As I am writing this word is rolling in about another school shooting in Texas.
Needless to say this news drastically changed what was going to be a light and happy column.
It makes me sad and sick to my stomach hearing about these tragedies. I think about the lock down drills we had to practice in school, and about how all of the outside doors were locked and visitors had to go in through the front office and sign in.
We had to wait in line when we came in from recess for a teacher to unlock the doors for us.
So many different preventative measures. But I don’t even remember talking about guns or mental health in school.
And now we talk about it every day, or so it seems.
I recently saw a photo of a woman who wore an assault rifle strapped to her back to her university graduation ceremony. Apparently she was protesting the university’s rule that students not be allowed to carry a gun on campus, although guests are allowed to carry guns. She believed that students should be allowed to carry in order to protect themselves.
I don’t really know what the solution should be to prevent these horrible things from happening. There has to be some mental health care and awareness and something has to be done about the access to guns.
Personally I believe gun access should be extremely restricted. But people are allowed to have their own opinions. However, when people argue the right to self defense all I picture in my head is a room full of Kindergarten students shooting at an intruder and the chaos that would ensue.
It won’t be an easy solution. They can’t just take away guns in America, and they can’t just give everyone guns.
It’s scary. It’s sad. It’s difficult to fix.
I’m at a loss. Picture me sitting at my desk throwing my hands up in the air before covering my face and shaking my head.