A shooting! Fear, frustration, devastation: Another school shooting! IT’S THE GUNS, some say …
We blame.
We agonize: How do we solve these school shootings?
So we ask: Should we take the guns away?
I do not believe that this will solve the problem.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE LAW.
There are many countries that have similar laws, and yet they don’t have as much gun violence as we do in the US. So, I don’t think that will solve the problem either.
IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE GUNS. Yes, it is true, they actually pull the trigger. (How did they get to the point of wanting to shoot people?)
IT IS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS, they say. Are there really that many more mentally ill people with guns in the US than in the rest of the world?
Or do we need to research why people are ready to pull the trigger? Do people who use guns feel such a deep discontent that they are willing to kill whoever crosses their path?
Or is living in constant insecurity and fear of what tragedy will happen next (another hurricane, another flood, another attack, more terrorists . . . ) taking a toll on gun owners?
The question for us parents is:
- What can we do right now? I believe we are all terrified that a shooting could happen in our children’s school.
- How can we prevent it from happening?
Besides marching, I am not sure we have that much control in influencing lawmakers for more gun control or not own guns.
What we CAN control is our actions, making a commitment to work on ourselves.
I believe peace starts with me. Simple and to the point.
- Who I am will have an effect on my family, on everybody I touch, and on everybody, my children touch.
- And, who I am, determines how safe my children feel in our home.
- Because of who I am, I can teach them to be satisfied with themselves, knowing that they belong. Knowing that they can ask for help and support. To know what good communication looks like. That there are solutions.
So, if I bring it all the way back to me, the parent, what do I need to do to be satisfied with who I am?
What could I do right now to appreciate who I am?
With love,
Martina
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Photo: Anton Darius-thesollers in Unsplash