There are moments in everyone’s life when the pain is so deep, the sorrow so bottomless, that words can never express the hollow emptiness and feelings of powerlessness. That has been the last 48 hours for me. I have screamed, cried, pounded my fists and nothing helps. Nothing helps.
I try to sleep and am awakened by visions of 20 families, getting up on Christmas morning, only to see unopened packages under the tree, a stocking bearing the name of a little child that will never be pulled down from the mantle by chubby little fingers and the breathless anticipation uniquely expressed by children of ages five or six or seven. On Christmas morning, how will a mother find the strength to walk past the room of her little girl, with the ragdoll her little princess had kissed good-bye and carefully positioned between the pillows on her bed, just as she had every other morning since school started? How can a father walk past his son’s room without kneeling next to the little boy’s bed that still has that wonderful “dirty dog” smell little boys have and not be shattered? How can those parents walk down the stairs to a tree without their special little someone who still believed in Santa Claus, yet hadn’t gotten old enough to become embarrassed when mom kissed them good-bye in the school parking lot? I don’t know. I don’t understand how anyone can bear that kind of pain and move on. I don’t understand how a mother or father can find much comfort in anything after having their babies taken from them. Twenty of them. Twenty babies. Gone in an instant.
In the past few months, after every such mass shooting, I have made an effort to try to find some logic or reason. After every such mass shooting, the Fundamentalist Christian nut bags have come out to say that it’s simply a matter of America not being “Godly enough”. They say it’s “God’s retribution on our country for ‘the gays’”. They say it’s because we’ve turned our back on God. For the last two days, they say it’s because we’ve ‘banished God from our schools’, so we can’t blame Him for refusing to stop a madman in a building where He’s not welcome. I’ve been in a lot of schools. I’ve witnessed many children praying, reading the Bible and participating in religious activities. These were public schools, and no one stopped them. No one told them what they were doing was wrong and no one stopped them. I believe the Bible says God created man in His image. What we have witnessed are men creating God in their image – cold, vindictive and bigoted narcissists who, when not being lauded with enough attention, prey on the most vulnerable members of our society – in this case, kindergarten children, the adults who sought to protect them and ultimately, their parents. That’s who is hurt the most by their rhetoric. If that’s the definition of their God, then they shouldn’t wonder why I’m an Atheist.
They don’t really believe God has been banned from public schools. They know better. What they’re really whining about is that all public school children aren’t being forced, against their will and the will of their parents, to be indoctrinated with Fundamentalist Christian dogma. Forcing kids to pray. Forcing kids to abandon logic and reason and for dog’s sake, science. They don’t want them exposed to anything that will allow them to learn to think for themselves – it tends to cost them cult members. Mike Huckabee and Bryan Fischer are the guiltiest of the Fundie wing nuts out there, but there are plenty more – these two just have the biggest microphones and stuff the most cash in their own pockets by doing so. As for you, Reverend Huckabee, while you’re spouting my character flaws to the world, you might want to extinguish the flaming bag of dog shit on your own steps first. I haven’t forgotten your son was one of two young men who tortured and killed a dog. Yeah, you claim you never used your influence to cover up the facts of the case, but covered up they were. You whine that your poor boy has been ‘dealt with’ (and excused his behavior because he was a ‘minor’, carefully omitting the fact that your little darling was within two weeks of turning 18) – but seriously, shouldn’t society be worried about what you have created, Reverend? Isn’t the torture and killing of an animal common sociopathic behavior displayed by mass murderers and serial killers? I’m not saying your son is one, but Reverend, if you want to tell the world that my Atheism is the cause of these babies getting murdered, then let’s scour each others’ closets and see who can dig up the most dirt. You won’t like it.
Many fine and thoughtful Christians are praying and have asked for prayer for the victims and their families. They do this sincerely. If they find comfort in this, then that’s what they should do. Perhaps you are one of them. I will not join you in prayer, but would ask that you give to the person next to you, all the love and comfort you yourself need at this time be they family or stranger. I’m kind of thinking that’s something Jesus would do.
