Friday, November 13, 2009

Guns in Schools - God Bless America

I have not been that active on blogger these days... have been trying multiple stuff to see how much the writing world will tolerate me! Meanwhile Cheeky is having fun turning me around in circles! He is celebrating 40 yrs of Sesame Street today with a trip to Sesame street live program. I meanwhile have been twiddling my thumbs today.. and decided to come online and share with you an article I wrote for Momaroo this week. I would like to hear from you what you think!
I was shocked to see the headline that made its way to my inbox this morning " Gunman holds school principal hostage in NY". After a week of horror with the Fort Hood shootings followed the very next day by the shootings in Orlando, I was very upset to read this news. I have often wondered how I would feel when I have to pack my son off to public school next year. And the one thing I have not been able to get over is the possibility that someone might get there with a gun in hand.
Earlier this year I watched the news incredulously as they showed a story about a 6 yr old first grader who had brought a loaded gun to school. The little boy had taken the gun from his father's verhicle. The father was arrested and the kid was expelled from school. Later the kid's punshment was reduced to a suspension and he was accepted back in school after a week's suspension. Thankfully no one was hurt!
However, this is not the case in most scenarios. I was looking up the statistics and stumbled across the Brady Campaign. Here is a list of school shootings in the recent past. Be it 15 and 16 yr old teenagers who just shot out in the parking lot, random drive by shootings, or younger kids who simply wanted to show off a gun to a friend. The very fact that these episodes happen show us that guns are easily available and accessible to children.
And why not? 31 states have legal right to carry laws. Anyone in the United States over 18 and without a criminal record can own a gun! Why would I not be worried to send my 5 yr old to school next year? Why would I step out of my house without the dread clutching my heart? Why don't we get tighter gun laws?
Meanwhile, the gunman in NY was apprehended and found to be a 40 yr old former student of the school. No one was injured.
Please share your thoughts on gun control and how you think we can lead a safer life in this free country?
You can find the original on www.momaroo.com. I would also like to invite all you mommy bloggers and others out there to share your stories and experiences on momaroo. Just go to submit post tab abd submit your post and if we like it (yeah right.. see how I am showing off :P.. I am sure I will love it, I love all your wonderful writings!), you can be on the front page on Momaroo. And whats more you can link to your own website too! Isnt that great? See you soon

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its scary the statistics. Sometimes, I want to be an ostrich and pretend that the news doesnt exist.

This is why my kids have not had a sleep over till date. Even the 10 yr old.

Dude, you have been writing all over. Good for you.!!

noon said...

Momaroo mami - nice that you are writing a lot these days. Will check out that site soon. Gun control - depends on where you grew up I guess - in hunting country they don't think anything of it. I think if I had a gun in front of me during my moments of deep downs I probably would use it on myself! Rage/loneliness etc are such powerful emotions that people don't realize how dangerous it is to have a weapon right there in front of you. Remember the Karthik Rajaram case? He was a close relative of a family friend...she would never have thought him capable of it. Yet in his moments of utter despair he lost it...But just like the death penalty argument, I find it hard to be black or white about it...what if I need to defend my child - would it be better to be armed?
BTW - 31 states - right to be armed you mean right?

Pavi!!!! said...

I can soooooooooooo u’stand u being worried abt sending ur 5 yr old to school Preeti! Even I have alwez found the gun laws in this country beyond absurd. Okay..someone came up with the law..atleast after the countless shooting incidents, u wld think the law would be revised rite?! U know…walmart sells guns! That’s how easily its avlbl! Its ridiculous!

N ah..look at u approving ppl’s posts n all! U seem to have taken to writing in a new n rocking manner! Good Going!

aMus said...

a lot writing being done? :)


the shootings are scary! i can't imagine how it must be sending your kid to school everyday wondering what if? :(

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