The Connecticut Shooting and Gun Control

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest sorrow to the families and friends of the children and adults lost in this senseless and bizarre tragedy. I myself have a baby sister and if harm came to her it would bring me great sorrow like the families in Connecticut. I can’t not understand fully because I never have been through a horrible and meaningless tragedy that many of us can’t understand emotionally or sensibly. God bless every one lost. I, not being a gun enthusiast, would like to give you my thought about the recent shooting. Unfortunately, right away, people are pointing their fingers at guns. That however is the wrong, no matter how many guns you ban, somebody is going to find a gun, and be able to do the same cruel act as Adam Lanza or the columbine shooters. Even if we ban all guns, the sick people in this world will always find another away to do harm, no matter what. What really surprises me, people always forget to look at this, people forget the truth, Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Fellow Perth Amboyans, in order to avenge the people in the Connecticut shooting, it is not to ban guns, the issue is our school security and family values.

To begin with, from my understanding there were only two unarmed security guards at the school, which is offering little protection. One of the reasons we don’t have security armed, is because they believe it will make students feel unsafe in their learning environment, but is that really worth putting young children and teachers at risk? They should at least give the security police batons. The security guards should at least have something they can use to protect themselves and the people around them. You can live in the safest neighborhood, or the most dangerous, but you must always be ready for an emergency. Additionally, students would feel safer if the security guards sat down with them and explain it’s for their own protection, explain they’ll probably never use their weapons, and that it’s just to insure maximum security for everyone.

Furthermore, this unfortunate shooting had similarities with the one in Columbine. For instance, in columbine, the kids were building bombs in their bed rooms, and the parents didn’t notice that. Likewise, the Connecticut shooter’s mom was going take him to a hospital for a mental evaluation . A lot of these shootings are result of parents neglect and from not helping them with their issues. Parents need to be there for their kids, maybe if the parents of the kids who went shooting in Columbine just sat down with them, maybe there wouldn’t have been a tragedy. But the press didn’t blame the parents, they blamed heavy metal music, rap, guns, and videogames, etc. We’re looking at what caused this problem, not what let it happen. “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” – Albert Einstein

Moreover, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. Too many people in society forget this general rule. Sure, guns make it easier to do harm, so do bombs, which can be made from simple things like baking grease and fertilizer, so what are you going to do now, ban products like grease and fertilizer? Just like Timothy McVeigh who killed one hundred-sixty eight people in the Oklahoma city bombing, including nineteen children under the age of six.. Remember recently a person from New York State attempted to burn down his neighborhood and insisted on killing people, so are we also going to ban matches? In all three cases, they illegally got firearms, Adam from his mother, the man in New York State had them bought for him from a neighbor, and Timothy McVeigh stole them from a gun collector. This I offer you as proof that a person with their mind set on doing harm will do harm and get a gun from wherever they can. And given with this evidence, banning guns will bring us back right where we started. People with the intent of doing harm will do harm. Also if you ban assault rifles, (Which is a popular video game tool) you’re just being unconstitutional to the people who are gun enthusiasts and will push America back on advancement, we all know there will eventually be war , (but hopefully not) and by taking away the rights of having guns will not help, it will produce more problems. For instance, more people in America will be less experienced in the art of weaponry, by doing so , we will have less experienced people in our armed forces, thus giving us a weaker army. Gun enthusiasts have the advantage of experience when joining the military. Furthermore, shooting is an Olympic sport, and now you’ll be hurting a major league too. All because we forgot the truth.

In conclusion, even though this event was caused by assault rifle, the solution is not taking away rights of the American people, we can’t let the government control us. Please reconsider your policy. A wise man named Charles Wiley told me to report the facts, not my opinion. The News media should consider that advice. One final thought, “A government that is big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.” –Gerald Ford thirty-eighth president of the USA. Thank you for reading my essay!

Boots and saddles America, were in for ruff ride,

Natalia Dunyak, age 12

Perth Amboy