And now that I’ve dispensed with the
religious nuts, it’s time to turn a steely eye toward the gun fetishists out there, whose mania is being fed by Wayne LaPierre and the NRA, among others. Wayne LaPierre and the NRA would have you believe that the government is coming for all of the guns to enact a total gun prohibition, leaving civilians defenseless against the United States Gub’mint because we’ve all been living under cruel and tyrannical despots for decades here in the good old U. S. of A., right? After every such mass shooting, instead of citizens laying down their weapons, they race to the nearest gun shop, pawn shop, gun show or private dealer and arm themselves to the teeth because this just may be the mass shooting that tips the scales toward sanity, though none ever have. And people like me are scolded after every such mass shooting because I want to have a conversation, not about shotguns or hunting rifles or even most handguns. I want to have a conversation about military grade assault weapons with extended clips – most certainly not designed for hunting but for killing as many human beings as possible in as short a time as possible. But I never get to have that conversation, because someone who watches entirely too much television demands to know how, when I’m being held at knife-point by a rapist, I expect to be rescued by John Q. Public if he’s not allowed to be packing heat? Let’s just say, one of us has an understanding that my chances of being in that situation are infinitesimally smaller than the chances of my being gunned down at the local mall by someone who woke up on the wrong side of the bed and decided his father was a distant prick and his mother was smothering and turned him into a sissy – and the one with that understanding is me.
The one thing I will not do today is share statistics with you. I’ve done that plenty of times and right now, any schmuck with an internet connection and a desire to know the ugly truth about America’s fascination with guns and violence can look it up. The numbers are everywhere, but if you’re challenged, look here. In the ensuing 48 hours since the mass killing of those beautiful babies and the brave teachers and administrators at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, several things have happened for sure:
There are two dead when on Friday, a man entered the Las Vegas Excalibur hotel, shot a female employee and then himself.
On Friday, a Bartlesville, Oklahoma high school student was arrested after attempting to recruit other students to assist him in carrying out a mass shooting and bombing in the school auditorium. The plot was foiled when other students notified school administrators who then called the police.
Yesterday, in Newport Beach, California, a man was arrested and the shopping mall was in lockdown after a man fired more than 50 rounds in the parking lot. Thankfully, no one was injured.
Yesterday, a northern Indiana man who threatened to “kill as many people as he could” at an elementary school near his home was arrested by officers who later found 47 guns and ammunition hidden throughout his home.
And finally, today, as if those grieving residents of Newtown, Conn. hadn’t had enough, someone found it necessary to phone in a bomb threat to police that the Catholic Church would be blown to bits with everyone in it.
Let’s make one thing clear here: I own a gun. A hunting rifle. At this moment, it is unloaded, broken down and in a locked gun case bolted to the wall. The ammunition is stored in a separate area of the house. If the government asked me, I would gladly register that weapon and the ammunition. I take no issue with the Federal government knowing exactly what I have in the way of firearms. And this evening, I’ve come to an important conclusion. People like me who own one gun, or even several guns, aren’t really the problem. It’s people with 47 guns that are the problem. It’s people who can buy 6,000 rounds of ammunition completely undetected, as with the Aurora shooter that are the problem. It would seem there is in inverse equation between the number of guns owned and the relative sanity of the owner. This, of course, brings us to the issue of mental health. No one is questioning the absence of sanity of people who commit these crimes. The gutting of the mental health system in this country is without comprehension. But the Newtown shooter didn’t own a gun – he killed his mother and took her guns to commit the crime. Takes the wind out of the sails of those who claim if only she owned a gun, she could have stopped this tragedy, doesn’t it?
