The Promise

Generally speaking, I try to stay away from controversial topics on my blog. I hate conflict, I can’t stand it when people are mean (especially to me!) and truth be told, I’m too tired (and busy!) to get all wrapped up in a big debate via comments.

However, I’m going to break my rules a little bit today.

The #gunsafety debate heats up again after #ZimmermanTrial verdict. The Brookings Essay #ThePromise is a must read:http://www.brookings.edu/ThePromise

I want to talk to you all about “The Promise: The Families of Sandy Hook and the Long Road to Gun Safety.” “The Promise” is an essay  put out by the Brookings Institute. It is an essay designed to further the talks on gun regulation and talks.

The Promise: The Families of Sandy Hook and the Long Road to Gun Safety

I want you to know about this essay. I really want you to go and read it. It provides a very non confrontational history on gun laws in our country, issues, shortfalls, and background on the gun debate. It is an exceptionally well written and informative piece.

No matter where you stand on the issue of gun control, I want you to try to completely suspend any and all beliefs you have and just READ what they would like you to know.

I am not opposed to guns. What I AM opposed to is the lack of control and safety measures, the trafficking of weapons, senseless violence, and the number of children that are killed in our country each year due to gunshots. According to data by the FBI, more than 3000 are killed each year by guns, and that is not even counting accidental deaths.

Gun violence is the number 2 killer of children between the ages of 2 and 19!

I am opposed to my children being in danger.  I am FOR making this country safer for all children.

As a mother, I decided this is something I want my voice to be heard about. I want my children to be safe at school, at the movie theater, at the mall, in the streets, driving down the street, on their school bus, or walking down the street, like Trayvon.

I was particularly struck by the section on whether tougher laws would have prevented Sandy Hook.

Adam Lanza was armed with two pistols, but his main weapon that day was a Bushmaster .223 caliber AR-15 assault rifle, which he loaded—and reloaded—with ten 30-round high-capacity magazines and twenty 20-round magazines; his 700 rounds were enough to kill everyone in the school. He fired 154 rounds in about four minutes. It was in the brief intervals when he was changing magazines that several children managed to escape. Had Lanza been forced to reload 16 times rather than six (as he would have with standard 10-round magazines), the Sandy Hook parents believe that many of their children would be alive today.

“Only those buying their guns from a licensed dealer must submit to a background check. Now, there are a lot of licensed dealers out there—59,000 at last count, which is almost five times the number of McDonalds franchises in America. But many buyers get their guns from unlicensed sellers, mostly at gun shows or through ads on the Internet. No one knows how many unlicensed sellers there are; their ranks vary from a guy selling off his dad’s hunting rifle to the illegal gun trafficker moving hundreds of weapons per month through online sales.”

“Don’t tell us what can’t be done, because we just aren’t prepared to hear that.”

Bennett documents the transformation of Sandy Hook Promise from a deeply sympathetic victim-advocacy organization into a force to be reckoned with in the modern gun debate, adept at using their moral authority as victims and survivors to impact state and national politics.

Why Is It So Hard for Us to Debate this Issue?

Though a distinct minority, this group has come to control the terms of the gun debate, exercising a power that vastly exceeds their numbers. (Speaking of the NRA)

If we are going to engage in a debate on gun control, we need to be informed on what that debate is actually about.

It’s NOT about taking guns away.

It’s NOT about making it incredibly difficult to get a gun (the background check system that registered, legal gun owners are using takes about 5 minutes to verify that you are not a prohibited buyer.)

It IS about making our country safer.

It IS about closing loopholes that allow criminals, mentally ill, terrorists, and other bad people to get their hands on guns.

It IS about JOINING THE DISCUSSION!

The gun lobby is STRONG people. But so are we, when we use our voices. And our voices need to let our elected officials know that they need to do what makes SENSE, not what lines their pockets. So if you think we need change – DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Moms Demand Action has made it SO EASY!)

Sample Tweets you can extrapolate to Facebook updates
@BrookingsInst new longform interactive essay #ThePromise explores the politics of #guns and #gunsafety in America: http://www.brookings.edu/

The #gunsafety debate heats up again after #ZimmermanTrial verdict. The Brookings Essay #ThePromise is a must read:http://www.brookings.edu/ThePromise

How can deaths due to gun violence be stopped? Read #ThePromise by @ThirdWayMatt for overview of #gunsafety debate http://www.brookings.edu/ThePromise

FACT: Gun-related deaths are projected to surpass auto-mobile related deaths in 2015. #MomsDemandAction for #GunSense

If you are still with me, God Bless You for reading this whole thing!

I have written about my feelings on gun control in the past, but not on this blog. I posted on my other blog, Democrat or Not? the post Cowards, Cowards about my disappointment in the Congress to pass a law on background checks, something over 90% of the country supported!

I also wrote a brief post about the number of shootings that have happened in my region of the country since Sandy Hook, which you can read about here.

And I wrote two posts about the amazing group Moms Demand Action in a two part post: Biting the Bullet and Biting the Bullet part two.

I wrote a post on BlogHer that was featured, entitled Moms Stand Up Against Gun Violence – Action Week.

Most of these are simply informational posts, trying to spread the word about the activities that Moms Demand Action is up to. (So much good stuff!) If you are interested in joining the conversation, please go read and learn.

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katbiggie

Freelance writer at Kat Biggie Press

Alexa B, who blogs as "Kat Biggie" is a wife, mother, and writer. She has three children and one in heaven. She recently self published a book entitled "Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother" which is available on Amazon. She blogs about life after the loss of one of her twin daughters to TTTS, motherhood, all things parenting, advocacy, grief support and social good.

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