Shocked

So what are we to make of today?  You know what I'm talking about.  Unless you were on Mars today you heard about the horror in Connecticut.  26 people, mostly little children gunned down at school.  It is almost unspeakable.  It is certainly unfathomable.  How are decent people even supposed to process it?  I was driving home this afternoon listening to accounts of the tragedy and found myself crying.  I was talking so my son about it and couldn't even continue.  Maybe I'm just an old softy, but it is just so sad.  I saw President Obama struggle to continue with his remarks and, for the first time, felt his sincerity.  This has touched most people deeply.  I just can't imagine the anguish that the parents of both the living and dead are going through.  All of our heartfelt prayers are with them, but it is small comfort.

And I find myself thinking about something else, that I've never considered.  We've got to figure out something to do about guns.  Don't get me wrong.  I believe in the Second Amendment.  But we've got to do something.  This is the worst, but there have been so many shocking gun tragedies recently.  I've never been a gun guy.  Just never got into it.  But I have friends who own guns.  Some own many.  Handguns, shotguns, semi-automatics.  You name it.  But I don't get why.  Why would you own something that can destroy so much?  I know, I know.  It's for target practice, or sport shooting, or competition, or hunting,or whatever.  But I just don't see it.  Get a different hobby.  Or they need it for protection.  Huh?  Every statistic debunks that theory.  Like I said, I just don't get it.

But the bottom line is that we seem to have gone to the extreme.  Why did that Mother own three handguns in a house with someone mentally unstable?   What was she thinking?  Anyone can own a gun.  There are literally millions in circulation.  There is very little control. I know, I know. We have the right to bear arms.  Guns don't kill people, people kill people.  We must have the ability to protect ourselves against the tyrannical government.  Really?  Really.  I guess I just don't buy it.

Here's what I know.  26 people are dead, mostly little children.  If that deranged monster would've had a weapon other than a gun, they would be alive.  And we've seen it over and over.  And I think we have to do something.  What?  I don't know.  But we've got to start talking about it.  Or it will happen again, and again, and again...

Before starting this I did a simple search about gun statistics.  It is literally mind boggling how many guns there are in this country, how easy they are to obtain, and how much damage they do.  This is just one small part of the problem.  Hat tip to TWJ