You are my friend and I thank you for your letter today. Like you I feel something needs to be done. But you and I differ on what and how. I would gladly give my AR and other weapons I own if it woud protect our children. While I think regulation of weapons may be beginning the core of the problem is much deeper. Our children are raised and taught on what they see on TV and video games. Their reality is, there is no reality. You just press reset and start over. I heard it say "you will never have enough prisons until you have more good homes" or something like that. What we allow our young children to see we would never allow a baby sitter to share. Yet the TV rarely is turned off. Today the iphone or? is their entertainment with little or no monitoring of what is being watched. We have a divorce rate that exceeds 50%. From what I have witnessed, most are hostile and certainly unkind. At one point our children are taught ot love one another and next they witness their parents hating each other. What example does that send. The examples that our children veiw as their heros are often unkind, corrupt, and vulgar. Our schools no longer teach the values we embrace and legislation mandates what they teach much of which we dispute. For heaven sakes we can no longer pray or say the Pledge of Allegiance in many of our classrooms. Our politics is vile, what example do we set for this generation of future leaders. We live in America where you are unable to express your honest opinion without being deamonized or hated. We can no longer talk to one another without conflict. In 1958 I came from Germany, and wonder had there been an stonger, organized militia could it have changed history? I doubt it but wonder. I wonder about the Ukraine and what the results would be had there been no guns? I love America, and quite frankly love the people that live here. I have found few from either side of the isle that I don't like. I have lived through Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iran, and Afghanistan and unfortunately do not trust what information my goverment gives me, but I try not to be a cynic. I have embrace non-denominational and non-political service clubs like Rotary International that allow me to voice my opinion without being judged and hear the opinions of others that often changed my prospective. It is my hope that clubs like these can create peace in our world through understand, service and love. I wish this GUN thing had an easy answer. But like you I agree something needs to be done. Where do we go from here?
Shaun, thanks for your thoughtful response. When I say that the number and type of guns in circulation are a problem, I'm not offering an uniformed opinion. Scientists doing thoughtful analysis have repeatedly concluded that access to guns in America is the central problem. I'm not arguing that your guns should be taken away (apart from your assault rifles) but we can much more carefully regulate the production, sale and use of guns and ammunition to reduce the problem. You are right that just changing gun laws won't stop these mass shootings, but I would argue we can't stop them without addressing gun laws.
You and I certainly agree that organizations like Rotary provide a foundation for peace and reconciliation by bringing together people of different backgrounds and viewpoints to work together for strengthening their communities.
Interact (part of Rotary) is a tool for helping high school students who feel marginalized and angry to find friends and engage in constructive, pro-community ways.
You and I are part of the solution, even if we see things differently regarding guns.
Devin,
You are my friend and I thank you for your letter today. Like you I feel something needs to be done. But you and I differ on what and how. I would gladly give my AR and other weapons I own if it woud protect our children. While I think regulation of weapons may be beginning the core of the problem is much deeper. Our children are raised and taught on what they see on TV and video games. Their reality is, there is no reality. You just press reset and start over. I heard it say "you will never have enough prisons until you have more good homes" or something like that. What we allow our young children to see we would never allow a baby sitter to share. Yet the TV rarely is turned off. Today the iphone or? is their entertainment with little or no monitoring of what is being watched. We have a divorce rate that exceeds 50%. From what I have witnessed, most are hostile and certainly unkind. At one point our children are taught ot love one another and next they witness their parents hating each other. What example does that send. The examples that our children veiw as their heros are often unkind, corrupt, and vulgar. Our schools no longer teach the values we embrace and legislation mandates what they teach much of which we dispute. For heaven sakes we can no longer pray or say the Pledge of Allegiance in many of our classrooms. Our politics is vile, what example do we set for this generation of future leaders. We live in America where you are unable to express your honest opinion without being deamonized or hated. We can no longer talk to one another without conflict. In 1958 I came from Germany, and wonder had there been an stonger, organized militia could it have changed history? I doubt it but wonder. I wonder about the Ukraine and what the results would be had there been no guns? I love America, and quite frankly love the people that live here. I have found few from either side of the isle that I don't like. I have lived through Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iran, and Afghanistan and unfortunately do not trust what information my goverment gives me, but I try not to be a cynic. I have embrace non-denominational and non-political service clubs like Rotary International that allow me to voice my opinion without being judged and hear the opinions of others that often changed my prospective. It is my hope that clubs like these can create peace in our world through understand, service and love. I wish this GUN thing had an easy answer. But like you I agree something needs to be done. Where do we go from here?
shaun
please excuse any errors as I am no editor
Shaun, thanks for your thoughtful response. When I say that the number and type of guns in circulation are a problem, I'm not offering an uniformed opinion. Scientists doing thoughtful analysis have repeatedly concluded that access to guns in America is the central problem. I'm not arguing that your guns should be taken away (apart from your assault rifles) but we can much more carefully regulate the production, sale and use of guns and ammunition to reduce the problem. You are right that just changing gun laws won't stop these mass shootings, but I would argue we can't stop them without addressing gun laws.
You and I certainly agree that organizations like Rotary provide a foundation for peace and reconciliation by bringing together people of different backgrounds and viewpoints to work together for strengthening their communities.
Interact (part of Rotary) is a tool for helping high school students who feel marginalized and angry to find friends and engage in constructive, pro-community ways.
You and I are part of the solution, even if we see things differently regarding guns.