Don't Blame the Tool

Good morning and welcome to wwwblogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.

An active shooter is on a school campus. Breaking news has everyone on the edge of their seat, wondering how many children will be lost in the next school violence episode. Immediately, cries for more gun laws or to take all guns owned by the general public rise. Social media devolves into a mass of bickering and outright screaming at those who don’t agree with either side’s opinion.
All the while, reporters are anxiously reporting over and over the same mantra, taking their listeners to a screaming peak of panic. People are glued to their news station, or are seeking answers on any of a dozen social media sites. Speculation becomes the order of the day, as there’s little to no real information coming from emergency responders who are on the scene attempting to restore order and take the person(s) responsible for the problem into custody.
This is a scenario that has become all too common over the last decade. No one has been able to come up with the perfect solution, because there really isn’t one. Each situation is different and therefore needs an individual solution. One of the main common denominators is that most of these situations involve guns. The moment this is known, right down to the make, model, and caliber of the weapon used, those with strong feelings on both sides immediately to into attack mode.
On one side, you have screams for more laws, more laws, more laws. On the other side, there is derision and commentary that guns can’t kill on their own. Okay, that is the truth but the way it’s bandied about when emotions are high only sets the flames roaring through a nation already reeling from the number of people who have decided they are going to be the next infamous school shooter.
So, let’s put away the snarky memes. Stow the commentary about new laws and derisive retorts that isn’t the problem. We all know even if guns were outlawed tomorrow, criminals would still have them. After all, they already break the law. Why would they obey this one?
There are going to be some comparisons here. Most you have heard of but bear with me. It’s important…
You’re overweight. Your doctor has told you to lose weight. Do you immediately go home and tell your utensils and dishes they’re at fault and toss them into the garbage? Of course you don’t, because you’re thinking clearly and realize you need to make better decisions.
You run out of gas late at night and all the stations are closed. Are you going to abandon your vehicle and swear it should have known to get filled up before you started out? No, you won’t. You’ll heave a deep sigh and figure out how to safely park and secure your car and find a way home.
The same thing goes for guns. They are an inanimate object that isn’t responsible for what happens when they’re used correctly. Yet, in the heat of reporters drumming the same information into our heads in a “controlled” panic voice, designed to push everyone to the brink of heart stopping fear, you’re seeking the easy and fast solution.
Except… there is no easy and fast solution to this problem. It’s a multi-faceted problem with many solutions that have to happen together in order to work. And this will require cool heads from everyone to work out.
My advice? Once you hear the reporter winding up for round ten of the same thing you’ve been hearing all along, turn off the news, get off social media, and hold your family close. Give it some time for the authorities to clear the area and be able to make a sensible statement on the situation before you come to a decision on anything.


About K.C. Sprayberry

Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.             A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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