It Takes A Parent

I am deeply saddened by the recent shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. I am a sheepdog and a peacekeeper. I will always do my part to be prepared to prevent such an incident from ever happening in my presence. These "incidents" don't start at the site, but long before. Poor or inattentive parenting, lack of awareness and empathy on the part of teachers, coaches, and other school officials, and gun free zones all make these possible, likely, and eventually inevitable. They say that locks keep honest people honest. Gun control is the same way. It only factors in with mature, responsible, law-abiding citizens. Those who are immature, abandoned, desperate, fanatical, or unhinged will find a way to hurt and kill people.

Recent events have proven that you can kill large numbers of people with random motor vehicles and bad intent even quicker than with firearms. Every country that has enacted harsh gun control has had knife and other violent crime rise. Gun free zones don't protect anyone unless you can limit access one hundred percent.

Stop expecting the government to raise and protect your children. Teach them self-discipline, self-defense, empathy, and situational awareness. Be a real parent and limit their electronics and social media time. Engage them in the real world. Show them the things we did before the internet. Give back. Volunteer. There is scouting, the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society and No Kill Animal Shelters as well as breed rescues, Big Brother & Big Sister, VA Hospitals, nursing and retirement homes, The Council For Literacy, English as a Second Language, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), religious and youth sporting groups, as well as things as simple as playing catch with the neighbor's kid or reading to an elderly neighbor. If we don't teach compassion, love, kindness, and empathy by example our children will never learn and the tragedies will continue to mount. My daughter was raised with not only gun safety and respect for firearms but respect for people and the property of others. We paid attention to her and her moods, challenges, and needs and she didn't get in trouble for fighting, using drugs, stealing, or other anti-social behavior.

We cannot legislate away mental illness and loneliness. Responsible gun owners are not bloodthirsty, paranoid monsters. Quit representing them as the problem. With an estimated over three hundred million firearms and a trillion rounds of ammunition in America, if we were the problem, you would already know it. The cities and states with the strictest gun control have the highest violent crime rates. Criminals prefer their victims unarmed and passive. Hillary was partially right; it does take a village, but even more so, it takes involved parents who care about, love, mold, and engage their children. Participation awards don't teach children to deal with disappointment and life in the real world. Go outside and play with your family.