The (long, rambling) post where I curse and cry

I have spent hours working on this post, trying to get my thoughts out without tears or anger or dry heaving.  I don't want to hurt feelings, I just want to get my thoughts and opinions out there; should be easy enough, but with this issue it is just the opposite.  I cannot find all the words I want to say and no part of me is up for debate.

On Friday my heart broke.  I think of those families and I break down.  I want to throw up thinking about parents losing their children far, far too soon.  I go numb, I am in horror, I am overwhelmed, I am in shock.

Immediately after that I get angry.  I get upset that our country, the greatest nation in the world, allowed this to happen.  He was a madman.  He was crazy.  He should have had help and support growing up so that this never happened.  I want to kick him, spit on him, and cry.  How could he do something so selfish?  He was the individual that did this, he was a horrible and harmful person and I hate him.

But I also hate how easy it was for him to access guns.

And here is where I start my commentary on gun control.

I want some form of gun control.  THAT DOES NOT MEAN, NOR WILL IT EVER MEAN, that I want to TAKE YOUR FUCKING GUNS AWAY.  Mountain man and I own a gun.  He hunts.  He grew up in a house with multiple guns.  And even he supports gun control.

I am not going to come to your door and say "give me all of your guns."  That is not practical.  But I do think we should have some limitations.  Let's ban assault rifles.  What the mother fuck do you need assault rifles for?  Because someone else has one illegally, we should all have one to one-up them?  THERE IS NO FUCKING NEED FOR ASSAULT RIFLES.  Lets leave the military grade weapons to the military and police force, not for you or me to buy.

There is also no need for hollow point rounds or magazines with 100 rounds or for people to have more than a certain number of guns.  And other than police officers and a few select others, I see no reason for anyone to have a conceal license.  The point of these things is generally to cause harm.  I do not want people walking down the street with the ability to have guns hidden in their jackets.  Especially guns that can shoot 100 rounds in a matter of seconds.  That is straight fucked up.  And internet sales of guns might be the stupidest shit that we do.

So yes, I want some sort of control.  I want some limitations.  The fact that it is HARDER FOR MY SISTER TO GET MARRIED IN MULTIPLE STATES THAN IT IS FOR HER TO GET A GUN IS WRONG.  I want it to be challenging to get a gun, I want their to be stricter laws if you get caught breaking any law with a gun.  I want it to be hard for psychopaths and sociopaths to cause harm.

I hear the arguments from the other side.  "If a psychopath wants a gun, they will find a way."  "Guns don't kill people, people kill people."  "THIS IS OUR RIGHT."

I do believe parts of all of those sayings.  If a psychopath wants a gun, they will try their hardest to find one.  But why NOT make it hard for them to do so?  What is the harm in that?  Maybe then they will try something different, something less effective, then say, walking into a school with THREE GUNS AND SHOOTING 26 PEOPLE.  A knife attack is not going to be the same.

Guns DO kill people.  A fucking psycho with a knife will just not be the same as a psycho with a gun.

And yes, it is written into the fucking bill of rights that we have the right to bear arms.  THE RIGHT.  But what about the right to live?  What about the right to send off our children to school with the expectation of safety?  The goddamn bill of rights says we have the right to bear arms to regulate the militia.  Not shoot up school children.

Legislation on gun control does not mean that people will just follow the new laws.  There are tons of laws right now that people do not follow, and yet they are still laws, and when someone breaks a law, we punish them.  Let's do that with gun legislation.

I keep hearing that if only teachers had been armed, this wouldn't have happened.  I want to scream and  actually hit someone when I hear this argument.  You want to PUT MORE GUNS IN OUR SCHOOLS to PREVENT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS?  What the mother fuck?

Why should we turn our schools into little prisons to protect our children?  Why is that the only option? Armed guards at the doors, permission to enter and leave the building?  That is the only option because we want to allow guns?   We want to "protect our children" by turning their safe havens into institutions that look like they are from a future horror movie rather than put limitations on guns?  What the fuck is wrong with you?

I know gun control is not the only issue here.  I know that we need to take a look at our culture, our society, our love and history of violence.  We need to focus on mental illness and remove the stigma around it.  We need to get people the help they need.  This is much bigger than gun control.  But why not start with the easiest thing?  Gun control does not have to be hard.  We can still hunt.  We can still have a handgun to protect your home.  But buying assault rifles will be illegal.  You cannot leave home with your "to protect your home" handgun.  You cannot buy tear gas, 100 round magazine clips, bullet proof vests.  All are illegal.  And if you get caught trying to do so without going through the proper channels?  You go to jail.  Tough shit.

There will always be violence.  There will always be a way to cause harm.  But why not do all that we humanly can to prevent that?  To protect our children?  Isn't it worth a shot to try?  What does it actually hurt to try some fucking changes?  There is a reason that countries with stricter gun control have no school shootings.  Let's just give it a try.

You want a gun nation and your right to bear arms?  Then you have to deal with schools being shot up.  That is on you.  You go explain to the mom and dad of any of the victims that you understand, but you will want your assault rifle so you can sleep soundly at night.