4 Bipartisan Actions to Decrease Gun Violence

25 Mar 4 Bipartisan Actions to Decrease Gun Violence

And, another school shooting. Isn’t it time we say, #NeverAgain.

When children are forced to become adults because adults are busy acting like children – it’s time for a change. Students shouldn’t have to worry about being shot in a classroom. Teachers shouldn’t have to worry about being shot in a classroom.

I am married to a teacher. I am the son of a teacher. I have many friends who are teachers. And a friend of a friend died in the Parkland shooting. One of many school shootings recently. Sadly, it’s becoming difficult to keep up!

I am also a trained behavioral scientist, group facilitator, change management practitioner and founding member of a non-profit created to help reduce partisan extremism and increase dialogue to create common sense solutions for change – #UnifyUsNow. I don’t look at things through a party or partisan lens; I look at things from multiple viewpoints.

So, I have a unique viewpoint on the debate to reduce gun violence in America. It angers me to have to think about my teacher friends and family being placed in a situation where they need to make a choice of life and death while in the classroom. It angers me to see children die from gun violence and any loss of life from mass shootings.

Yes, our right to bear arms is protected under the Constitution. However, parents have the right to send their children to school safely. And children have the right to feel safe at school. There needs to be a better balance between the two.

As our elected officials don’t seem to be willing to make tough decisions and take strong actions – no, arming teachers is not a viable solution – I propose 4 real options to potentially prevent more senseless death from gun violence.

• First – treat guns like a car. Develop criteria for the legal purchase of guns and make certain individuals who purchase guns meet that criteria. Register your gun in a database just like cars are registered. This is being done to some extent, and has been embedded in recently proposed legislation, but lacks consistent enforcement and support. Enforce use of the database and consequences for not using the database or bypassing the process. Though state laws vary, you can get more time in jail these days for illegal possession of marijuana than illegal possession of a firearm. This must change.
• Second – limit the types of guns that can be purchased. This is not an attack on the 2nd amendment. I am not saying take away all guns from every individual. However, I see no reason why an everyday citizen needs a semi-automatic assault weapon that can shoot 30 bullets in as many seconds. I know friends who live on large acres of land where wild bears roam, who sometimes need a weapon for protection, and they use other types of weapons. Your average individual does not need nor should have access to semi-automatic assault weapons yet they do. This must change.
• Third – stop treating mental illness like it’s the pink elephant in the room. Though not all who commit mass shootings are deemed mentally ill, many in fact are mentally ill. And many are often undiagnosed or can’t afford treatment. Raise awareness about mental illness in our country and support programs and funding to help those who may need help. Guns don’t kill people without someone pulling the trigger. But people with a mental illness and a gun often have a higher chance of doing so. Yet, health insurance doesn’t exactly cover the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in our country or even the mental health support for victims of gun violence. This must change.
• Fourth – stop letting special interest groups influence policy. Remove big lobby money from politics. The NRA – and every other biased organization with a personal and profitable agenda out there who can buy or stall the legislation that they desire – should have no legal right to line the pockets of those creating the laws of the land. Until we try we will never know. Cynicism doesn’t help. I commend some of our elected officials who have made the decision not to accept donations of this type. Many other democratic countries have laws to prevent this. This must change.

Reducing gun violence in our country isn’t just about the guns. It’s about healthcare. It’s about big money in politics. It’s about leadership. It’s about societal norms and culture – less bullying and hate and more tolerance.

I am so glad to see the youth impacted by recent shootings taking a stand and making their voices heard. They and many others are raising awareness via their voice and peaceful protests. But they need help turning that awareness into action for change. Help from those people who make about $174,000 per year, work a mere 6-months out of the year, and vote for their own pay raises. You know, our elected officials. And this youth will not let up. This youth will not be silenced. This youth will exercise their right to vote. This youth will vote out politicians who don’t support action toward gun reform.

This is not just a jab at party politics. The majority of our “leaders” have failed us time and time again. What will it take for any of them to take a real and common sense stance on an issue that poses a real danger to our society?

The increase in gun violence in our country is sad and unnecessary. We can’t become numb to this. This can’t become the new normal.

As a change agent, change takes more than deflection, more than debate, and more than lip service. Solutions take effort. Dialogue. Compromise. Action.

I hope we act soon before more senseless violence happens.