Our Most Cherished Treasure…

Our Most Cherished Treasure… No, not Kids Silly, Guns!

Among the many messages and themes within the visually intelligent This is America video by Childish Gambino, was the care in which the guns used in the video were used. Carefully handed off, placed and wrapped in a soft red cloth, while the lives that were taken in the video were quickly and easily forgotten. Through the years, we have blamed violence on EVERYTHING but the guns themselves. Which may or may not be fair, I’m just not here to start a debate on whether or not it is. No, I just marvel at those who have constantly told us guns don’t kill people, but have readily agreed that video games like Mortal Kombat are the cause. Rap Music is the cause. Our movies are the cause. Mental health, drugs, cartoons, and even political rhetoric have been cited as reasons for gun violence at one time or another. But the actual tool used to kill mass amounts of people have become untouchable.

We recognized a problem with drugs and declared a war on them. We added parental advisory stickers to the albums of artists with violent lyrics. We rate our movies to inform us of what age is mature enough for its viewing as well as our video games to let us know which are suitable for certain ages of children. But any discussion of restricting access to guns is met with the energy of a foreign country attempting to invade us. When did we started caring so little about our kids and so much more about guns?

We send our kids to failing schools. Nearly elect a man as Senator accused of molesting them in Alabama. We lacked the deserved outrage at the abuse within and throughout the Catholic church. We even send them to war before we trust them to drink a beer. Guns have entire organizations dedicated to its rights. Guns are incredibly popular in this country considering its dark history of being used to keep slaves in line and fend off revolt attempts, round up black people during the Jim Crow/Klan days, and presently are used to take over 15,000 lives per year prematurely, not including suicides.

I use to believe our kids were the most precious thing on this Earth in America. Especially white kids. I see the wall to wall coverage missing white children receive versus black and brown kids. So, when former congresswoman Gabby Giffords(D-AZ) was shot, I wasn’t surprised no major restrictions on guns were passed. When Virginia Tech, or even further back, Columbine were shot up, I wasn’t surprised guns remained relatively untouchable. I thought hey, older kids to near young adults don’t tug at America’s heart like younger children.

Then Sandy Hook happened, and I learned soon after that attack, that guns trumped even young Caucasian kids. I don’t believe anything will ever be seriously done to restrict access to our beloved firearms. Again, I didn’t write this to advocate for any specific restriction. But in a country that reacts to every single problem presented, I’m fascinated, or I was fascinated, that nothing has been done. I’ve accepted it and so should you.