Violent acts are deliberate and random, a deadly combination. Criminals use them to purposely create the terror to serve their own ends. We never know when they will happen, and no matter how hard the government tries banning the sale of guns it is not the answer; restricting them in some form is.
Last Friday, 23 year-old Raphael Garrison was shot and killed in his apartment on N. Oak Street. He was a student here and lived right across from campus. It teaches us that no matter how safe Hammond may seem, crime and violence are everywhere, and it happens every day. But it is only since the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting that the White House wants to take some action.
The CNN news blog “This Just In” reported that, President Obama asked Congress to pass laws that would require background checks on all gun sales, restore a ban on military-style assault weapons, ban gun magazines with capacities of more than 10 rounds and toughen penalties on people who sell guns to those who can’t have them. Mr. President, this is not enough. Security measures and mental health measures should be taken into more consideration.
It’s sad that the murders of 20 innocent students had to be taken to usher in changes in how guns are sold to consumers, but what President Obama should have signed were laws taking into consideration the security of all students at all schools. Background checks are a step in the right direction, but it’s a weak attempt to please the conservative side of the fence.
I agree with banning assault weapons though. Nobody who is not part of a profession that requires an assault weapon should own one, and the individuals whose job requires one should go through an extensive psychological and psychosocial evaluation. There is no practicality in ­a regular person owning a closet full of assault weapons. I understand it’s normal to want some sort of defense in case of a home invasion, but there are alternative ways.
Secondly, the government cannot blame a crime on someone who sold a gun to the perpetrator. It is unbelievably hypocritical considering that America armed the group that would become Al-Qaeda in the past, plus it’s treating the seller as a scapegoat to the real problem at hand.
The real problem in today’s world is the abundance of people with some form of mental illness, and how Congress has refused to work together to help these citizens. These people need our help and placing them on the back burner is unfair. This gun control issue is being debated so hotly right now because crazy, unstable, delusional people are running rampant. However, there are ways we can help.
The first is having more armed security guards, or police officers, on campus and in public places. Schools should be allowed more funding to beef up on security and hire more professional counselors. School employees should be trained to detect early signs of mental illness. It pays off to be vigilant, really. Second is by killing everyone you see with kindness. Take your Southern hospitality to the maximum and always welcome a newcomer, even if it’s just with a simple wave.
Let’s face it, guns are a necessary evil in today’s society, they have been for centuries, and the longer we argue over whether or not they should be sold, the more time we allow for sickness to grow and fester.