We are NOT helpless

A common refrain heard in the aftermath of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary is how helpless people feel. After a natural disaster like a hurricane, at least there are material and monetary needs to which you can donate. But in this case, there doesn't seem to be anything that the average person can do to help.

Or is there?

There can be no debate that gun violence in our country is completely out of control. I've compiled a list of headlines just from the last six months or so; it is extraordinary. And it represents just the tip of the iceberg.

The answer is obvious: we need serious gun control legislation in this country. We need laws with some real teeth, real enforceability, and real penalties.

I'm not advocating for a complete ban on all guns. Admittedly, we'll never get all of the guns off the street, and I'm not going to get started in a debate about the merits of owning a handgun for personal protection. Statistics can be skewed for both sides of that argument, so I'll leave it alone.

But how could anyone think that your average citizen needs a semi- or fully-automatic assault rifle? Seriously?? Why should any man be able to dress in full body armor, and enter a Colorado movie theater with multiple assault rifles and 6000 ROUNDS of ammunition? Yeah, guns don't kill people... but they sure make it a hell of a lot easier for those who are so inclined.

So if you feel helpless, stop it. Instead, start writing letters and making phone calls. Congressmen, TV, newspapers, even the god-forsaken NRA. All of these people need to be incited to take action. And we are the ones who have to make them do it.

  

Other Ways to Not Be Helpless

1. Be a parent to your child, not a friend. Discipline them when they need it. Teach them personal responsibility.
2. Report a problem when you see it.
3. Get someone help when they need it. Don't ignore "warning signs".

This list could go on for some time, but there is a common theme: take personal responsibility. When I was growing up, there was a sign hanging in my basement that I've never forgotten. I think we all could take a lesson from it:

"I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I realized that I am somebody."