SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

MY THOUGHTS ON GUN CONTROL (me!) sandra, tvgp

my children attended a wonderful, safe, elementary school.

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while there, I met a mom-friend who originated from somewhere in new York, and whatever school her children had previously attended in new York

well, it had metal detectors the kids had to pass through, very strict drop-off/pick-up laws/regulations, and no one felt safe; ever.  day to day life included a chronic low-level fear factor of potential fights, kidnappings, and/or physical violence of one kind or another.

it sounded hideous to me; awful.

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and, of course, as random acts of violence have increased on school campuses..   everyone wanting to feel safe and protect themselves, leans quite naturally toward wanting to make sure we have metal detectors, stricter gun-purchasing laws/regulations; and that civilians writes to bear arms are protected so we can protect ourselves and our loved ones,  etc.

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my inclination is less about making sure I can protect myself, my family   /although that desire is obviously the highest,

but

it is much more toward wanting to desperately locate, name, categorize and protect the safe environments that already, currently (barely) exist today.  the ones that are safe without need for guns.

like, I think we should have categories, very similar/analogous to our other endangered species:

LIKE THIS:

http://www.iucnredlist.org/static/categories_criteria_3_1#categories

so,

if you were to categorize your neighborhood, your work place, your school:

and, if at your school, for example, on this given day, you don't feel threatened..  you don't feel like the teachers need to carry guns to protect themselves; their students..     if it doesn't seem necessary to have a metal detector;  if you feel relatively safe..   and you can drop your children off without being pre-occupied by potential kidnappings, bullies, gang violence, drugs, random mass shootings..

and if the children attending the school, don't have to be chronically pre-occupied by real or potential threats of violence...

honey,

these places in the world deserve the quickest, strongest, highest priority protection!  

but, not armed protection; that defeats the entire purpose


"save our safe places!"

currently these environments.. the ones where no one needs a gun.  I would identify them as critically endangered

and guess what follows, if nothing is done..

extinction.

but,

if we act fast!

to identify and preserve these environments/neighborhoods/workplaces where humans can not just
-feel-  but actually be safe; without the need for personal firearms at all times, and metal detectors, and law enforcement present at all times

these rare and wonderful healthy environments where safe and secure humans can grow, play, thrive, learn, explore, contribute, love, care, share..

if we can figure it out quick enough; and act..

then instead of going from critically endangered to extinct..

we can go from critically endangered to

endangered

vulnerable

near threatened

least concern

carefree


so for (me!)..

I am enormously grateful my children attended an elementary school that was safe, without the need for metal detectors and without each teacher needing to pack a gun for on-the-in-case



and that is the direction I pray we head and spread..

not the other way around; not every school, every teacher, every student must have a gun

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so, I know for certain, there have been species of animals that went from
least concern toward potential extinction, and then  -thank you!- to identification/preventative measures

back to least concern again.

how?

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In Jesus    -did not pack a gun or switchblades'  name.. -      amen &; amen.

posted by SHE @ 7:31 AM