Most of us ache when we see the pictures of the beautiful people lost in Buffalo and Uvalde. We can't simply sit back and let massacres like this happen. We are all in danger of gun violence in the United States unless we do something to stop it. What can we do?
Regulate guns in sensible, humane ways
We've let greedy gun makers and sellers profit off the death of innocents. The gun lobbies of NRA and others have pushed gun purchases for profit alone--leaders in this industry are making gobs of money as they work to sell lots of dangerous guns to every sector of society. Not unlike cigarette sales of the past, these gun makers and sellers are marketing death, and profiting off those sales.
If we regulate guns in sensible, humane ways, we will do the following:
- eliminate assault rifles for all civilians
- create registries of gun sales that require gun buyers to take safety tests, meet age-requirements, purchase gun insurance, and follow gun safety laws that protect innocent lives.
- regulate who can sell guns and how those sales are done so that gun sales are safe.
- Stop the illegal, unsafe gun trade.
- Educate young children about gun-related safety
Gun registries will regulate gun use in safe, responsible ways while also creating jobs. This will keep us safer.
Care for our youth
Too many American youth are lost and forgotten. This isolation leads children to find camaraderie in the wrong places, places that foster unsafe, inhumane behavior, addiction, and abuse. How can we best care for our youth?
- Ensure that all workers in the United States have just work conditions and fair pay. Too many parents are working for low pay in unjust work conditions. This has a trickle down effect that harms children. When parents are not making a fair wage and working in unsafe or inhumane conditions, they are bringing home stress and sadness while not being able to provide for their children. This has to stop.
- Create safe, unpolluted, healthy communities everywhere in the United States. When children are living in unsafe, polluted, destitute conditions, they become sad and angry. In every community in the United States, there should be the conditions of good living including welcoming homes, nutritious food, quality health care/education, healthy recreation, no pollution, and access to beautiful natural lands and waterways.
- Eliminate the prejudice and hate related to race, religion, culture, body size, whom we love, and what we do. Too many people in the United States are narrow minded which makes those who don't fit into their tight parameters of what they deem "right," outliers. Prejudice leads to isolation, and isolation leads to sadness, anger, frustration, and harm. When we accept the great variety of who we are as a people and recognize that our diversity makes us strong, we will be a stronger, better people.
- Stop propping up greedy, self-serving, inhumane leaders in any industry. The great wage gap in American society is hurting people everywhere. We've got some very greedy people out there that refuse to support betterment for all in the United States. These people lead in ways that support a few while leaving too many people behind. These me-first, greedy, narrow-minded leaders are to blame for a lot of the problems we face in society.
- Build best possible authentic relationships with the people you live and work with. We need each other and the more we can stay in touch and help one another, the stronger and better our families and communities will be.
- Adequately support human services. We have to help people out. Too many human service agencies including health facilities, schools, social work agencies, and public works are underfunded and under-staffed. This means that people with needs go without the support they need. As an educator, I was always having to choose who got the time/attention they needed as there was never enough people to go around to fulfill all the needs that existed. Doubling and tripling skilled staffs in schools and other human service agencies will better serve people throughout our country while providing meaningful jobs too.
- Provide substantial parent/caretaker education: Via public health means we have to educate the public about what it takes to care well for children. Still today too many old myths about what children need and don't need exist and this harms children's good development. The more we can help parents and caretakers understand what children need, the better children will do.
Recent and past massacres are signs that our culture is in trouble. We have work to do to make this better. Everyone can play a part. It's time.