Soft targets

"This special session will once again be a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The real problem is never addressed. Until we find out what snapped in our society, where a school shooting is now possible instead of being almost impossible as it was in the last century, this problem will persist. I am in agreement that we have a problem here, but continuing to punish law abiding legal gun owners will not solve it."   

In the near future, this state will have yet another special session for our legislature. For what purpose? Gun control (again). The age-old question will once again be debated, do guns kill people, or do people with a hateful heart kill people - often times using a gun. Could having stricter gun laws have prevented what happened at that Catholic school in Minneapolis? Or could have better school security have helped? Both of these questions are unknown right now. So, that sets the stage for the debate. As with most things that matter, it will again be the shirts and the skins. In other words, all Democrats will vote for more gun laws, and all Republicans will vote for better school security and better mental health screening.

I tend to look at things a bit deeper. Why kids in school? Why people in church? Why folks when they are out shopping? In other words - why soft targets if a deranged person is looking to kill somebody? If somebody thinks they are all that tough carrying either a side arm or a long gun, and want to get in a gun fight, go after somebody else who is armed. Who can fight back. But a little kid? This is a sick-o to the 10th degree. Anybody sick enough to kill a kid with a gun is also sick enough to kill a kid with a knife. Or pick your weapon.

Did I ever mention the active shooter drills we had when I was in school? No? That is because there were none. People did not go into schools to kill kids. When my kids were in school, there were no active shooter drills. We never worried about some nut ball coming into our kid's school and start shooting. 

What happened? How did we go from Andy of Mayberry to Dog Day Afternoon in just a few decades? At what point did things snap? When did we go from good to evil? And by the way, in Minnesota we have over 300,000 permits issued for open or concealed carry. And that does include all the hunting rifles that some folks have. My point? Guns are everywhere, and those are just the legal ones. Most gang bangers have illegal guns, which can be obtained from many different places. 

This special session will once again be a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The real problem is never addressed. Until we find out what snapped in our society, where a school shooting is possible instead of being almost impossible as it was in the last century, this problem will persist. I am in agreement that we have a problem here, but continuing to punish law abiding legal gun owners will not solve it.