First and Last..

This will hopefully be the first and last time I will express my opinions on this issue and devote my precious space to the "whys." I don't like guns!  We (Lee) own many guns.  They're used for enjoyment. Lee shoots trap and deer and geese............oh and woodchucks.....many, many woodchucks.  I see no need for us or anyone (outside of law enforcement and service men and women) to own an assault rifle!  I do, however; believe we have the right to bear arms.  I do not blame the gun for Friday's massacre.  This morning I read a Face Book post from
author Andrew Gross.  I would like to share it here:

The horrible events in Newtown hit home in a very personal way in my family. As some of you know, my nephew Alex was a highly medicated, bi-polar schizophrenic who was in the process of trying to buy a rifle in California when, providentially, his mother discovered the bill of sale among his belongings and insisted that the store terminate the sale. There is no doubt in my mind, had that sale gone through, there would have been carnage. Her actions provoked a violent reaction from Alex which led to his arrest and subsequent incarceration in the psychiatric wing of a local hospital for 72 hours, the maximum allowed since Alex had reached his seniority and was somehow judged not to be a public threat. A day after his ridiculously-early release he climbed a well-known cliff in Pismo Beach and threw himself off. Ever since, his mother has blamed herself for her son's death, but in light of what has taken place in Newtown, she comes across to me as a bit of a hero. (Not to push my own books here, but anyone interested can read the larger story behind this tragedy in EYES WIDE OPEN.)


I will buy his book although I do not believe he was shamelessly pushing that by sharing this post.
Herein lies the problem, in my very humble, uneducated, unresearched opinion.  The answer or understanding of these horrific tragedies lays not in the method but more the methodology.  I do believe that laws and regulations must be changed....but not the ones pertaining to guns (with the exception of assault rifles.)  Someone should not have already harmed another before they can be treated, incarcerated or detained. It's no different than it being wrong to wait to install a stop light until there have been a significant number of deaths and casualties.  In hindsight, maybe federal, state and local governments slashing monies for mental health was NOT the place to begin tightening the belt.  There was a wonderful letter to the editor in the morning paper from someone who explained he would be more than happy to sit with someone who could professionally ascertain his competency to own and carry a firearm......much like a "Brownie" ascertains your competency to drive a motor vehicle.
The time will soon be here to have these discussions.  I hear them in full swing already in diners, on Face Book and even local watering holes but soon the "big guys" will have to tackle the big issues.  I hope they don't all revolve around guns.  There are many methods of carnage ( knives, drugs, vehicles, war) and maybe it's time to look at the who and the why rather than the what.  I'm hoping the almighty dollar isn't used as a scapegoat and that all of these beauitufl souls have not died in vain.  This is a nation of talkers...Let's start the discussion and not end until agreement is reached on where to start...and how to fix!