Tuesday, January 10, 2023

shifting focus

 Just heard on the news that a six year old child took a loaded 9mm handgun to school. As if that weren't bad enough, he shot the teacher! She was shot in the hand and chest according to the report. This heroic teacher however continued to protect the other children by getting them out of the room. She is receiving treatment of course and no further details were offered. The child was placed in temporary custody to receive medical treatment as well. 
 That happened yesterday. The news hasn't reported more details on the case as of yet. My first question is, how did that child get that handgun in the first place? The reporter did say his mother had purchased that gun legally. That detail is important to continue the narrative about gun control. Yes, legal guns are used to commit horrific actions, not just illegal ones. No word on what action is going to be taken against the mother or anyone else that is responsible for that child. Certainly, someone has to be held accountable in a major way. The notion that simply taking away the gun will solve all these problems is just idiotic. Still, that is what is going to be proposed by the anti-gun crowd and this incident cited as proof that law abiding citizens, remember she purchased the gun legally, shouldn't be trusted with weapons.
 What would possess a first graders to shoot the teacher? Makes one wonder what is going on in that home. Just how did that child get the gun? Surely you could have secured that handgun in such a way as to prevent that. All that would have been required in my home was for it to be in my parents' bedroom. You did not go in their room without permission! Not ever! There was no acceptable reason that didn't involve the fire department, paramedics or instructions from a burning bush! Dad kept a rifle in his closet. I knew it, he showed it to me a couple times. If he had ammo for that rifle, I never knew that. Didn't matter though, I never went in that room and touched anything! 
 My Dad never went hunting. Why he even had a rifle I don't know. But my brothers both went hunting. I grew up with shotguns in the house. We had BB guns and pellet rifles too. No pistols though, can't say why that was I guess there was no need to have one. Still, I was taught from a very early age to never bring a loaded weapon into the house. That was a strict rule. There was absolutely no reason to have a loaded gun inside. I was also taught to never point that gun at anything I didn't intend to shoot! Any infraction of those rules would see the immediate disappearance of said weapon. It was obvious I wasn't responsible enough to have it and therefore it was taken away. Lost a few BB guns that way, never saw them again. 
 In my experience with children, they pretty much emulate whatever their parents and siblings do or say. Barring that they will simply emulate whoever is the influence. I know nothing about this child or his home life, I know nothing about any of that. But I can assure you he learned that at home. Now there will be those that will make excuses, talk about society, and the pressures faced today by parents. I haven't heard anything on the news regarding any of that. I don't have any clue about their social status if that is how you want to put that. I don't know if his mother, the one purchasing that handgun legally, did so for personal protection, for sport, or some other reason. I don't know her financial status, what neighborhood she lives in or anything else about her. 
 It doesn't matter though. I was told that it didn't matter if you were rich or poor, what side of the tracks you lived on or any of that. You could still raise your children right! No excuse for not being clean, polite and respectful to others. Doesn't matter if those clothes are hand me downs or the latest in fashion, they should be neat and clean. It doesn't cost you anything to raise your children in that manner. There are no excuses! This tragic event, for everyone involved, does highlight one simple fact. Parents are failing their children! Those children are then becoming parents and failing. It's not guns, it's not societal pressure, it's not "opportunity" or equality. It is about raising children to respect life and each other. Let's focus on that! Teach those children it isn't about them, it's about us. 

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