I am of course a Texas Lady who firmly believes in the right to bear arms. However, for a very long time I have thought we do need to ban assault rifles and high output clips. Yes, we are nation of hunters. But, assault rifles and high output clips are NOT hunting rifles. Not unless hunting and killing large numbers of people is your choice in "game". Some survivalists will tell you they need those guns in case our government goes completely berserk and another revolution is necessary. I hate to disillusion the survivalists, but if that ever happens, even with all the guns they already have at their disposal, we are screwed. The reason we are screwed is because an out of control rabid government isn't going to play fair, and chances are the first thing that would happen is those with the most guns and ammunition would be taken out by bigger better guns, and bombs. Or and by the way, that out of control government isn't going to warn anyone first before they take out those that pose the most threat to them. That is the reality of happens when a government becomes an out of control dictatorship.
Having said that, let me also say that I firmly believe we have a much larger problem than too many big guns out there. Gun control is at best treating the symptom, and not the disease. More than anything else, we need to address the mental health problems that are causing these massacres. Until we do that, no amount of gun control is going to truly take our children out of danger. The numerous knife slashings in Chinese schools prove that. To truly make our schools, malls, and other public places safe, we must find a cure, or at least an effective treatment for those who are suffering from this terrible disease that makes them want to kill innocent people, and often take their own life after doing that. We must have a health care system that offers the parents of children like this the help they need. Currently the system is miserably failing parents with mentally disturbed, sometimes very violent children. From all I've read, basically, until the child commits a crime, nothing can be done. And then the "solution" involves incarceration. Putting mentally disturbed children and adults in jail is NOT the solution to the problem!
Yes, the mentally handicapped do have rights. However, we also have the right to live our lives without having to worry about seeing our children massacred, as well as the right to go a mall, movie or other public place without being massacred by the mentally unstable. Now somewhere in this equation there has to be a sensible and fair solution to this problem. I suggest the politicians spend less time worrying about how to raise money for the next election, and more time working together towards a solution to this problem.
Next I'm going to tackle the issue of God being taken out of the schools. First of all, no God or Goddess has been removed from ANY public school in America. Any child, of any religion is free to pray to whatever God or Goddess he or she wishes to. Children are not prohibited from saying grace over their meal if they wish to. Nor are they prohibited from discussing their religion amongst themselves on their own time. What is prohibited is the concept of any one religion being taught as the only true religion. Yes, making every child, no matter what his or her religion bow their head to the Christian God, and be led in a prayer to that God, is most definitely prohibited. As it should be. Our schools contain students and staff of many religions, as well as atheists. No non Christian child or staff person should have to bow his or her head in prayer to a God they do not worship.
Secondly, if you are a Christian, since your own bible teaches you that your God is Omnipotent and Everywhere, how can he be taken out of School, or anywhere else? I don't have a bible that tells me so, but I happen to believe the Gods and Goddesses I believe in are just as Omnipotent and Everywhere as the Christian God. Which means any child or adult in or out of school, or anywhere on this earth can connect to them through a word or prayer, if they so choose.
No, I am not going to say you can't take something that doesn't exist anyway, out of the schools. For me to say the Christian God does not exist is as hateful and hurtful as saying the Gods and Goddesses I believe in do not exist. I believe that for those who believe in him, the Christian God does exist. That has always been my stand concerning the Christian God, or any other God or Goddess. We would all get along a lot better if we would learn to say, "I do not or worship that God.", instead of saying, "God does not exist." The atheists could be more tactful as well and simply say, "I personally do not believe your God exists.", instead of, "God does not exist." In other words, let's all show some manners and at least peacefully and politely acknowledge that for others, the Christian God, as well as many many other Gods and Goddesses exist for those that believe in them, and that some do not believe in any God or Goddess.
