Another Day, Another Shooting

Yesterday I woke to the news that three football players at the University of Virginia had been shot, and two others injured, by gunfire.

The alleged murderer was known to the campus and the local police, apparently, and he was eventually captured, about 12 hours after the murder.

The last I read, motive was unclear. Maybe there wasn't a motive.

Sometimes people are simply crazy, or bloodthirsty, or violent.

It pains me to admit that I've become somewhat nonchalant about the news of shootings. They happen EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It may not be a mass shooting, but somebody, somewhere, is shot. Yet, I still watch those around me when I go out. I look for people who are acting "off" or suspect. I duck at loud noises.

In 2020, over 45,000 - yes, thousand - people died from gun-related deaths in the United States. We've already had over 37,000 gun deaths this year, and the year isn't over.

One guy has some blow-up stuff on the bottom of his shoe at an airport, and we all take our shoes off to get on an airplane, but we have thousands die from guns every year, and we do nothing.

Somebody found a few problems with Tylenol a long, long time ago, and suddenly medicines were put in plastic shrink wrap and made tamper-proof. Thousands die from guns every year, and we do nothing.

A child dies from a defective crib, and there's a recall. Thousands die from guns every year, and we do nothing.

A car crash indicates the air bags don't work, and there's a recall. Thousands die from guns every year and we do nothing.

I know the response - guns don't kill people, people kill people, blah blah thoughts and prayers. But guns are made for killing.

That is their sole purpose. To kill, or at least to maim.

I am a gun owner, and I am in favor of stricter gun control laws.