The

Gun Issue is a Cancer

The IRA and gun manufacturers should be educating people about danger signs for gun violence and mass murders. They have the money and the media outlets. By Jane Gilgun

I just went on a rant. Someone posted a pro-NRA article on a writers list I belong to. I went ballistic. I felt like the gun issue is a cancer that has invaded even the protected space of a writers list whose purpose is not to share articles but resources to aid in publishing and marketing. The author was making an attempt at satire. She had a good point about adult over- reactions to five year-olds who get suspended when they threaten other kids with pink toy guns that shoot soap bubbles. I, too, am against zero tolerance in the schools. On the other hand, the writer also said, It has come to our attention that Secretary of Homland [sic] Security-aka Big Sis-Janet Napolitano, is increasing the agency's purchase of bottles of soapy solution to corner the market, tamping down future spurt-outs on street corners or kindergarten haunts. What is the point of calling Napolitano "aka Big Sis? This discredits Napolitano and her work. It sounds like it's straight from a propaganda machine. Also, the author is a writer. You'd think SHE would know how to spell Homeland. Sadly, I cant assume writers understand how important responsible criticism is. This is not responsible criticism. It plays right into the scare tactics of the NRA and gun manufacturers. This is how I responded to the article. Id paste the article at the end, but who knows what names the author might call me if I used her article without copyright permission. Please do not send me emails of this kind. You are acting as a shill for the NRA. Go away. Think, for goodness sake. Please understand the fights over guns are about money. That't it--money. Gun manufacturer want to make money. There is no personal right to bear arms in the Bill of Rights. Legitimate governments have the

right to create militias. That's what the 2nd amendment means. The constitution guarantees life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Why isn't there a huge lobby for these rights? Especially, my right to feel safe from guns I can't see [and from automatic weapons that the NRA and the law wants people to own but not to use in hunting animals]? Did you read how many guns and rounds of ammunition the mother of Adam Lanza [the Newtown shooter who killed 20 school children, six adults, and himself] owned and that Adam had free access to? Adam was socially isolated, spent all of his time in the basement playing war games, and kept newspaper clippings of other mass murders. The NRA and gun manufacturers should be educating people about danger signs like this. They have enough money to do this. [They also have the media outlets. I wonder how hard it is to scare people into caring for one another.] Didn't you think Wyatt Earp was right to make sure people kept their guns in the sheriff's office when they visited Tombstone? I have no problem with people owning a gun or so, but what is going on is madness fueled by people who care about making money and exerting power. I am one person against being shot. So are a lot of the rest of us. This list is not for the shills of the NRA and gun manufactures. Please!! I feel like the gun issue is a cancer that has invaded even the protected space of this list. References Gilgun, Jane F. (2013). The logic of murderous rampages and other essays on violence and its prevention. Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Murderous-Rampages-Violence-Prevention- ebook/dp/B00AYPR18A/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364570134&sr=1-6 Gilgun, Jane F. (2013). Two brothers, different outcomes. http://www.amazon.com/Two-Brothers-Different-Outcomes- ebook/dp/B00BU3XI3C/ref=la_B00458CS2G_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364570 072&sr=1-3 also on scribd.com Kleinfield, N.R., Ray Rivera, & Serge Kovaleski (2013). Newtown killers obsessions, in chilling detail. New York Times, March 29. P. 1. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/nyregion/search-warrants-reveal-items- seized-at-adam-lanzas-home.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0