It's Not About Gun Control

I know we usually have a lot of fun over here at the Lowe Down.  We're always talking about holidays, fun family events, and home decorating.  Right now though, I am so disturbed and consumed with the horrible events that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the public reaction, I cannot help but comment on it, and I think this is probably the best forum for it.

I almost never agree with my Facebook newsfeed when it comes to political agendas.  Growing up a bleeding heart liberal in the heart of a red state didn't afford me many friends with my same views.   So it's no surprise to me during November in an election year that I generally unfriend some people and hide others and avoid most social media.  I'm used to it.

It has been a surprise to me that since Friday though, I have had to do the same thing.  Not for political reasons per se, but because I am still surprised by my "friends'" reaction to the events that took place this Friday.  Initially, a majority of people reacted simply as expected - horror, grief, sadness, hugging up their own kids - just like me.  Later, as more details have emerged, there have been stories of heroic teachers and kids, all hard to read but valuable.

However, there's another emerging theme.  Gun control.  This one didn't surprise me, but it continually disappoints me.  In the midst of a massacre of epic proportions, parents and siblings grieving for their first grader, are you really clinging to your duck hunting gun and screaming about your right to bear arms?  Clearly, my views on gun control do not match yours, but this is not the time or the place for that discussion.

Here is what I would like to ask, however.  Instead of concerning yourself with gun control, why aren't you screaming for better mental health care in our country?  Obviously, there was something very wrong with this man.  Did he have a mental health problem that went untreated or ignored?  Was he bullied severely as a child?  Was his home life a nightmare?  Details are murky right now, but we can all agree that no average person who had a peaceful upbringing, a healthy mind, and a normal childhood would do what this man did.

Maybe you should loosen your grip on your Glock, because I don't want to take it from you.  Maybe you should wonder what symptoms you're ignoring in your own child, brother, or friend, that is indicating to you that they need help.  This country does not concern itself much with the mental health of its citizens, as evidenced by longer work days, less vacation, severe bullying, and lack of oveall discussion.  Mental illness is a stigma, and not one that most want to discuss.  The only way to overcome this is by us, the citizens, parents, and employees, standing up for our mental health and that of others.

Maybe your child is the bully.  Stop worrying about your gun, and teach him tolerance, kindness, and compassion.  Teach him respect for those who are different from him.

Maybe he's the one being bullied.  Teach him confidence, and listen to him.  Go to your teacher, your principal, your lawyer, and fight for his right to be left alone.

Maybe he's just the one standing aside and watching it happen.  Teach him the merits of caring for those less fortunate than he, and not just in the financial aspect.  Teach him to stand up for the weak, the weary, the downtrodden.

Maybe your child has mental health concerns.  Please don't ignore them.  Talk to teachers, talk to doctors, and get him the help he needs.

I am not asking for sympathy for the killer.  All I am asking for is for us to focus on what's really important here.  Here's a hint:  it's not you or your gun.