Gun Misuse

The other day on the news I was completely shocked. I was listening to how two men were getting into a road rage. They were talking back to each back and forth, and driving crazy. It was getting out of control that the man shot the truck behind. The sad part of this news was that inside the truck, the man had his two kids. A boy who was seven and a girl who was just three. The car who shot the windshield, the bullet went through that ended killing the innocent three year old girl. It makes me really mad that because two immature men were having a road rage that ended killing a little girl, shooting her through her head killing her instantly. It wasn't the little girl's fault that her dad was not looking after his two kids. It’s scary to think that road rages go too far that people's lives are being taken away just because people take cases too serious and personal.I found it unfair that a little girl was killed for something stupid her father decided to do. As a parent, a parent should be thinking about their kid(s) safety.

Guns in the hand of the trustworthy

Ah, guns. This term is heard everywhere and often on national television because it is connected to rights and violence.
There are two sides on the rights issue. Should guns be banned?
Right now we are very far away from banning them from every american but is there a way to keep them out of the hands of those who are dangerous? Then you can feel safer knowing only the healthy minded possesses one. If you look at the Sandy Hook shooting, the Northern Arizona shooting, Columbine and many othela it is devastating. According to gun owners I have talked to, it's very easy to obtain a fire arm. I think there should be a test on the functions of a gun which also reviews gun laws. Then the gun shop must require test results from a psychologist regarding your mental health and behavior. Also a background check on your family. For example if you haves child who is frequently violent, that may raised a few red flags. There should be a national database that has all the guns and owner with an ID numbers registered. The requirements to obtain a fire arm should be more rigorous. The fact the someone can pass downs gun to anyone is a separate problem which will be much harder to solve.

Gun Violence

Why is it that the average civilian has access to automatic machine guns?

I understand that the second amendment allows us to own firearms, but shouldn’t there be restrictions on what type of firearms can be purchased by the average person? I know that this is a very controversial topic, probably because the constitution was written in the 1700s, which leaves most of the amendments open to different interpretations. We keep wondering why people who commit rampage killings do what they do, whether it is based on their upbringing or their mental health, but what I think is more important is how these people are accessing these heavy firearms. These firearms were originally made for the military, meant for people to massacre lots of people in a short amount of time, yet society is seems surprised every time when they hear that these weapons of destructions are used to kill innocent children in schools. What I think is the saddest thing about all of this, is that there is no way to possibly get all of these guns back and out of people's homes now. Which is why I think that this topic is hard to talk about because even though it seems easy to say to not allow people to have access to these guns, there are too many people who already do.

Mental Illness and Gun Control: My Take on how we could regulate the issue of mass shootings

From my personal aspect, I believe that a solution that could be conceived in order to address and prevent future massacres, based on the information displayed in class, could perhaps be the use of implementing rules or regulations that would open doors towards having control over any weapons. Obviously, it’s not an easy method: not everybody who suffers from mental illness should have to additionally carry the weight of society stereotyping them as “criminals” or “crazy” any more than they already are by some. In order to prevent this, I feel as if perhaps all individuals who look towards investing in weapons, should prove their authority towards being held accountable for owning a gun. Perhaps by conducting an exam that would help conclusion as to whether or not one is physically and mentally stable enough to be held responsible for such a powerful tool. Sure, there may be individuals who would most likely oppose to this new regulation, however I feel that it would provide easement between the topic of guns and those who have authority over them in our society and who do not. Surely, people would find any type of contradiction in any type of settlement but I feel that it would be an even more cruel approach if we were to only settle this exam based on how one looked, acted, or their previous, and present medical diagnosis. Despite whether or not you have had any type of association with mental illness, it is critical to recognize the position in which we place those who have or do suffer. It is vital to keep in mind that mental illness can NOT be simply determined by physical factors such as the way one dresses or looks, neither should their actions or behavior. Sure, in some cases, illnesses can tend to be transparent but this is not usually the case for the majority of those who suffer. We must not forget to place ourselves in the shoes of those who struggle with their inner demons every day and honor those who continue to make effort in pushing through their illnesses. Just because, as a society, we are taught that since symptoms of mental illness are not always transparent or talked about often, we should still treat these disorders just as we would with physical illnesses/injuries as well. By doing this, we increase the likelihood of raising future generations to recognize the importance of mental health just as we would with our physical health, as well. Perhaps this could lead to even greater advances in our society within the sticky subject of gun control/use and help decrease the rate of these mass shootings that cultivate the issue of gun laws in our nation today.

