OMM4GC

Last week I did something I've never done before. I participated in a march down in DC. It was co-sponsored by a group recently formed called One Million Moms 4 Gun Control. I'm not usually the kind of person to get involved in a political/ community issue. At least, not up until now. There have been way too many school and public shootings for me to ignore it anymore.

What was I marching for? I think I have some very reasonable requests. I want 100% background checks. This is reasonable right? I was to ban assault weapons. I want to eliminate high capacity magazines. I think that those are three very, very reasonable requests. You can still have guns. You can still shoot stuff, even people if you so choose. Just not a LOT of people and all at the same time. Deal?

To be honest, I think we should take it much much farther than that. I think parents should be held legally responsible for the crimes their children commit with parents guns. I think that guns should not be able to be able to be traded or sold unless through a certified vendor who meets certain criteria. I think you should not be allowed to carry guns on your person into any public place. Baby steps for now though.

A couple of months ago a child at Eden's school brought a gun, a box of bullets and several knives to school. Could those weapons have possibly been stored safely for a child to get to them? Fortunately, no one was harmed but this happened at school...while my 6 year old daughter was down the hall. Would I feel better if every teacher in her school had a gun? So, that if the child did decide to begin shooting, all the teachers could run out of their rooms and start shooting too? No. I could never send her to a place of learning and growth and love that housed guns. What do you do when the student is old enough to overpower the teacher and get the gun for themselves. What do you do when a paranoid teacher thinks she sees something and pulls it out creating a hostile situation?

You should have seen the people at this march. Hundreds were from Newton holding signs with pictures of their little babies who had been murdered. Their were many other people too that had lost children and loved ones due to gun violence. They had signs with their names on them and they held them up high as we marched.

Some people say that it doesn't matter anyway, that if you try to take away guns that people will find a way to get them...that criminals will still break the law. Yes, they will. People still speed, and use drugs and cheat on test, etc... but not as many will. It will be harder for them. And if we make the consequences steep enough, we may deter even more. Isn't it worth trying? If even one life could be saved, isn't it worth trying?