I promised myself I’d never blog about politics. I’m going to do my best to keep that promise today but I’m afraid there are no guarantees. Today is an exception.

I’m an optimist and I prefer to express my thoughts and ideas in a positive frame. Today I’m finding it difficult to do this because of what’s happening in this great country of ours.

This most recent event in Uvalde, Texas left me feeling horrified, angry, sad, and helpless. I always feel this way when I hear about innocent people losing their lives, especially when it involves children and guns. It makes me sick when I think about the pain and suffering those poor families are going through as I write this article.

It’s also caused me to try to understand the bigger picture. Why have we not made any progress in reducing the amount of gun violence in the US? I am so tired of the rhetoric about the 2nd amendment and our “right to keep and bear arms.” I took a few minutes to see what I could learn online about the 2nd amendment and I came away dumbfounded.

I learned that the 2nd amendment is ambiguous:

 “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.”

It references the state militias that were put in place to protect the individual states from the British and other outside forces. Some also pose that the militias were formed to repress rebellion from the enslaved. It’s unclear if “the right to keep and bear arms” refers to the people in the militia (collectively) or the people as individuals. The intent of the second amendment has been debated ad nauseam over the years. Since we can’t have a Zoom call with Alexander Hamilton to have him explain its intent, our only recourse is speculation.

Regardless, of its interpretation, the 2nd amendment was written and published in 1791. The most common guns included muskets and flintlock pistols. According to the Washington Post, a “Typical Revolutionary-era musket” had a one-round magazine capacity, and it could fire around three effective rounds per minute – in the hands of the most skilled wielder. Its maximum accuracy range had to be within 50 meters. Would you agree that we are in need of a modernized interpretation of the second amendment?

Regardless of what our forefathers intended, our modern leaders have made a mess of things. In my opinion, it’s all about the polarization of American politics which has been reinforced by the media. There is no such thing as bipartisanship. It’s a never-ending vicious battle focused on who is right, not what is right. A message to our leaders: If you can’t get your shit together to save our children, seek other employment… WTF! C’mon people!

I didn’t want this to be about the numbers but I couldn’t help myself after seeing these graphs. They illustrate gun violence is out of control in the US and the matter is urgent and requires immediate action.

K-12 School Shooting Statistics

• There have been 1,924 school shooting incidents since 1970.
• 2021 had the greatest number of incidents, with 249. …
• Since 1970, 637 people have died in shootings at schools. …
• 2018 was the year with the highest number of people killed, including the shooter, with 51 killed. …
• California, Texas, and Florida are the states with the most incidents.

The statistics only tell a fraction of this human story. It’s about people, just like you and me, who have had their world shattered in a matter of minutes. It’s about those precious, innocent babies (yes they are babies) at Robb Elementary School who perished and all the humans who have lost their lives to gun violence over the years. As American citizens, what can we do? What steps can we take to help create change? How can we help stop the madness in Washington and in our communities?

Thank you for reading my blog. I look forward to your comments.