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There Is No Superman

Handguns.

Semi-automatic weapons.

Automatic weapons.

Street sweepers.

A mentally ill young man was able to buy a terrible weapon of mass destruction and used it to destroy several lives this weekend.

I struggle to make sense of the recent tragic shooting in Arizona as I hear the words of self-important politicians, political pundits and shock jocks ricocheting through the airwaves like so many bullets, each one believing they can repel those missile-like words like Superman.

There is no sense to be made of it.

There is no Superman.

It is true that there will never be a gun in my house. I made that decision 37 years ago and stand by it.

You can have a gun in your house, but you are not welcome to bring it to mine.

I believe with all my heart that guns have no place at a grocery store parking lot, and challenge anyone to explain why I might be wrong.

I have no answers, and only one question:

What is the argument for owning a weapon designed to kill man?

Comments

Rebecca said…
There is not a rational argument for a rapid fire weapon. I am pro-gun but this is a weapon designed to kill mass amounts of people very quickly.
I carry a weapon for protection and if I was there, I could have stopped this mad man. Why he was able to get a gun amazes me. That is the problem. No one took all the signs seriously. He was a crazy man for a long time and folks knew it. The school had a responsibility to notify the authorities and they should have checked him out. I do not want to lose my rights because of a mad man.
My prayers are with everyone effected by this insanity.
Anonymous said…
beautifully expressed!
apronsandappetites said…
Pray for the day when mental health issues are taken as seriously as all other health issues, and quality mental health care is available to all people. Getting help for a mentally disturbed adult person is a challenging process.
TC Caldwell said…
I hate guns. I do own one though, it's a water pistol :) I squirt my cat when she claws the furniture. It doesn't hurt her, just annoys her.
Fresh Garden said…
That's inspiring!
Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the visit. :)
Wonderful post. Really well written, and you've raised an issue I think everyone should really think about a bit more before deciding their stand.
menopausal mama said…
Guns scare the hell out of me---I have older kids and when they go to someone else's house, you just never know if there is a gun there. Thanks for sharing your blog.
menopause age said…
Its a big issue you have described its true there is no superman but I really hate guns and all those stuff which use to harm anyone. Thanks
Anonymous said…
I agree with apronsandappetites. Most of these mass shootings have been done by the hands of someone suffering with a mental illness. There's no doubt a gun can kill people however, so can any device known to man. If guns were banned, there is no doubt they would still be pushed through the black market or bought illegally and put into the hands of dangerous people. Now we have an issue where all the "bad" people have guns and the average joe is not protected and cannot protect his family if attacked. Lifestyles are different from Miami to Nebraska. On farms and in the rural areas, guns are used for protection of one's family or livestock against predators such as coyotes, wolves, mountain lions. These are real factors and these predators are increasing rapidly in numbers. Family pets are getting attacked and killed. Hunting is a way of life and is used to control deer and other wildlife population. It's a tragedy that a hunter cannot donate his meat to a food pantry anymore. But that's another story. Abolishing a constitutional right to bear arms is not safe for anybody. However, increased education on gun safety is the key.

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