We're Number One!

So much has been written about the U.S. losing it's number ranking in all areas of education, reading, science and math. Yes, it's true. We now rank as low as #37 in some areas of education, when compared to other highly industrialized nations of the world. But there is one area where we do rank #1, and that is violence from firearms. This is not a statistic to be proud of, yet what are we doing to change it? I have read many articles about gun ownership, gun registration and gun use in the United States, so I will not bore you with statistics. It's enough to say that Americans love their guns, and any talk of gun control leads many to think that the government wants to take their guns away. Nobody I have ever heard has said that. It's all about controling who owns guns, making sure that those purchasing guns have a background check. Most guns used in crimes (robberies, street fighting, etc.) have not been obtained legally, yet the guns used in mass killings have been obtained legally. So it seems to me we need to check more carefully those that are purchasing guns and make sure they know how to use them. Statistics show that if you have a gun in your house you are more likely to kill a family member than a stranger. I will never forget an incident that took place in Los Angeles about 30 years ago. A family in Cheviot Hills had a gun, the father heard someone rustling around in the kitchen in the middle of the night, took the gun out, went downstairs and killed his son. Had he not had the gun, his son might still be alive. I never thought about this when my kids were young, but how many times did I send them to someone's house to play where a gun was present, and possibly available for curious kids to find? I'm sure it happened. If I were a parent of young children today, I would ask that question before sending my child on a play date. I remember when we were in Miami about 10 years ago, driving to a Cuban restaurant for dinner. We were half way to the restaurant when our friend shows us the loaded gun he's got under his seat "just in case." I just about died. He said everyone in Miami has a gun! I don't like guns. The only time I've ever held a gun was in Arizona, when I went on a desert tour that included target practice on a range. Even that made me uncomfortable. I do, however, respect the right of every American who wants a gun, to have one. It's in the constitution, but guns and ammuninition have changed in the past 200 years. We now have high power assault rifles and clips that can fire dozens of rounds without reloading. Was the constitution talking about that when they said we have the right to bear arms? I don't think so. Our country must have a rational conversation on gun control. Why does the NRA yield such power? The NRA just supported numerous candidates in the last election, and none of their candidates won, so where is their power? Who in Congress will stand up and show some courage? Let's find a way to make every potential gun owner undergo a background check. Let's get rid of assault weapons. Let the armed forces use them. That's what they were meant for. Let's get rid of the magazines that allow a lunatic to fire 30 rounds without reloading. More guns in the schools is not going to make our children safer, in my opinion. There was an armed guard at Columbine. It didn't do much good. For the first time in my life I went to the movies,wondering if something like Aurora could happen here. I had never considered going to the movies a dangerous activity, but when I went to San Marcos to see The Life Of Pi, the thought crept into my head. If I'm thinking about these things, so are other people. Let's start talking about this issue, both sides of it, let our politicians know where we stand, and do something about it. We're too great a nation to have to live in fear, to feel we have to walk around with protection. Having the conversation is a start.