THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS VS. PROTECTING OUR KIDS

A NEW DAY...another school shooting and life goes on...May 8, 2019, was the most recent date of yet another school shooting, (that I know of!) This one was in Highlands Ranch, at a STEM school in Denver, Colorado and it was barely breaking news or a top of the news hour kind of story. When you literally have to Google a shooting because it is not plastered all over the news, we have a problem, meaning, we have become numb to this type of occurrence.

Now, we just count how many died and measure the gravity of the situation by the number of kids shot dead.  Only one this time, so a lot of people don't even know about it.  Sounds callous right?  Well, that is what we have become, callous and apathetic.

Sure, some will argue: "let's ban guns, bring back school prayer, discipline kids better..." well, guess what? They are all correct!  ALL OF IT MATTERS!

"Todos los poquitos cuentan!" (~JJR)  

WHAT IS HAPPENING? Well, it is the culmination of a LOT of things: Gun obsession, frayed families, politicians in the pockets of the NRA (National Rifle Association,) lack of faith, the integrity of the family unit has been broken often times, lack of discipline and so much more; however, the biggest thing (in my opinion) is that our fetish (in the U.S.A.) with guns has superseded the need to protect our children and citizens in general, and that within itself, is detrimental. 

The original concept of the “right to bear arms,” I’m sure was not intended for today's assault rifles, high-capacity ammunition magazines and weapons of war on our streets. 

Things have to change and we have to start somewhere. People often times comment on my social media posts that there are "too many guns in the streets" or "it's too late," some even say, "that things can't be changed at all."  What kind of world do you want to live in?  What kind of world do you want to leave for your children and grandchildren?  I know I don't want it to be this kind, a world, and a country where school shootings happen so frequently we lose track of the victims and the school names. That is just unacceptable.

I am all for the "right to bear arms" as per the Constitution, but I am also all for common sense, to which, apparently, we have lost! 


I believe you can be a gun owner and believe in the right to gun ownership (the "right to bear arms") and yet, NOT have to back NRA-funded candidates. It is always about greed and money when it comes to politicians (that are A-rated by the NRA.) The gun manufacturing industry is a very profitable industry and the NRA is at the forefront of all it!  The real problem is that gun violence has not really affected those that make the decisions, not in their families and not in their pockets!

Here in Florida, we have a three-day waiting period to purchase handguns, but that restriction doesn't apply to assault rifles. Really?! We also have the infamous "stand your ground" law (2005), which basically lets people go around shooting others if they feel threatened in some way. How crazy is that?!

PARKLAND,FL 2018

Florida also has no restrictions on large-capacity ammunition magazines.How in the world does that make any sense? These are things I am referring to when I advocate for common sense gun reform.  How does it offend someone to require age limits, background checks, waiting periods, restrictions on assault weapons?  And for crying out loud, what about mental health and gun ownership - that is a ticking time bomb!  I think that if someone has a track record of mental instability, owning a gun (especially an assault weapon,) may not be the wisest decision.
   
Back when the Orlando, Florida massacre happened, then governor, Rick Scott, was asked about assault rifles and his response was:  "The Second Amendment didn't kill people. Evil killed people."

And so, while I have to agree that there is obviously an element of "evil" to every mass shooting and gun violence incident, there should also be some semblance of common sense.  Let's take for example, my daughter's high school, where on February 14, 2018, an 18-year old was able to enter the school (with "evil intent") except, he had an assault rifle in tote and literally blew up 17 people, and injured another 17 and wreaked havoc emotionally on an entire community.  

Now, had he had a knife or baseball bat, for example, do you think he would have left behind so much destruction and carnage?  Even the surgeons attending to the victims at the hospitals talked of the irreparable damage caused by automatic weapons to the organs of the victims.

It is sickening what is happening in this Country and many are unmoved by it.

People will start the "a vehicle is also a weapon" argument but honestly, I am not even going to engage in those debates right now because we don't have a "drive a car into a school" epidemic,  we have a serious problem of gun violence in this Country. You would have to be blind not to acknowledge that. And while statistically, you may argue that the problem is not of epidemic proportions, losing the life of even ONE child at school, is one too many!

And so in conclusion, my belief is that while we do have the right to bear arms, we also have a right to safety, especially for our kids.  A gunman's hobby and obsession, should not trump the safety of our children. There has to be balance, common sense and legislation passed to enable gun reform and a safer future for all. It has to become more difficult to obtain  weapons of war. 

In case you are wondering  who the NRA spends money on and who the members of the House and Senate are here is a detailed list  of Senate and House members with the most contributions from the NRA. In the 2016 election, the NRA spent $11,438,118 to support Donald Trump—and another $19,756,346 to oppose Hillary Clinton. That’s over $31 million spent on one presidential race.  We could be using that money to invest in better education for our children, who are our future and keep them safe!

