What People Care About This Week: School Shootings

This week people are freaking out about school shootings. No one is sure who to blame but, as always, people begin lobbying their causes. There are the mental health aspects, the gun control issue, the school security issue. Eventually it all gets brushed under the rug because something more scandalous happens and draws attention away from the fact that kids get shot at school on a pretty regular basis now. The most recent shooting happened in Oregon yesterday. I actually saw this on the TV at work right after it happened and a guard said “Makes you not wanna send your kids to school.”

15 year old Jared Padgett shot and killed 14 year old Emilio Hoffman before shooting himself in the bathroom of the school. In his guitar case he had an AR-15 rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, nine loaded magazines, and a knife. During the shooting his sister, Chelsea Cooper, posted on her Facebook account.

“Praying for everyone at Reynolds! My little brother is still there & I'm freakin out! I hate being states away :-( So stressful!” as well as “They keep saying the shooter is dead but I wanna know who it is!!! I'm so stressed right now.” Of course she had no idea that her brother was the one who'd been the shooter. So far no one knows why he decided to shoot up the school. Many are confused because he didn't fit the “profile” of someone who would do such a thing. He was in the JROTC. Played track and field. Yeah, he liked heavy metal but also Christian bands. He idolizes his brother who is in the military.

There was a chart released that shows how many school shootings that there have been since December of 2012. It was far higher than I thought. If you had asked me before seeing this I would've guessed maybe 10 or 11.

That's a lot of shootings. School shootings aren't a new thing and won't stop anytime soon. You would have to find and destroy every single gun and that is not gonna happen. You can't arm teachers and everyone who suggests that needs to cut that shit out right now. Stop thinking that. Teachers want to come and teach and occasionally bone a student, not shoot at them. And any teacher that agrees that they should bring weapons to defend other students need to change occupations. You're a crazy person.

One of the things that bothers me about these people that think that they have the ability to shoot a shooter and save the day is that they all believe that they are expert marksmen. “If I had been there I would've shot the son of a bitch!” You always hear a lunatic say that the same way when there's a hostage situation and suddenly every badass becomes John McClain. They aren't. They and their gun is just another dangerous element introduced into an already shitty situation.

In a previous blog where I talked about Elliot Rodgers and his strange ass shooting up his college I mentioned how assault rifles make me nervous and are not necessary. Let's take a look at the AR-15 rifle. There are many companies that makes them and many modifications that can be made to them. Let me find a random image of one.

Look at that shit. This is the same type that was used during the shootings in Aurora, Colorado during the Dark Knight Rises. Why in the fuck do you need this other than killing a lot of people in a short amount of time? For anyone that thinks I want to take their guns away, calm your shit. I don't want to take your gun away. I want to be as far from you as possible. I want to know where you live so I can never make the mistake of crossing paths with you. Not because you own a gun. But because you own a fucking horde killer. Put a flag on their lawns so I know that “the person that lives here owns something that could possibly kill everyone nearby or be taken by my child to school to share with friends!”

Is this to protect your family? Okay. Let's run with that logic. You bought a rifle to protect your family. Let's also assume that you don't keep it loaded because as we all know keeping a loaded gun in the house is something you're not supposed to do. While we're at it, let's assume that whoever these bad guys made enough noise to wake you up allowing you enough time to load your rifle. Is your plan to kill these guys? Of course it is! These guns aren't meant to stun. Now for the most important question.

Are you ready to kill another human being?

What bothers me is that people can buy weapons online. Its perfectly legal to go online, pick hundreds of rounds of ammunition, some guns, enter your credit card information, and get it mailed to you. Its easier to do this than it is to find some shady ass guy your friends knows through a cousins nephew. You can just buy a gun and as many bullets as you can afford and the dealer is not held accountable. Now, this is where we get into shady territory. Some say bartenders should be held accountable for how much alcohol they serve. Many expect adults to be able to get enough drinks to get drunk but smart enough to not get behind the wheel of a vehicle, start fights with strangers, or have sex they'll regret when the sun comes up.

Humans aren't that smart.

You give the wrong person the ability to do something stupid they will do it. We'll find out how this kid was able to get the guns he had. Chances are they were all purchased legally by either himself or a family member. Now someone's son is dead, people are mad it keeps happening, the other half is mad that their guns might be taken away, and in the end nothing will be done about it. Why? Because humanity, that's why.

Click here for previous What People Care About This Week.