heart-wrenching for me, and I have been fearful ever since. Newtown’s tragedy could have hit here in Newark and at Ben Franklin Elementary, instead of Sandy Hook. I, and we, must remember this going forward. It could happen to any of us, and it is incumbent upon us to do what we can to prevent such from happening.

     

    Until next time…

     

    TAKE CARE

Comments (2)

  • When it comes to violent media, I think the real issue isn't movies or TV shows or video games - it's NEWS coverage. When something like this happens, we glorify the killer(s) by giving them 24 hour coverage for days, sometimes even weeks. Everyone will know Adam Lanza's name, but no one will remember the names of the victims. Stop glorifying these assholes with the attention they so desperately want.

  • @Truth_and_Triumph - No real disagreement here. However, I felt compelled to mention violent entertainment in the way that I did as it does contribute - to a degree - to a culture that seems increasingly desensitized to violence. Most people can enjoy "violent" entertainment without becoming violent themselves, but it can not be seriously said that no one is negatively influenced by such. Of course, all aspects of our violent culture make up just a part of the problem here. :)

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment