Reading the newspaper or watching the news on television these days can be confusing. It causes one to think that we’ll never reach any agreement on what we should do to solve our nation’s most pressing problems. One of those problems is how to effectively address the issue of guns in America. I just read two brief reports in my Saturday morning newspaper that present the perfect example of what I’m talking about.
On the same page, there are two stories that point to the fact that the republic is confused. One story reports that the state of Tennessee has passed a law which will allow schoolteachers to carry guns. The governor, after signing the legislation, stated, “What’s important is that we give districts tools and the option to use a tool that will keep our children safe.” The law prevents parents and other teachers from knowing who will be armed. The principal of a particular school, along with relevant law enforcement agencies would have to agree to let teachers and staff carry weapons. The state would require a license for every Individual carrying a gun.
The other story comes from the state of Maine. There, the governor signed into law a set of gun safety laws. These laws expand background checks for the private sales of weapons and do the same for mental health crisis care. The governor said the following, “This law represents important, meaningful progress, without trampling on anybody’s rights, and it will better protect public safety by implementing reasonable reforms and by significantly expanding mental health resources.”
For anyone reading this and is not residing in the United States, let me say that ever issue surrounding guns has been politicized. I might also add that the governor of Tennessee is a Republican and the governor of Maine is a Democrat…enough said.
I’ve tried to resist the urge to express an opinion here because that wasn’t my purpose. I simply wanted to show the dichotomy that exists on one page of my newspaper around the issue of how to develop a safe environment as it relates to guns in America. I’m sure you have an opinion.
I’m old and blessed…hope you will be too.
Source: The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, April 27, 2024
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I tmaghine that outside of the USA, many people have great difficulty in understanding this issue. Here in Switzerland, most young men join the armed forces around the age of 18 and do 18 weeks of basic training then return to civilian life. They take all their gear, including guns and rifles (up to 2007 this also included ammunition), home with them and lock it up safely. They are recalled for a six-week bout of further training every year after that until they are 35 or, in some cases, 50. Cases of misuse of of there firearms are extremely rare. The system and hisotry are explained here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Armed_Forces if you are interested. I’m aware that ours is a tiny country and thus model can’t apply to the USA, but it might serve as some kind of insspiration.
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Another fun but informative little video on this subject is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkuMLId8SqE
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Hilarious, but true on many levels. I often think that mass shootings have become one of our national pastimes.
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Inside the USA many people have difficulty in understanding this issue! Cat’s video is great. BTW, purchasing a gun is not quite as easy as portrayed in the vid, but darn near. America has become an international head-scratching puzzle. How could we fall so far so fast?
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I often wonder how we’re still seen as that light on the hill.
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