I'm tired.
I'm sick and tired.
I'm sick and tired of those on the left who think that guns are the sole problem regarding violence.
I'm sick and tired of those on the right who think that the government is going to take their guns.
As an American, I'm sick and tired of waking up in a country such as the U.S. where gun violence is the norm. I'm sick and tired of being reminded how people think their problems go away simply by killing others at their expense. I'm tired of seeing lives taken - LGBT people, our politicians, Christians, Muslims, etc. at the hands of people with guns when they should've never had them in the first place. I'm simply sick and tired.
I'm sick and tired that we now brush these things off and never think for a second how it affects you and me.
I'm sick and tired of us not connecting the dots between mental illness and guns. I'm sick and tired of how the conversation rarely turns to mental illness, which IS the problem.
Yes, I support the Second Amendment, and I applaud those who understand it.
Yes, I want people to protect themselves with guns because of this violence; no one should be without defense.
Yes, I want people to have fun with guns (responsibly). No one can deny that activities with guns are an American pastime. As someone who has had limited experience with shooting targets and clay pigeons, those kinds of activities are fun.
Yes, I want us to establish justice concerning citizens over worrying about non-living objects (the guns).
No, I don't want mental illness to be stigmatized. But I do want it to matter more to Americans.
No, I don't think gun-free zones save lives.
No, I don't think those in our three branches of government understand completely the implications of the connection between mental illness and guns. But that can be improved.
No, gun control simply won't work.
What happened to Congressman Scalise and others recently is nothing new.
You may remember as I do when the shooting involving Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords happened. It was definitely tragic and wrong just as much as what happened last week. It is so heartbreaking how much our politicians now have to worry more about certain people wanting to take their lives away. There is enough fear that they can't have a good time talking to their constituents anymore in a safe manner or have fun with their colleagues.
Time and time again, numerous shootings like these in American history alone in the past decades have shown connections between mental illness and guns.
There's a lot more that can be said here. It will take some time to figure out what works best for us and our future. The gun control debate isn't going to stop anytime soon, but once we start the correlation with mental illness and gun violence we'll have more awareness on how to keep the Second Amendment and protect citizens.
