thekidexperience

This is not exactly the first-entry-back-after-my-long-hiatus I had planned but nonetheless this is what motivated me to start up the blog again.

It is really incomprehensible, the tragedy that took place in Newton Connecticut this past week. There are so many thoughts swirling around in my head I don’t even know where to begin.

My first thoughts are about the families and friends of those kids and adults who have tragically and senselessly lost their lives.

My thoughts are about the kids who at that age should know nothing about the madness, rage and lunacy that is all too prevalent in the world today.

Then my thoughts turn to the fact that this has been a shockingly familiar story, particularly in the past year. As a Canadian it seems so insane to me, the gun culture in the USA. Even as I write that sentence I can hear the gun lovers shouting, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. Which is really such a BS argument. “People” couldn’t have walked into that school and murdered 26 human beings without the exclusive help of guns. Do you think if the killer walked in with a lead pipe he’d have wreaked such devastation? Yes, I understand this was the work of a sick, disturbed individual and that any loss of life is tragic but don’t kid yourself, it was guns that racked up the death toll in Newton.

From what I’ve read, among the weapons that were found on scene were a Glock 9mm, Sig Sauer 9mm and a Bushmaster rifle M4 carbine. (like I knew what the hell that was. I had to look it up. You should too. Tell me this is something that really needs to be “legal” in a civilized country). These were all legally registered weapons to the killer’s mom. Legally registered.

I can say that I’m living a pretty full and enjoyable life without feeling my rights as a human being are being crushed by the fact that I can’t legally own an assault rifle that looks like something out of a Bruce Willis movie. Then again, we don’t have the exalted Second Amendment up here in Canada.

I know the gun lobby in the USA has their studies, statistics and numbers that assure Americans that increased gun regulation has nothing to do with reducing gun deaths but I know a little about spinning stories from data. I’ve spent more than a decade crunching through the numbers to convince consumers why one brand of laundry detergent (or shampoo, or ice cream or yogurt) is better than another. (a relatively benign comparison, granted). My point is that I’ve made a decent living at it and I can tell you that the question is never “Which brand is better”? It’s “Find the numbers that tell me that my brand is better”. And I will. And I’m just some geek in an office cubicle.

The gun lobby will always have the resources, the data, the numbers (and the politicians) to tell and support their story – and it may even seem convincing. But how’s that working out for you? How’s that working out for the families in Newton?

Bill Maher had a great quote on Facebook today that read, “Sorry but prayers and giving your kids hugs fix nothing; only having the balls to stand up to our insane selfish gun culture will”.

True enough. But I’m not holding my breath. Until then maybe some lucky gun lovers will have a shiny new Bushmaster under the Christmas tree this year.