When my son was six months old, I
attended a service for a fourteen-year-old-boy who had died from a gunshot
wound. The teenager’s father was a paramedic and the first one on the scene. His
mother was a young counselor for troubled teens. His sister was a senior in
high school. I will never forget what I saw that day.
Three adults and fourteen young
students were killed at a high school in Florida. The why is yet to be
answered. The weapon of choice for use in the mass killings was an AR-15. I
cannot help but think, what if this were my children? My grandchildren? My
great-nephews? A spouse? Could any of this have been prevented?
Up close and personal
Nikolas Cruz, the alleged
shooter, is 19 years old. He and his biological brother were adopted by the
Cruz family. His adopted father, Roger,
died of a heart attacked several years ago. His mother, Lynda, passed away in November
2017. Nikolas lived with family friends.
Many acquaintances stated he was an introvert, nice quiet person, and there was
no indication of something like this every happening.
Yet, Nikolas had behavioral
issues and was supposed to be on medication but had not seen anyone for over a
year. As a member of Jr. ROTC, he was a member of the high school marksman club
and participated in NRA grant sponsored shooting competitions. He eventually was expelled from school and
could not come on to school property with a back pack. Teachers knew he was a
potential threat. They had received e-mails about him. Students joked that if
they had a shooter, it would be Nikolas.[1]
The FBI was notified of a YouTube video that Nikolas had made but stated he
couldn’t be positively identified. Furthermore, the FBI was contacted again in
January 2018, with information where protocol was never followed. Why was the
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms not contacted as well?
Local law enforcement stated he purchased the AR-15 legally.
Weapon of Choice
The AR-15 (ArmaLite Rifle) was
manufactured in the 1950s along with an M-16. Component wise, they are about
the same weapon except the M-16 is strictly for military use. The AR-15 was
used in south east Asia and eventually was sold to private individuals. By 1969,
the M-16 was fully integrated into the military. When weapons are made, the
have to be within the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (AFT) enforced rules and
regulations for public use. The AR-15 was never made with the intention of
public sale. Therefore, it was modified differently from the M-16.[2]
Some states however, did outlaw it. It is the states who are in control of
the gun laws as long as they do not obstruct the 2nd Amendment to
the Constitution of the United States. What is the difference between an assault
rifle and non-assault rifle?
An assault rifle is classified as
a fully automatic weapon and has been restricted for public use since 1934. An
AR-15 can be modified to be an assault weapon very easily. As a non-assault
weapon, a repeating in fire is a fast as one can pull the trigger. The magazine
is generally sold in 30 rounds but 100 round magazines can be purchased.[3]
The bullet used is smaller. In comparison, a handgun bullet can be stopped by a
thigh bone. An AR-15 would shatter the thigh bone.[4]
Simply put one is a knife and the other is the butcher. As of 2016, there is an
estimate of five million people in America own AR-15. [5]
Mental Illness
Mental health in this country is
a serious issue and one that we should not stigmatize but learn about. I have a
mental illness. Yet I would not ever attempt or want to own a weapon like any type
of firearm. Why? I do not trust myself with one. It is that simple. I don’t even
trust myself to drive. Yet there are more than 43.8 million people (adults) who
are experiencing a mental health issue in the United States any given year. 70%
of all youth in the justice system have a mental illness and 20% of those have
a serious mental diagnosis. [6]
Many adults or children will not get help. Why? Shame for one. Companies
generally do not want to hire people with mental illnesses. Generally, children
have streaks of cruelty toward each other when one is different than the norm. Medical
insurance and good facilities are lacking. People with mental health issues, I am do apologize for stating this, should not own a firearm period., It may prevent you personally from ending your life.
I personally function two to four days a week but, I have to
live alone.
The Solution
The 2nd Amendment
to the constitution is not in jeopardy. It isn’t even in question. (a) Stop
the sales and manufacturing of the AR-15. Grandfather in all owners of the
AR-15 to be re-registered within a year. (b) Communications between national
and local law enforcement agencies needs to step up some more. Was there an
officer at the school in Parkland, Florida? Yes, there was at the time of the
shooting, but, he was not able to get to the shooter fast enough. If a student
is a potential threat, everyone needs to know. This means students and school
officials need better lines of communication. (c) Does the ATF need more personnel?
(d) People who put guns in the hands of shooters better make sure they act
legally responsible. If they do not, they will be held accountable. (e) All
reports of a possible incident, should be investigated without hesitation.
We as a society, needs to do one
important thing, remember that the best defense in life is the human brain.
Please contact your local, state, and national elected representatives to make
some changes. No more band-aiding the issues until it happens again. Have we
learned nothing from previous incidents? Fourteen children and three adults are
missing from a community. Maybe it could have been prevented. But, from where I
sit we all dropped the ball.
[1]
Dwyer, Colin & Scott Neuman. “What we know about the Florida School
Shooting Suspect.” NPR. 2.14.2018
(accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/14/585908507/what-we-know-about-the-florida-school-shooting-suspect
[2] “AR-15
Rifle”. Gun Owners of America. (accessed
2.17.2018) https://www.ar15goa.com/about/the-ar-15-rifle/
[3]
Wegmann, Philip. “Can a bump stock make an AR-15 fire full-auto… yes…” Washington Examiner. 10.03.2017
(accessed 2.17.2018) http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/can-a-bump-stock-make-a-ar-15-fire-full-auto-like-a-machine-gun-yes-and-its-relatively-cheap-pretty-easy-and-completely-legal/article/2636432
[4]
Zhang, Sarah. “What an AR-15 can do to the human body.” Science – WIRED.
06.17.2016. (accessed 2.16.2018) https://www.wired.com/2016/06/ar-15-can-human-body/
[5] Schoen,
John W. “Owned by 5 million Americans. AR-15 under renewed fire after Orlando
Massacre.” CNBC 6.13.2016 (accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/13/owned-by-5-million-americans-ar-15-under-renewed-fire-after-orlando-massacre.html
[6] “Mental
Health by Numbers.” National Alliance of Mental Illness. (accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers
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