It Has To Stop Now, The Guns Must Go

"How do you capture the essence of a six year old in a few words?"

From the obituary of Noah Ponzer, Sandy Hook Elementary School first grader.




Well the short answer to that heartbreaking question is you can't. Neither can you possibly explain the joy and pride felt by a loving parent when it comes to their child. Just as you cannot explain the depths of their sorrow and grief as they bury their son.

Noah's funeral is today. So is Jack Pinto's. The photos of both children published on the web show smiling, happy kids with beautiful wide eyes filled with not only their futures, but the futures of their community and this nation. They were going to be our tomorrow along with eighteen others who will be laid to rest this week.

At some point Nancy Lanza will also be buried. She was a single, well off mother of two. She is reported to have enjoyed gardening among other things. One of those other things was target shooting. At times she would take her son, Adam along with her to the gun range. Friends say that she felt teaching him about weapons and gun safety would help provide him with a sense of responsibility. Shortly before he ran amok at the Newtown, Connecticut grade school he shot her in the head four times as she lay in bed.

Here in Oklahoma republican state representative, Mark McCullough responded to the tragedy in typical National Rifle Association fashion. He is quoted as saying, "We cannot continue to be shackled by politically correct, reflexive anti gun sentiment." He also said he is going to put forward legislation that will allow teachers and school administration officials to legally carry firearms at school, during classes.

Well, Mr. Representative, I hate to be crude, but you're full of shit.

The constitution was drafted in the 18th century by a bunch of white guys, many of whom owned slaves. It was written during a time when the United States had an extremely small full time army and before there was a military draft. It was at a point in history when, in the heat of battle, you pulled off one shot and after that were more than likely to have to use your rifle either as a spear, or a fucking club. The founding fathers never dreamed of Bushmaster .223's and thirty round clips. They had no idea there would be Glocks or Sig Sauers.

So the bottom line here is I don't give a rat's ass about what the bill of rights say. Hell, no one has been paying attention to the constitution since John Adams signed off on the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. All that NRA bullshit, all the chest thumping about the constitution doesn't mean squat when your baby has been shot multiple times in his or her classroom by some demented punk.

If Barak H. Obama is the man I hope he is, he is going to go after every semi automatic assault style weapon out there. He is going to stop their sale and the sale of ammunition clips that let a sick twist like Adam Lanza twitch his finger thirty times in a row without reloading. Mr. McCullough, if that lack of weaponry means you and Ted Nugent won't be able to get erections you'll both just have to invest in some Viagra.

This murderous nonsense has to be stopped right now. The first step is to get this type of firepower, these instruments of mass murder, off the shelves of gun stores and the tables at gun shows immediately. We've proven time and time again that we, as a civilization, aren't capable of controlling ourselves when it comes to handling them. Adam Lanza didn't use a knife, he didn't use a box cutter. He used a gun. So did Jimmy Holmes, so did that crazed loser at Virginia Tech. So did the monsters in Tucson and Wisconsin.

As many have all ready said, we're getting too good at these memorials. We say all the beautiful words about the victims and how the community must and will pull together after the barbarity. What we don't do is something meaningful about preventing it from happening again. If this isn't the moment, if this isn't the time to do just that, we're lost as a country. We're murdering our kids for God's sake.

Noah Ponzer was a twin. His sister, Arielle was in another classroom and survived. Chances are if the police hadn't responded as quickly as they did the Ponzer family would be burying both children today. When the cops found Adam Lanza he had plenty of bullets left, enough they say to have murdered every child in the school.

Yes, now is the time to lock away the deadly toys. All you gun enthusiasts simply need to find something else to do with your lives. The great American play period must end. If it doesn't we'll have failed every one of those kids and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut. And honestly, that would not only be unconscionable, but in every sense of the word, immoral.



12-17-12