One Year Later

The Newtown school shooting happened nearly one year ago.  It doesn't seem like that long ago when the awful news and horrific images were on the news, our computers and even phones.  The reaction was an overall stunned nation.  Questions about gun control and violence erupted into debates, and the issue was again given life on the floor of the government.  We also asked questions about mental illness, in particularly for children with mental disabilities and how we deal with both within our public schools.

What has changed since then?

We still live in the same country as December 14, 2012.  There have been no new amendments or legislative changes to our national gun laws.  Since the shootings at Sandy Hook elementary, numerous other shootings have occurred at schools, colleges, and public places - and continue to do so.  As I have written here numerous times, the community where my old in school in Newark, New Jersey is located is engulfed in extreme gun violence.

Decisions being made about our children's safety and the safety of our communities are being made by lobby groups.  They are not being made by elected officials.  These officials look at the horrific things that continue to take place at the hands of guns and then turn to lobby groups - not to us.  This is what ultimately affected the outcome of the Manchin-Toomey Background Checks Bill in the US Senate.  The vote had nothing to do with the safety of you, me, or your children but about receiving funding from a very powerful lobby group.  That's it.

There are people who are fiercely opposed to any type of gun legislation.  Having a background check performed when buying a gun would not hinder any one's "right" to own a weapon...unless they were suffering from a mental disability or had committed some prior offense.  I don't understand the need and/or want to disagree with something so simple that could effectively save lives.

The NRA's response was to suggest armed guards inside of our public schools.  Is that what we want our kids to see on a daily basis?  How about doing something so that we don't have to worry about it getting into the schools?