Discover more from Breaking the Cycle by Marissa Hackett
My original plan was to post more about my childhood in LA today.
But I can’t stop thinking about those three dead 9-year-old angels. Or the dead janitor with eight kids. Or the others who now have completely devastated families. They were all precious humans.
I will never normalize mass shootings.
I learned about the deep-rooted obsession with possessing firearms when I moved to Oregon. Roy Masters and The Foundation of Human Understanding strongly promoted gun ownership and concealed weapons permits. During my adolescence, the 2nd amendment and the NRA were common topics of discussion in my home and community. I also had to learn how to shoot a gun. The first gun I shot was a 22 pistol. I never took a gun safety or educational course.
I did receive education on the 2nd amendment. We had an NRA sticker on our minivan, and the message from my parents was that we must be armed to protect ourselves from the government per our constitutional rights. My parents also said gun ownership was necessary in case of a possible intruder in our home. The government nor an intruder ever prompted the use of firearms in my childhood.
As an adult, I do not own firearms. I never felt comfortable around them.
I think gun laws need to be vastly reformed. We have a crisis where schools, clubs, grocery stores, and places of worship are being stormed by gun-wielding people intending to kill.
Easy access to firearms also enables youth who are suffering to make permanent decisions to end their pain before exploring alternative options. Adults do this as well. It is easier and more acceptable in our society to obtain a firearm than to obtain mental health counseling.
Easy access to guns is killing Americans. Our cultural acceptance of the obsession with guns is killing Americans.
I've been exposed to firearms in various corners of my life for a long time. Gun ownership is rampant for various reasons. From what I've witnessed and experienced, responsible gun ownership is limited. I have personally seen incredibly unsafe firearm management and ownership over the years. The unsafe practices combined with obsessive attitudes make for a dangerous combination.
My plea today is to the many folks I know who own firearms. How do we end this crisis?
Thank you for being here.