Guns and Their Relevance In American Society

Guns, as a whole, are sown within the fabric of American society. We, as a nation, traditionally, have had the idea, and practice of gun ownership, embedded within the confines of our own societal views. It is extremely easy for one to dictate legislation, in order to rid guns from our society. But perhaps, must we ask ourselves, why have guns become so prevalent in our society, and how can we go beyond the walls of City Hall in order to make sure that everyone is safe, including responsible gun owners. Must we ponder, for a moment, that guns themselves, cannot be removed from American society? As far ago as the Wild West, gun ownership was a proud staple of our civilization, and predates that of the American Revolution; as guns were a sign of independence from a tyrannical government. Maybe however, it is not just the realization that guns play a role in our society, that can be used to inform others of their dangers, but also the fact that we misuse their placement in our society. Many gun owners have the idea that we have guns to "protect ourselves from a tyrannical government". When in fact, the government, and its powers brought to the people, are one of the only things keeping it together. One can surmise, that even modern grade assault weapons are no match for the limitless arsenal, that any government has at its disposal. We may have military grade assault weapons, but the government harbors tanks, bombers, and atomic grade machinery and weaponry. Blame, therefore, must not be shifted towards the government, which allows citizens in the first place to own guns. But rather, towards the corporations that want more and more, unstable citizens to own guns. Many gun corporations profit off the idea of murder. Now, corporation in this sense, should be stressed. In my opinion, we must not penalize a small business, that sells a gun to an individual, if that individual uses the gun incorrectly. That would be similar to, if we sold a car to an individual and they ran over a group of people; and we charged the automotive dealer with a criminal charge. I'm saying, that corporations and organizations like the NRA, profit off of the idea of making guns less safe, and more readily available. Gone are the times of the Peace and Freedom Party, that merely wanted guns to stay in circulation, to protect individuals against the police, instead of the idea of keeping military grade assault weapons, to wage a war against the same government, that provides your Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, and disability checks...

Is it really just a game?

The other day during second period when we were watching how aggressive sport game fans really get, I went home and asked my boyfriend about how he feels about that subject. When I saw him the next day, I said to him, "I think football games are nothing to really stress about! Its just a GAME!." I purposely said that to him, to see what or how exactly he would react since I know he is a HUGE niners fan. He raised his voice a little and said back, "Its not just a game, its not just entertainment. Its more than that, its a way life style. All my family has been a niners fan since they were little. Its like it runs in our blood. People kill themselves to be on the NFL." This made me wonder whether sports is more of a way of living, a tradition in the family. Its the same way I feel about my favorite music artist or band. They are a big deal to many, something that they identify as.

Bad Mom

From all the case studies we have done, the one that most caught my attention was the one of Andrea Yates. I was strongly disturbed, but I tried not to focus so much on the incident. I tried to figure out her motive and how it all escalated. After watching that case in class, I went home and talked to her about it. Surprisingly, she told me how she was also a victim of postpartum psychosis depression, the depression women go through after birth. She told me how she felt, she mentioned that while she was in bed trying to recover from her C-section, she said the world as a sad place with a dark sky. That she looked at my sisters and I, and she kept telling herself she wasn't good enough as a person or mother. Those thoughts kept replaying over and over. She also added how one of her friend had gone through the same depression. Her friend had really bad depression that she wanted/had a desire to kill her new and first baby. When I heard in the documentary that 10-15% of women had that mental illness after their child birth, I believed it wasn't that common. Although, I began to have second thoughts when my mom shared her own experience. It opened my eyes and made me realized that postpartum psychosis depression is more common than it seems, perhaps it's because it had increased through the years. It's hard for someone to completely understand and say, "I totally feel you" because not everyone knows what it's like.