I am afraid of guns. When we first moved to the country, the fact that the neighbors would and could target practice in their own backyards, freaked me out. However, I would never take that right away from them. I just made sure we wore bright colors when we were outside. And it isn't as though they were hunting in their own yards anyway.
Today, I am still afraid of guns, but I'd like to actually go to a gun range with an experienced/trained person who could teach me how to shoot, and so I could know how it feels to shoot a gun. I could never take a life--not of an animal and not of a human. I don't know if I could even if it was life or death. I just don't know.
What I do know is, I would be OK with a body guard. I would be OK with a Police Officer. I would be OK with a friend who knew how to use, and was comfortable with, a gun.
I am tired of hearing people conflating "have the right to arm" and "must arm" when it comes to teachers. Do I want guns in school? Not necessarily. Do I want my kids to be safe? Absolutely yes.
It comes down to trust. Do I trust my district to make the right decision in choosing and training the right people? Do you trust yours?
People today want to give the government all the power, I think, in order to absolve themselves of any responsibility. If your home, school, community is not what you want it to be, it is easier to blame some entity out there, instead of taking the scary step of starting with the people closest to the situation. Children shot in your school is not the fault of the Federal Government honoring the second amendment, it is the responsibility of the school and the culture it allowed to ferment.
But, there are people out there cheering on kids who are protesting the second amendment. I know there are kids that believe fervently that taking away guns will make them safe. I also know there are kids out there that want to be part of the big, noisy party and get their faces out there for "being brave."
I might support them if they weren't complaining about receiving consequences for their actions. Didn't Civil Rights protesters risk jail and worse? They fought for what they believed, and the consequence was part of what sparked the change. If you leave school without permission you are truant. Period. If you truly believe in your cause, isn't detention a small price to pay for expressing your rights?
And back to the things I have been reading. The hateful name calling. People saying that kids have a right to do and say anything they want in whatever manner they choose, are the biggest problem of all. Everyone has the right to their own opinion. Telling your child they don't have to listen to authority figures, or follow rules if they don't like them, is what is leading to the society we have today...
The name calling, "I know you are, but what am I?" mentality.
Kids are emotional beings. Moods change, thoughts change, beliefs change -- that is part of being a developing human being. They haven't finished developing yet. Our job as adults is to challenge their thinking and help positively direct their energy. They should not be used to further our agenda and regurgitate our words and feelings.
The saying goes that you can't tell a parent how to be a parent. I will tell you...
If you are teaching your child to hate
If you are teaching your child that the one who screams loudest is right.
If you are teaching that only your view point is valid
You are doing it wrong.
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