Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and.....Mass Shootings

It's been a while since I've posted, but I promised myself when I started this blog that I would post when I felt inspired to write. Yes, I know this is a hot topic right now, and I am not just jumping on the bandwagon, but I think things need to be said. This is not going to be super political. Well, I guess that depends on who is reading this, but here goes. When I was little there was a commercial for Chevrolet that had a jingle. ♪♫Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.♫♪ saying, essentially, that Chevrolet was just as American as the other things listed that America is known for. Last week when I heard of yet another school shooting just weeks after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting in Parkland, FL, that jingle popped into my head. Right along with Baseball and Apple Pie, this country is known for mass shootings. I have 2 children. Both are finished with school, and I have to say I am glad, because, like you, I am concerned about the things that are happening more and more frequently. I read one comment after Parkland, and the person wrote that it wasn’t a matter of “if” you would be directly affected by a mass shooting but “when.” That really hit home for me. I work in a preschool, and we have been on lockdown twice since September. No inside threat, but you never know when that will occur. I also read another comment about other countries’ stats on gun violence. We’re doing something wrong. Why don’t we fix it? Now, I’m not saying get rid of all guns. Truthfully, I don’t think anyone is saying that. I grew up with handguns in my home. The only time I ever saw my dad fire it was to shoot a huge snake in the backyard. I have thought of owning my own personal handgun for protection in my home. I am not against gun ownership. I do, however, think it is ludicrous that I must show ID to buy Sudafed, but not a gun. I think that only the military should have the high-powered rifles that are designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible. No one needs a gun that was invented to kill people. They need to go, and NOW!! At the very least, if we are not going to get rid of them, we need to make it nearly impossible to get one. I am proud of the young people who are trying to bring about change, and I am ashamed of the supposed adults who have reverted to name calling and trying to discredit them, going so far as to claim they are actors. Give me a break! This is a real problem, and if we don’t do something about it soon, our young people will be the next things on the endangered species list.