Once again our nation has received word of a tragic mass shooting, this time at Umpqua Community College in Oregon.
A few days later while at my son’s little league game, my wife and I watched a child -- no more than four or five -- play with a toy assault rifle. Although the gun was cartoonish compared to the real thing, all of the accessories were there: a scope, ammunition belt, and… a trigger.
We found ourselves disturbed at how invested the boy was at acting out a scene of violence. At one point the boy fell to the ground, pretending to be dead, and then he sprang back up, firing away at his invisible playmates. It was disturbing considering our gun violence problem. We looked at each other and wondered where this kid’s parents were.
After the shootings, a frustrated President Obama declared that prayers are not enough. He is right; but, in addition to Congress acting on sensible gun control policies, we must also ask some challenging questions about our culture.
Why acculturate children to play with guns?
Why are we more comfortable with seeing and talking about guns and violence than sex and sexuality?
Why do we have an obsession with certainty and the false sense of security? After all, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found less than 1% of violent crimes were stopped by civilian gun use.
Finally, why do we seem to allow fear to outweigh sensibility? Sensible policies that encourage better screening, accurate and consistent reporting, regular gun-safety testing, and child safety locks do not infringe on second amendment rights.
All rights come with responsibilities. If we are going to continue to have second amendment rights, then we must also exercise the responsibility to strive for a safer community and not perpetuate hiding behind fear and entitlement.
After all, we are talking about more than toys.
I’m Joseph Flynn,and that is my perspective.
