Sunday, March 25, 2018

Addressing Gun Violence

When you are certain you know the solution to a problem, the best thing to do is work on the solution. If you don't, others will and if it's not the solution you endorse, you may not like the direction it takes.
That's what's happening with the issue of gun violence. Those focused on protecting "second amendment rights" have pointed to many reasons for our mass shootings that they insist have nothing to do with guns; mental health issues, parenting issues, movie/game violences, lack of enforcement of existing laws, etc. If identification of these causes would have been followed by action to correct them, and it actually solved the gun violence problem, we would all be happy.
It's the lack of any constructive actions that led to the marches and the movement that is being led by young people. The issue can no longer be ignored and these people cannot be dismissed. Not listening and trying to discredit them will only deepen their resolve. They see this issue as central to their very survival.
Interestingly, second amendment advocates, at the extreme, also believe their very survival is at stake. There is a deep belief that the right to bear arms is a protection from government tyranny. As long as this group views government as the enemy, or potential enemy, their fears will grow with any attempted actions viewed as infringing on those rights.
Ultimately, neither side of this issue wants to see more dead children. Neither side of this issue wants to see mass killing in public places. We need to start the conversation with that acknowledgement. From there, it will be the ones who actually roll up their sleeves and get to work on solutions that will lead the day. Today, it's a few million young people and those who are supporting them.

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