A Tale of Two 19 Year Old Men

By -
I am a gun owner.

I am the mother of a 19 year old son.

Our son has access to guns, and could legally buy one also.

Gun control is an issue. But it is not the only issue. While our son has in common the same age as the murderer in Florida, and our son has in common the ability to access and shoot a gun, what is more important is what he does not have in common.

He has loving parents who have been engaged in his life. Did the shooter?

Our son has had access to, and been involved in, and stayed involved in positive role model activities such as Boy Scouts, and marching band.  Our son stayed in JR ROTC all four years, and the colonel in charge spoke at our son's Eagle Scout ceremony. The shooter was briefly in JR ROTC. The shooter did not stay in.

Our son has never been reported to any authorities as a threat. The shooter was reported numerous times, and banned from the school.

The memes on Facebook and all over the internet serve one overwhelming purpose - to drive home one issue, usually the one the sharer finds most repugnant. But there isn't one issue at stake with the mass shootings. There are several.

There are holes in gun ownership and availability. Of course criminals don't pay attention to laws, but the legal purchase should cause us concern.

Parenting matters. We cast a weary eye on the parents who brag, but we should share in their pride because it shows they care. We see organizations like scouting, religion, JR ROTC, and marching band made fun of in pop culture. It's not cool anymore. But these organizations help teach morals, discipline, pride, and compassion.

Mental health is important. But we discuss getting more armed guards at schools, and lock down procedures, and we do not discuss that school counselors are managing class schedules and college prep, and often do not have time for mental health counseling. Meanwhile some school systems rotate around their schools the trained psychologists instead of having that position fully funded.

Guns are the issue. But before the gun came into his life, what didn't come into his life? We need a comprehensive plan, and we need to come together not apart.

I am a mother. I am a gun owner. I am a Christian. I am heartbroken that two 19 year old young men exist with such different futures ahead of them. I am tired of how we attack each other instead of the issues which exist which keep resulting in a day of horror and a life of pain, and sorrow.


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