guns

There is not really an effective way to explain the number of thoughts that went through my mind on Friday afternoon. I was standing in the courthouse, watching the trial of the murder of my aunt wear down on my family, listening to people talk about the new law allowing guns to be taken into new places especially schools (this was the place we all were the most concerned about). None of us had our cell phones because they aren't allowed in the courthouse, there are no TVs in the courthouse. There is no way to know what is happening in the outside world. Maybe this was for the best, did we really need to see all that news flashing on the screens while the jury was deliberating?

As we head to leave because the jury hadn't made a decision the deputy stops us and informs us of the horrible events of Friday afternoon. I pretty much stopped listening after "first grade classroom."

Like I said, there is no effective way to possibly explain the thoughts that went through my head in the moment. The first was that my very best friend in the first grade teacher, so I should make sure she's ok. But she lives in Colorado, so that was a fleeting thought. The second was those poor poor children. Those poor parents. That teacher. And my very next thought was, guns ruin everything.

Now, I realize that maybe in your lifetime you have enjoyed killing a Bambi or two. And when I say that my dad points out that I eat Betsy the cow, but hey, if you're killing in order to feed society go for it, and besides, this isn't a debate about hunting and vegetarianism. But in my lifetime, the only things guns have done is destroy lives.

Guns are the reason that I grew up, from the day before (June 18th, 1989) I was 20 months old, in a state of tragedy. Guns are the reason that my brothers 4th birthday party probably sucked and was basically just happening (so I've been told, I don't remember). Guns are the reason that my mom lost one of her sisters, and that 3 of my cousins grew up without a mom.

Guns are the reason all those kids died in Columbine. And the reason all those people died in Virginia Tech. Guns are the reason a teenage boy died in an Ann Arbor high school, he was playing with his dad's gun when his friend accidentally pulled the trigger. Guns are the reason for the lives lost in Aurora. And the lives lost in NYC, Detroit, Chicago, LA and every other urban city every single day.

The prosectur in my aunt's trial used one of my least favorite phrases to make a really good point. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Gross. I hate that. But somebody has to have the gun. Somebody has to have the gun to use to to kill somebody on accident, on purpose, planned or unplanned. If you don't have a gun, you can't shoot somebody.

If now is not the time to talk about gun control. If now is not the time to talk about how to save those lives. If now is not the time to make sure those kids did not die in vain, then when is the time?

People don't want to talk about it because it sucks to talk about death. And they know that it will require them giving up some of their guns. If it will require admitting that the second amendment doesn't actually mean you just get to have AK-47's laying around the house.