From: Project Consider | July 2016

It’s truly unfortunate that a letter written a year ago still applies today. Nothing has changed and yet we act as though we should expect different outcomes.

“Because we live in a world where I fear backlash or retaliation for sharing my thoughts, I will share only the following about myself:

1) I am an educated, young adult.
2) I rarely, if ever, share my opinion in a public manner. And if I do, it comes with education and understanding for all sides of a topic.

Why are those three things relevant to the upcoming letter?
1) I want you to know that I research, investigate and educate myself on current events and issues. I also want you to know that I am open-minded.
2) I have lived through the April 20, 1999 Columbine HS shooting, the July 20, 2012 Aurora theater shooting, the December 14, 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, the June 12, 2016 Florida nightclub shooting, the June 28, 2016 Denver office shooting, and now among so many more, the October 2, 2017 Las Vegas shooting. Today, the loudest voices tend to be the extremes and I’d like to ask that we breakdown the conversation with a level head and consider that while we might not all share the same opinions, I have to believe that we all share a goal of preventing tragedy.

So, here goes nothing…

Dear human being,

After today, I would like to ask that you hear me out entirely before becoming defensive or drawing a conclusion or ignoring me altogether. After today, we need to talk about gun violence.

I’ll start here: the Second Amendment. “The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms and was adopted on December 15, 1791, as part of the first ten amendments contained in the Bill of Rights.” 1791. At this point in time, slavery had not ended (1865). Women didn’t have the right to vote (1920) with the Civil Rights Act had yet to take place (1964). The Americans with Disabilities Act had not been signed (1990). So, a lot has changed since 1791.

But what about those that have protected themselves and/or others against other shooters? Just a couple of years ago, an Uber driver with a concealed-carry permit shot and wounded a gunman who opened fire on a crowd of people. In Philadelphia a shooter opened fire on customers after an argument in a barber shop where another with a concealed-carry permit likely saved others from harm. In South Carolina, a shooter went to church and someone with a concealed-carry license drew his gun and disarmed the shooter. So there are examples of citizens with concealed-carry permits/licenses who have prevented possible shootings.* To be clear, getting a concealed-carry permit/license is not easy, there are precautions taken to be able to do this as a U.S. citizen.

Now, I’d like to address some posts, stories and anecdotes that have come out of shootings to shed light on the many angles that affect violence.

A mom posted a photo of her daughter standing on a toilet because in school that day, they were practicing how to hide in a bathroom in case there is a shooter at the school. There was certainly a time that kids were practicing “duck and cover” in the case of bombing. I remember practicing lock downs and actually going through one in elementary school when two men escaped from a local correctional facility and were hiding nearby. I’m not a mom, so I can’t imagine what’s going through that mom’s mind. What I do know is that while practicing lock downs or “duck and covers” is our reality and a necessity for the worse case scenarios, I remember everything about the lock down that day in elementary school.

Let’s visit a different mom, one who shot both of her daughters in Texas during a family meeting. This mom reportedly suffered from mental illness.

Christina Grimmie was gunned down because someone was “obsessed with her.” The shooter legally purchased guns days before the murder-suicide.

So where does the responsibility for these shootings lie? Who or what is at fault? I believe this is where conversation falls apart, because everyone wants to blame one thing, one person, one exception to the rule and it’s not that simple. Is it the innocent bystander who doesn’t speak up when something feels “off”? Is it a lack of focus on mental illness? Is it the availability or access to weapons? Is it how we were raised? Is it faulty security? Is it lack of personal protection? Is it mistreatment, intolerance or bullying? It doesn’t come down to just one of these hypotheticals as they have all become a wicked combination of reality.

I’ve watched stories unfold. I’ve researched, asked questions, and evaluated. And I’ve come to my conclusion. The current system is broken and it’s time to accept that something needs to change. The combination of what goes into gun violence makes the conversation difficult. The need to blame one thing, one person, one exception to the rule is what’s preventing the sober conversations that lead to compromise. But these experiences are too close to home and that is why I am writing to you today.

Gun violence is real and it continues to come barreling into my own life, my own neighborhoods year after year.

Now, I ask you to consider the following and start having the difficult conversation, so as human beings we can reach the goal to help prevent tragedy.

Consider the Second Amendment. Consider that it was made for a reason. Consider the time period when it was adopted and how the world has changed since. Consider that nothing is perfect. Now consider what can be improved or adjusted.

Consider that not everyone feels comfortable carrying a gun and that does not make them wrong. Consider that it takes confidence, education and training to use a gun safely. Consider how conceal-carry permits and licenses can help. Now consider what improvements could be made.

Consider the mental health system. Consider where we can invest and how we can help. Consider how this is impacted by health care. Now consider mental illness as disease worth treating or addressing.

Consider those that have been through a shooting. Consider what they were thinking at the time. Consider how every individual reacts differently. Now consider how you can help others in a shooting without physically being there.

Consider kindness, tolerance and listening. Consider an imperfect world. Consider making a difference. Consider starting the difficult conversation about gun violence without hatred, but an open mind, facts and compassion. Consider a solution to the problem.

Consider that there is not one right answer, but doing nothing at all is the wrong one.

Sincerely,

An anonymous human being”

*Volokh, Eugene. “Do citizens (not police officers) with guns ever stop mass shootings?” The Washington Post.