Life
There's no denying that gun control is a passionate, heated topic of debate in this country. President Obama has highlighted a gun control plan in the past, numerous statistics prove that guns are a major problem in this country, and gun control has been touched on throughout the numerous Democratic and GOP debates. It has divided the country, and sparked plenty of controversy between family and friends and random strangers. It's clear that more and more moms are pro-gun control, and are hoping their stance will not only bring about change, but will teach important lessons to their children.
My partner and I don't agree on gun control, but that doesn't stop us from coming together to teach our kid important lessons about guns and gun safety. While I would be perfectly fine locking up all guns until the end of time, my partner likes guns and believes that owning guns is a Constitutional right that should stick around forever. While we disagree, both of us want to teach our son that guns are not toys, they are not part of a game where no one ever really, truly dies, and they are to be handled with the utmost of care, if ever at all.
We want our son to decide for himself how he feels about guns and how they should be legislated by the government, and as a pro-gun control mom, I hope that my stance will help my son realize these 10 lessons about guns and responsibility. We don't all have to agree on gun control, but we should all hope that our children learn these valuable, important lessons.
Guns Are Not "Cool"
Our society has painted guns as "cool" and "masculine." They're tools that demonstrate how heroic someone is. Of course, that's just not true. Guns are very serious weapons that should only be used by those who are trained and who handle them with care and respect. Just because an A-List celebrity pretends to shoot bad guys in a movie, doesn't make guns super awesome things we all should have.
Guns Are Not Toys
It's easy to think that guns are more like toys than actual weapons. We see them in our video games (where the "people" shot with them receive extra lives after they die) and have become accustomed to associating a gun with a game. But they're not toys. They're not part of a game. They're to be taken seriously and handled respectfully and if they're not, something dangerous and life-threatening is bound to happen.
Being A Member Of Society Requires Sacrifice
If you want to enjoy the benefits of being part of a society, you have to sacrifice for that society. That's why we pay taxes for roads and police officers and fire departments, even if we don't own a car or have ever had our house go up in flames. If we like feeling safe, we have to make sacrifices in order to do so. Sometimes that means putting more restrictions on a pastime, to ensure that people don't use that pastime to hurt other people.
Safety Is More Important Than Luxury
People being safe to go about their lives — to work or school or shopping or the movie theater — trumps another person's love of shooting tin cans in their back yard. Gun control means that yes, it will be more difficult and more time consuming to obtain a gun legally, but it also means that more people will be (and feel) safe.
Guns Are To Be Respected
Because they're not "cool toys," guns are to be respected. Legislation that enacts a process — a thorough process — to buying guns, will help ensure that firearms are treated as what they are: weapons.
Your Personal Freedom Cannot Mean Hurting Other People
We're all entitled to certain rights, and we should celebrate those rights and fight for those rights. However, those rights end when another person's begins, and all people have the right to be safe and alive. No one life is worth more than another, and to say that the right to own a gun easily should trump a person's right to go to school safely is just insanity.
"Gun Control" Doesn't Mean "No Guns"
Gun control does not mean eliminating all guns, contrary to a prevalent opinion. Just because a pro-gun control mom is in favor of tighter legislation, doesn't mean that she is for getting rid of all guns, everywhere.
Movies And TV Are Not Real Life
A television show or an action movie or a video game is nothing like real life. Bullets seem to be endless and people can get shot multiple times and still defeat the bad guy, and it's all so untrue. The idea that a person with a gun is invincible or somehow impervious to the repercussions of their "noble" actions, is a powerful, driving force in the very real danger of very real weapons. Of course, we don't want to scare our children, but it's extremely important that they understand the reality of guns and their abilities.
Guns Are Not Sexy, And Won't Make You Desirable
Guns are not sexy, and they won't make you appear sexy to the opposite sex. Have they been sexualized to sell a particular produce or idea or character? Of course. But they're not going to suddenly make an individual more desirable.
You Don't Have To Be Afraid Of Guns, But You Need To Be Knowledgable
Being a pro-gun control mom doesn't mean you want to teach your kid to hate guns and everyone who uses them. On the contrary, being a pro-gun control mom means teaching your kid to be knowledge about firearms, and respectful of all the ways they can be used. It's about staying informed and staying responsible, because no one's life is worth another person's favorite pastime.
