Never Forget

Today marks the six year anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, CO.

How many people remember that? How many family members live with this day in and day out?

I recently watched the movie "Bowling for Columbine" by Michael Moore. Yeah, that's right, the guy who did Fahrenheit 9/11.

I find the man to be brilliantly informative. Biased, of course. Do I agree with all that he says, no, but, alas, I have digressed, back to the subject.

The Columbine Shootings. Horribly tragic. What a waste of youth, love, life, chances, leaders, friends, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends, and any others that I forgot to name.

Even the death of the two shooters was a waste. How unfair and unjust not to be able to sit across the court room from them and accuse them of their crime. How unfair that they were able to cause such horror and distruction and leave so many behind grieving, even their own families.

Did you know, that during the filming of "Bowling for Columbine" they went to the Kmart headquarters to speak with someone. He took two survivors with him, both of them still had bullets in their bodies from that fateful day. Why Kmart headquarters? Because that is where the ammunition was bought.

Do you know what came from that meeting? After a lot of running them around, a lot of frustration, they spoke to someone. They made such an impact that the next day, there was a press release stating that within 30 days, no Kmart would ever carry ammunition again.

I am in awe.

I am also a bit disappointed. Not once did anyone point the gun at those who make such weapons.

Why are tobacco companies responsible for lung cancer? Why is McDonald's responsible for people being fat?

Yet, the biggest killer in our country goes unquestioned.

Now, before you go on a rant about how I am anti-gun, let me tell you. I think that everyone has the right, under our constitution, to bear arms.

What that means though, is open for interpretation. Do I think that a 17 year old boy from suburbia needs to have a semi-automatic weapon? HELL NO!

I believe, in my heart of hearts, that when our forefathers developed the constitution, it was designed to protect us from countries that may be unwise enough to try and invade. It was designed so that no man would be left without a way to feed his family.

You tell me what good a pistol does in hunting? Tell me who uses a weapon that can hold 17-20 rounds?

People who are pro-gun say it's because it is their right. Yeah, so what? It's my right not to have my child shot by accident at your house because you are too stupid to lock your guns properly.

It is my right, to walk down any street in America and not get shot because some gang is shooting at another.

It is my right, to send my children to school and not have to worry about them getting shot in the face because guns are so easily and readily available to some angry person.

How many times do you hear a story about how a madman went on a stabbing spree and killed 20-30 people? You don't. How about a story about how some guy went and hung 15 people in the subway? You don't.

It's sick, it's horrible. We had a six year old boy take a gun to school and kill his six year old classmate.

They blamed the uncle the boy was staying with. They blamed the mother who left her son with someone else. They blamed the landlord who kicked the mother out of her own place. They blamed the system for making the mother have to work in a different town and having to take a bus 30 minutes each way.

WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THESE WEAPONS!

How can people not see this? How can people just shrug it off and say "It's the American way"

Is it really the "American way" to go shooting up babies? Letting babies shoot babies?

If it is, if that's what it means to be "American" then I want no part of it. I had a much different idea of "American" in my mind.

I will never forget the tragedy at Columbine, or the six year old girl who was murdered, or my sister. I will always remember that in America, there are over 11,000 homicides by guns EVERY YEAR.

If I have offended you, I apologize for that. I will not apologize for my stance, for my beliefs.

Take a moment, think of those who have lost someone in this horrible manner and say a prayer for them, to whatever higher power you believe in. Trust me, even years later, they'll need it.

Thanks for letting me rant.

>climbs off soapbox and heads off to do housework<