Several people have sent suggestions for reasonable gun regulations. I don’t for an instant believe the ‘leaders’ of our country will gather the stones necessary to stand up to the NRA, but here is the list:
1. Close the Gun Show Loophole in our gun legislation.
2. Reinstate the automatic weapons ban with a mandatory government buy-back program.
3. Enact legislation mandating that all firearms be secured.
4. Full background checks prior to the purchase of any firearm – anywhere.
5. An immediate ban on extended clips, making it a felony to possess one.
6. Enactment of a law making unsecured firearms resulting in theft a Federal crime (felony) AND you lose your right to own a firearm (just like any other felon)
7. A single Federal database to track the ownership of all guns.
8. A limit on the amount of ammunition per firearm that can be legally possessed.
9. For each model of weapon owned (not kind) the owner must be licensed to own that model of weapon. Ownership of a Glock AND a Lugar would require separate licenses. – not one license for all.
10. Enactment of a law limiting the amount of ammunition that you can own per weapon. You must turn in spent shells to buy more ammunition. 1 for 1.
Keep in mind – this isn’t my list, but suggestions submitted by readers. I’ll accept any suggestion and will offer an update next week. But if I had my way about it, I’d then take a page out of the Republican anti-abortion playbook and start putting huge and unreasonable requirements to operate any business selling weapons.
For the gun fetishists who want to take me on and tell me about your constitutional rights, bring it on. There is nothing in our Constitution’s Second Amendment talking about a “well-regulated militia” that covers the incidents that have occurred in the past 48 hours. If you want to leave a long rant or threaten me, feel free to send your e-mail to [email protected]. Please note that any and all death threats will be forwarded to the local police, who I can assure you are better trained and better armed than you.
To the families of the slain children and staff of Sandy Hook, please know that I will remember you and your beautiful babies.
“Weeping will endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
I will fight for legislation to make sure this never happens again.
If you would like to join the fight to end gun violence, contact the Coalition To Stop Gun Violence.
Carol Baker is a free-lance political writer. She is a regular contributor to Here Women Talk.
You can “Like” The Opinionated Bitch on Facebook.
Now it’s years later, and I still agree with you (and I’m a Catholic!) on all your points. I even agree with most of your suggested policies. I have problems only with 9 and 10, but alas, I can’t figure out better alternatives. But they do seem … much. 10, I could see, possibly, being OK, maybe a *little* much, but 9 just seems illogical. It would make sense to require licensing for each *type* of weapon, but not for each *model*. That seems like knee-jerk vindictiveness to a degree. I’m for strict rules for gun owners, and for strict *enforcement* of those rules. However, I’m not for making it difficult for people to defend themselves. I would perhaps add to your list the requirement that all gun owners *and their families* be educated on what firearms can do and what the rules are and why.
Nice extended rant of bumber sticker policy. Couple of problems though. 1. The right to keep an bear arms was included in the US Constitution to assure that in addition to the right, people had the wherewithal to protect themselves from an oppressive government. You make a snerring comment that our government oppressing has not happened therefore firearms are not really needed in the hands of the people. Did it ever once occur to you the central governemnt never truly attempted to oppress the people in the US because the people are armed? Next on to Christianity. It would appear that your actual knowledge of Chritian doctrine is limited to what you learn third hand. God created mankind in his own image. God also gave mankind free will. With that free will comes the freedom to commit the most horrific of acts, like murdering children. Does God condone these horrors of course not. God sees every one of us as his child. He loves us whether our decision are good or horrific. God even loved Osama Bin Laden, and while he would not program him like a robot, wished he would come to see the path to salvation. He feels the same way about you. Rather than railing against the people who say horrible things purporting to speak for God, why don’t you join in the prayers and talk to him yourself.
If you think this was an extended rant, you’ve been hanging with amateurs. This was restrained. “Bumper Sticker” policy? WHAT policy? All of you gun fetishists have been ranting about total prohibition for years when no one, including me, has made mention of anything remotely like that, coupled with the fact that gun laws in this country are as lax as they have been in more than 20 years – so I don’t know what policy you’re ranting about. I particularly like the part where you ignore that those were readers’ suggestions, not mine, but you go on ahead and keep getting snarky with me, Sunshine. Couple of problems though. Here is the precise text of the Second Amerndment: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Please show me precisely where the words “to protect the people from an oppressive government” appears. What? You can’t? And please, do tell… What training drills do you participate in regularly as a part of the ‘well-regulated militia’? Who regulates you? Where in the above words does it say that EVERY citizen has the right to bear as many weapons of every shape and kind and take them where ever they like? Again, you cant.
