Whose Kid???
It’s been a little over a month since the Feb 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Fourteen students and three teachers were killed making it one of the world’s deadliest school shootings. Nikolas Jacob Cruz (19 years old) was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
I don’t want to report more than that because (admittedly) I don’t know much more. I’ve been completely and totally underwater since the end of October. We opened a new business, a family business, and I have found it’s a lot like having a new baby—and if you’re starting/learning a new business while renovating the space—well, that’s like having a new baby and moving all at once!
And that’s just stupid.
But that’s what we did. So I’m a little behind on pretty much everything and everyone. And when it comes to the shooting in Parkland, Florida, I admit I don’t know everything, but I know enough.
The shooter was a depressed 19-year-old kid. He suffered the loss of both of his parents, he had been bullied, he was mentally unstable.
We get the WHY. His background is sad and horrible. All those things that happened to him, the things he had to go through? Horrible. We also get that kids need to be nicer to other kids. They need to warm up and walk up. YES.
But all of that is a separate discussion. I’m not looking to get into that today. Today I just want our kids to be safe because in my whole life, I can’t ever remember a time when I have ever felt so unsafe. What happened to those teachers, that could have been one of my friends or family who are teachers. And what happened to those kids, they could have just as easily been ours.
The gun Nikolas Cruz used to hunt kids in their own school was an AR-15 semi-automatic style weapon. This is not the first time a deadly military-inspired rifle has been the weapon of choice for a school shooting. In fact, (I believe) that was the very same type of gun as the one used in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
But even if I’m mistaken, who cares?? The outcome of a weapon like that is still the same. Innocent people are losing their lives, families are broken, everyone is scared, and for what?
FOR WHAT???
For the 2nd Amendment???
ARGH.
The Second Amendment doesn’t define WHAT KIND OF ARMS people have the right to have. It simply states: “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
Well, WTF is that???
That’s not relevant to the times we live in NOW. I have to believe if our founding fathers knew what was happening in our schools and malls and theaters, they’d re-think the wording on that one.
Is “Self Defense” your defense? You need a military-inspired gun for self defense? I think NOT so stop it! You have to have a HELLUVA LOT of enemies who all want to kill you AT THE SAME TIME for you need to need an automatic assault weapon like that to defend yourself.
You also don’t need an assault weapon to go hunting and if you do you’re the worst hunter of all time. I’m sorry, but you are.
And listen, I understand the gun-running business is big. (I have seen EVERY episode from the first 3 seasons of Miami Vice, so I know.) And I know that the legislators are intimidated (and possibly bought off….?) by the NRA, but come on!
Whose kid does it have to be?? Are these things truly more important than our kids?
To some they are, because when it comes to money, people support things they wouldn’t normally support. No matter how sick, sad or dangerous it is.
There have been some changes though:
Some of corporate America has been bad-ass about ending special discounts for NRA members. Others have voluntarily announced they’re raising the age for certain guns, and some have even resolved to stop selling assault-style weapons all together!
Students all over are becoming more vocal about protesting gun violence in the US and the #NeverAgain movement is all over reforming background checks and bans on assault weapons. Fred Guttenberg, who lost his daughter, Jamie, in the Parkland, FL shooting has devoted himself to “breaking the gun lobby.” He knows a full-on ban on assault weapons is probably unrealistic so his priorities are to raise the age to buy guns, add a waiting period before gun sales, and ensure a legit background check for gun sales without all the bullsh*t loopholes.
Still, there’s a large amount of national politicians who won’t stand up, and there are many gun manufacturers and companies that won’t either.
So we need to. We need to make some noise. Because even though these assault weapon tragedies haven’t affected us directly, that doesn’t mean they can’t. Or won’t.
This is me making noise.
And if this little post from this little blog inspires one sharp 20SUM-thing with ambition, or one retired person looking to still be productive and relevant, or one mom who knows it could happen anytime at her own kid’s school…WHOEVER it might be, to do something—something to keep the conversation going—well, that means I did something too.
#DoSumThing #DimSumAndDoughnuts #NeverForget #NeverAgain
Thank you for being a part of this. We appreciate it so much.
PS. Totally off topic, but still important:
Happy “Gotcha Day” to our Daughter
(The Asian Persuasion Chinese Princess we adopted 10 years ago today)
