Another Day, Another Shooting

Think about all the things you're looking forward to. I have a lot of those things. I'm looking forward to getting off work today and seeing my beautiful wife, Adrian and playing with Rigby and Ed (our cats). I'm thinking about dinner tonight and what we'll watch on TV. I can't wait to fall asleep in my bed tonight with my wife at my side. I want to see the new “Star Wars” movie. I'm looking forward to seeing my family this Xmas. I have a stand-up show coming up next week. Adrian and I talk about what we'll name our kids when we decide to become parents. The list is infinite. I'm sure your list is as well. For every victim of gun violence in this country, every one of those things they were looking forward to were wiped out in a split second by a bullet. That's it. Done. Finished. Brain activity ceased. Your hopes and dreams leaking out with the blood pouring out of a bullet hole. There are endless ways to die, of course. We take a chance every time we leave our homes. We're not even 100% safe inside our homes. We accept a certain level of risk to be members of a society and to live our lives to the fullest. There are few things as efficient at cutting those lives short as guns, though. Why do you think they're called “assault” rifles? A terrorist is not going to walk into a theater or a school and murder 20 people with a knife or a spoon. But, hey, there's always a chance there could be a couple of “good guys” with guns on the scene, right? Maybe they'll shoot back. Maybe it'll be just like the movies. Maybe private citizens with concealed-carry permits who have never been under fire or in a combat situation will stay calm and cool while everyone else around them panics. Maybe they will magically transform into Chuck Norris. Question: Once the police arrive on the scene, at what point does the carnage freeze so the cops can discern the “good guys” from the “bad guys?” Eat more=lose weight. More gas=less fire. More alcohol=more sober. More traffic=less traffic accidents. More guns=less gun violence. It all makes perfect sense. It's ironic that people who want to change our laws to protect the life of a fetus, refuse to even discuss changing a law that could help protect their own children by making it harder for someone to get an assault rifle. If you think mass shooting after mass shooting is the price of freedom, then we have to disagree, because I find it hard to believe that the vision the founders had for this country was for private civilians to constantly be targets under continuous gunfire. Exactly what kind of fucking happiness are we pursuing here? Back to all those things you and me and everyone else in this country is looking forward to. I'm willing to bet if you or me were to be shot right now, those would be the things we would be thinking about as the life drained out of our bodies: all the things we'll miss and family and friends and pets that we'll never see on this planet again. Lots of things would flash through our minds in those last, painful, and tragic moments of life...and I can guarantee you that one of those things would NOT be the 2nd fucking amendment.