When will enough be enough? - East Idaho News
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When will enough be enough?

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EDITOR’S NOTE: We interrupt our regularly scheduled nerdy-ness for something a little bit more serious this week.

As a nerd, I can be guilty of living in a bubble. I build this bubble out of TV show characters, movie dialogue, and flashy comic book fight scenes. This bubble serves a purpose, as it keeps me protected from the crushing depression of the real world. But sometimes, something happens that breaches my protective nerd cocoon.

I was going about my morning routine Wednesday when I caught a report detailing the shooting of two Virginia journalists. At that moment my mind was seized by one singular thought, and that thought was this: I am really, really sick of these shootings.

More than that, I’m really sick of the rhetoric spewed by folks on both sides of the gun control issue. The instant one of these shootings goes down, you get emotional overreaction from gun rights advocates, accompanied by similar emotional overreaction from gun control advocates. “We must get rid of all guns to protect our children” vs. “Guns don’t kill people, people do.”

Neither one of those attitudes is overly thoughtful and neither one leads to change that might help curb this kind of violence. They just divide people and put them at odds on an issue that requires rational thought and compassion.

Look, I don’t know what the answer is. I suspect the roots of our violence issues run extremely deep, and there probably is not one simple action that will solve this puzzle. I don’t believe more gun control is a good idea. That will likely just penalize law-abiding citizens while those willing to go outside of the law to get their guns will still get their guns.

I also don’t believe the answer is more guns. Arming teachers, news reporters, and average people on the street seems like an invitation to disaster. On top of that, the Constitution protects the rights of people who don’t want to carry guns at the same time as it protects the right to bear arms. I hate the thought of living in a country where I need to strap on my 9 MM just so I can go buy groceries.

However, there are two things that I feel NEED to happen in order to address this issue.

First off, we as Americans need to take a long, hard, honest look at ourselves as a culture. Why do we so revere guns? Does that attitude have connection to why shooting rampages keep happening? Why do these kind of incidents happen so often in America when they seem to occur so less frequently in other countries? I have a feeling that no solution will ever be found until we take a long hard look at ourselves.

After that, folks on both sides of the gun issue need to sit down and have an intelligent, thoughtful, and respectful discussion about the role of guns in our society. Anti-gun advocates need to realize that some people view guns as a way to protect themselves and their children. Pro-gun supporters need to understand that while guns don’t kill people, they definitely help. Both sides have got to stop bickering, check their emotions at the door and engage in rational, empathetic talks.

I’m just one person expressing his opinion. I won’t pretend that my opinion is any more valid than anyone else’s. But, I believe there is a solution to the gun violence problem in America, and I believe we can find it as long as we’re willing to exercise a little courage and whole lot of open-mindedness.

And I promise, next week I’ll be back to talking movies, heavy metal and other stuff more fluffy, happy subjects.

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