So, you say I’ve made a “sneering” comment that our government oppression has not happened and therefor firearms are not needed in the hands of the people. No. I’m making a sneering comment now that you could use a good reading comprehension course because I never said anything like that. You missed the part where I’m a gun owner, and you just made up the part where you say I said firearms aren’t needed in the hands of the people. I never said that. I made fun of the people who sit around acting like we’ve been ruled under a cruel and oppressive dictator for decades on end when nothing like that has ever happened in our country. I make fun of the survivalists, stockpiling military grade weapons, who are a greater threat than the government has ever been. And I rightly pointed out that if the government wanted their guns – they’d get them. And I’m right about that. The stealth bomber sits pretty much right in my back yard – and the government has gotten really good at blowing shit up. Of course, by your reasoning, if I look out the window, unicorns should be shitting glitter all over my front lawn, because even though it’s never happened before, it could at any minute.
Yes, LET’S talk about Christianity. You are dead wrong about my “third hand Christian doctrine”. I learned it in college, which, given the cost of my education, makes it pretty “first-hand”. You scold me for not recognizing that the Bible says, “God created mankind in His own image”. I said “I believe the Bible says God created man in His image.” Where did I run that off the rails? Yup. According to the Bible, God gave man free-will. Yup, that means man will murder people. I never said anything to the contrary. And I never said God didn’t love anybody… Some of the most high-profile Christian leaders said God was a mean and vindictive deity who let this happen because people like me keep God out of schools. Um – I thought your God was omniscient. I didn’t know your God was so weak he couldn’t make it into a building unless he was “invited” – because I was raised to believe that Christ resides in the soul of the believer – meaning he can go anywhere the believer goes. So I patently reject this, “God didn’t come into the school and save the lives of those people because He’s not welcome there” crap. I’ve heard these high-profile Christian leaders blame me, abortion, gay people, women and yes, the lack of even more guns everywhere. So, the reason I “rail” against the people who purport to speak for God, is because they’re vicious gas bags who prey on hurting, vulnerable people. I speak out about them because you didn’t. I speak out about them because I want to show that they do not speak for God because the God of the Bible I read is about love.
And gosh, thanks for the invite for me to speak to your God – but I tried that already. When I embraced free-thinking and science and logic and reason, the world became a more orderly and understandable place for me. I really like how you come here, tear me apart and then invite me to join you in prayer. Again, you wonder why I’m an Atheist. God can’t save this country from mass murderers. The government enacting sane restrictions on who can get their hands on what kind of guns and ammo, is when our kids can be safe in school again. You’ve offered nothing here but a scolding of me for calling bullshit on the gun nuts and the people who pretend to speak for Jesus. You’ve made things up that I supposedly said and scolded me for that. You’ve scolded me for not believing in your God. So… what do you have in the way of solutions? If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, Neil. What you lack in reading comprehension and common sense, you more than make up for in self-righteousness and lack of a reasoned and focused argument. You might want to go back and re-read the article.
Now, if you want to come back and try a civil conversation where we can sit and talk like adults, regardless that we have differences, without the snark, I’m all for it. I’m willing to compromise. I’m willing to find some middle-ground on gun laws – are you? This is what separates the people who anonymously come here and talk smack – from the adults.
Wow, Carol — thank you for the comprehensive list. I am not strong-stomached or political enough to click on some of the links. Like many people, I am just about totally burned out on politics. I believe that some of this cycle of violence is perpetuated by our media, especially tv. There are young men out there who see the media frenzy these shootings inspire and somehow get it in their heads that that is how they, too will go down in such warped glory. My hope is that this time some significant change will follow. We shall see. And I will click on the Coalition to Stop Gun violence link. Peace out…..
I don’t own any guns, so I don’t know the process. But, I would suggest that background checks be performed on all adult members of the household, not just the one requesting the license.