Even though this list and graphic is from a few years ago, not much changes. Some politicians come and go, but the fact remains that they are happy to fill their pockets with "blood money," while our children cower under desks during school lock downs and active shootings.

So, therefore, I will be actively advocating to NOT vote for any NRA-funded candidates. We have to hit them where it hurts, their pockets and show them that the lives of our children are worth more than their greed and desire for control and power!

Thoughts and prayers mean nothing when our children are being shot dead at SCHOOL!!! 

BLOGGER:

Lissette Rozenblat - 

Bilingual|Blogger|Network Marketing & Social Media|Mompreneur|Organ Donor Advocate|Online Boutique Owner|Author in Progress|Brand Ambassador|Gun Reform Advocate|Passion for Inspiring Others




Sources:
The Washington Post
Fortune
Open Secrets

A REMINDER...IT IS NOT OVER

This morning, as I scrolled through my camera roll on my cell phone to delete pictures I don’t want anymore, I came across this one (the graphic shown below, which I will continue to hold on to.)

It is a simulation picture of what happened on February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This picture and those green dots (which represent fatalities,) reminds me how fragile our lives are. It should remind us all.  

I keep it to remind myself of just how close our daughter came to being a victim of this school shooting. I keep it and I analyze it and I am reminded of the horror she and her classmates had to live out that day at school, especially those in the 1200 building, which is where she was. Her classroom was 1251. It was a matter of sheer luck, timing, divine intervention, whatever you want to say, that the shooter didn’t turn around and shoot into the classroom she was in. This graphic reminds me of that, every time I see it.  That is why I keep it.  

Most people have moved on, especially those not affected and not in the Parkland/Coral Springs area, but it is not over, not by a long shot.  It is not over because these students, teachers and staff have to go to the scene of a crime, every day. Sure, they don't walk into the 1200 building, but they do have to go by it every morning and every afternoon.  They have to walk along the border fence of that building. The students have to attend classes where they once had classmates who are no longer there because they are now dead. 

They still have to close their eyes at night and see visions of dead bodies in the hallways, blood on the walls and hear the echoes of victims crying out in pain.  I cannot begin to fathom the pain of those sights and sounds. I can only sympathize with what my own daughter experienced, and even then I will never truly know the details of what she saw and experienced and truthfully, I am afraid to know. It is heartbreaking that innocent lives were taken away that day and teenagers have to endure their high school years with such painful memories.

Personally, it reminds me of the lapse of time when there was no communication with our daughter. It reminds me of how the last thing I heard from her at around 2:40p.m. was: "Mommy, there is a shooter in school. I'm okay, but I am terrified. I am hiding. I can hear someone crying because they got shot. Please call 911."  

That was it, then we didn't hear from her again for another 30 to 40 minutes.  Those were the absolute worst moments of my life, of my family's life. All I could think of was that she was close enough to hear gun shots and then all we got was silence.

It is a reminder that for these students, their families, their teachers, it is NOT OVER. Especially for those families who lost loved ones that day. We use the term “lost,” but the truth is, they were not lost, their lives were brutally TAKEN by a troubled teen, who had access to an assault rifle.

It is NOT OVER because it KEEPS HAPPENING!!!
 

There is nothing we can do to change what has already happened, but we sure as hell can do EVERYTHING in our power to make sure these tragedies don’t continue to happen in our schools! 

I have written of this tragic event before and I will continue to do so, to remind myself and others, that the repercussions of this incident boil over onto many aspects of life and our community. 

It reminds me that although we experienced the worst moments of our lives, we were blessed to welcome our daughter home safely, (forever, changed emotionally, but physically safe.)  Seventeen families were unable to do that on February 14th. They had their family member taken from them because of gun violence, lack of school safety and mental health problems.  ALL issues we must take on.

This November, during midterm elections, it is our duty to VOTE!! Vote for leaders who want to keep our kids and our streets safe. Vote for those who want to make sure assault rifles do not fall into the wrong hands. No one is coming for your guns. This is about safety. 

This is why we are part of Families vs. Assault Rifles PAC, to make a difference. Not to ban guns, not to go and take your weapons, but to re-classify assault rifles. FAMSVAR PAC is working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation that severely restricts access to assault rifles.

Many people think it is too late, that there are too many assault weapons out there, however, we HAVE to start somewhere and do something! We each have the power to make a change or at least try.  Voting is a privilege that many have given their lives for.   We, as citizens of the United States of America, cannot take this privilege for granted.

Everyone aligns themselves with the cause that best interest them and I think that by working together and communicating, we can slowly but surely bring about change. 

So, let this serve as a reminder, that we must all do our part to make the world, the country and our schools a safer place for our children and grandchildren. 

PHOTO BY: MIAMOON PHOTOGRAPHY

Never Again. Never Forget. It's Not Over!