Yes, America, watching someone gun down our children in mass or even losing a loved one to a shooting is devastating to say the least, BUT, let's not kill the good people's ability to access fire arms by overlooking the REAL ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. Guns are not the problem. There are THREE MAJOR REASONS...in my opinion.
NUMBER 1: Because some people have no desire to be bothered with a child, they shouldn't bring children into the world. This fact crosses socioeconomic lines. Who you are and how much money you bring home is not important. All sorts of 'parents', and I use that word lightly, do not take any personal interest in their children, abuse and neglect them or pawn them off to nannies or day cares. There is a growing percentage of parents who simply don't care what their children do or where they learn their 'rules' of right and wrong unless it personally effects them. As a result, lots of children are learning their moral values on their own and in places where 'teach your children well' does not exist. There is no substitute for a caring, involved adult being there when a child needs comfort, protection and questions answered, instead of the alternatives.
NUMBER 2: America is allowing millions of these unwanted children to suffer gruesome childhoods by turning our eyes away from the plight of abused and neglected kids. The CPS's, Child Protection Services, in this country are complete failures. Underpaid, overworked and understaffed individuals put in charge of intervening in the lives of these tortured little people are overwhelmed by the hopelessness confronting them daily. After years of dealing with insurmountable case loads, apathy has oozed into the cracks. Burnout rates for counselors is enormous. The system has literally become accustomed to the nightmarish lives of their clients and has adapted a 'what can I do' attitude. AND THE LEGISLATORS WHO COULD THROW MORE MONEY TO HELP THESE CHILDREN TURN A DEAF EAR TO THE PLEADS FOR HELP, being more interested in cutting programs the last few years...
NUMBER 3: Our mental health system is a raving joke. Children and anyone else who seriously need help are not getting it in a majority of cases. For most people, it is economically impossible to afford. The ones able to seek help are finding most phychiatrists have become pill pushers for the drug industry and shuffle off patients to the nearest drug store or put them into the hands of a Physician's Assistant...AGAIN...Money trumps caring.
Just a note...Growing up, I did not know meat came from a grocery store. We stocked a freezer with fresh venison, fish, wild game birds, rabbit and squirrel. Every weekend when my dad wasn't working his everyday job, he was responsible for stocking our freezer with meat. To do this we hunted, fished, cleaned and packaged our own. In order to accomplish a necessary part of our life, we, as kids, were taught to shoot, fish and preserve this meat. That involved guns, knives and a variety of other skills. Naturally, all these tools were an everyday part of life.
From an early age, gun handling and upkeep were drilled into us just like taking a bath, washing dishes, following the rules, being kind to your fellow man and 'passing it forward', as my Dad always called it. Because caring adults drilled these skills into us and the importance of love and caring not just for yourself but of others, we had a set of rules to live by. The throw-away children from that time were also watched over by those same adults. Less than desirable habits they picked up were usually frowned on by their peers.
Today, children are alone too much and looking for someone who cares. Parents working more and more hours to earn money just to exist find it harder to be there for them. Others never wanted them to begin with. Gangs acting as pseudo-families get a lot of these kids. Their only rules are get what you want, any way you want...lie, cheat, still, hurt and maim. Members suffer pain to become part of the family and must die to get out. Cults pick up more of them. We're talking major crazy there. Other kids just try to make it on their own with no guidance from anyone. Drugs and all that nightmare permeate these worlds. Forced to survive in such situations, a large percentage of human beings become numb to normal feelings and callous at an early age. Some lash out because of the hurt, i.e., mass shootings and individuals out of control mentally. Scarier still is the fact a lot of these crazies (a) are having children...
In effect, the world is creating monsters and the numbers are increasing exponentially. The safety net (CPS) is damaged...the mental health system literally does not work...and the people who could make changes and lead this country to better times sit on their duffs, drawing cushy salaries and trying to legislate their personal moral beliefs instead of addressing pressing issues.
BANNING GUNS WILL NOT HELP...IT IS OUR SOCIETY'S LACK OF CARING THAT SHOULD SHOULDER THE BLAME... Guns are simply tools. When they are banned, we'll see bombs....Are we going to shut the grocery stores, feed stores and pharmacies? We must address the root or continue to suffer the results...
(a) In this text, 'crazies', is the gross term I have chosen to represent the mentally ill who have fallen into the almost 'no hope' category because of the horrible life they have had or untreated mental health issues they suffer. I believe most of these sad individuals could have been saved had they been identified at an early age and received proper treatment and follow up. Most teachers are aware who these children are and report them through channels to CPS systems across the country starting in Pre-K and forward. Nothing is usually done. Parents are not held responsible and the child becomes numb...incapable of real emotions after a while. But these is another subject for another time.