Not a bad idea at all. Would identify any criminal elements with access to guns BEFORE the license is issued. Of course, getting people to tell the truth about who lives in their house on the application is another thing. But I like the idea.
Interesting they seem to forget the shooter who went in an Amish school and started killing the girls one by one. What was the excuse, Huckabee, that time?
And where was God when the priests were molesting all of those children in church? Where was God when a man was permitted to walk into a church and murder Dr. George Tiller at point blank range? Was God not at the Living Church of God in Brookfield, Wisconsin, the Sikh Temple, at the Westwood Baptist Church in Ft. Worth, Texas?
Thank you, Sarah, for reminding Reverend Huckabee of the obvious.
Carol – I think it has finally happened – I have no words. Thank you for speaking for so many of us.
Thank you for the kind words. You’re a great writer. Sometimes people see a harsh exterior with me – not knowing I am tender-hearted when it comes to kids and how painful this really was to write. I’m sick of writing about death and child hunger and poverty and greed. We are the result of 4 billion years of evolutionary success. It’s time we acted like it.
Really? Has anyone REALLY blamed the Newtown tragedy on not enough God in schools? I sure hope not. That would be pure stupidity and totally insensitive.
I also own handguns, purely for self-protection — because of all the nutcases out there — and I am completely in favor of better gun control. I support your list of ten proposed regulations; every point is reasonable and doable.
Kay – click on the Mike Huckablee’s name in the article. It will take you directly to the video where he’s making the insensitive remarks. Then click on Bryan Fischer’s name and watch him say something even more disgusting. How is it that the Atheist is the one with the most compassion? The one, you know, most acting like Jesus?
Remember – always follow the magic blue links. Those are the links that prove I always tell the truth.
OMG!!! I clicked. I read Huckabee’s words. I watched/heard Bryan Fischer video. Un-friggin-believable.
Hi Carol,
We are FaceBook friends, but I imagine you have quite a following, so I wanted to mention this because my name is not likely familiar to you. I wanted to share a coincidence that just happened. I came across your article just moments after I posted my thoughts on my FB page. The coincidence is that my points are closely aligned to yours. Your article is so well-written, that I also posted a link to it on my page.
Here’s what I had posted BEFORE reading your article:
“Do NOT say to me, “Well they took God out of the schools…” as an explanation for the violence. The comment is offensive and ignorant. It’s as if these people think that IF ONLY the Ten Commandments had been posted on the walls, these things wouldn’t happen; that all “boys & girls” would then treat each other respectfully. Pure FOLLY!
Historically, people have gone to war and viciously attacked others over religious differences. Religion infused into our school buildings is NOT going to prevent violence; it may even agitate more violence.
IF you were brought up as a Christian, then surely you were taught that God is Omnipotent and Omnipresent and cannot be driven out of a school, or pushed into the streets. BTW Mike Huckabee and Pat Robertson types are lying to you for the purpose of hyping you up because they know they can. YES children have ALWAYS been permitted to pray in schools. What isn’t permitted in a public school setting, is teacher-led prayer (or prayer “led” by anyone) publicly forcing all to pray in the same manner. Children are permitted to bow their heads in silent prayer anytime they wish to pray. I am done tolerating the BS from Huckabee and Robertson, et al. They lie and distort reality for their followers, and I am disgusted with the ignorance they knowingly spread.”
I just HAD to share. I enjoy your writings.
Thanks,
Kathy Atwater
Thank you so much, Kathy. I WAS raised a Christian – and have a minor in religious studies. My knowledge of the Bible is what renders their arguments utterly vapid, mean-spirited and just plain wrong.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/12/16/report-shooting-at-mayan-theater-in-san-antonio.html
No word yet on fatalities, but in less than 5 minutes, reports of a shooting in a San Antonio movie theatre. Are you folks getting an understanding of the scope of this yet?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57559496/two-topeka-kan-police-officers-killed-in-shootout/
I almost made it to bed without another gun death… almost.