By: Eve Pierce

This December has seen one of the worst tragedies to hit America in a long time, and the actions of one mentally unstable maniac have caused a large majority of the country to become embroiled in debates about the right to bear arms and what we can do to stop such horrific events from happening again. Sadly for the future of our country, this is unlikely to be the last time we hear of such a tragic event, whether gun possession is outlawed or not. The issue we should be concerning ourselves with is not actually about gun legality but social care, mental health detection and supervision, and public security.

Missing the Point

The events that occurred in Newtown Connecticut were truly awful, and we should not ever forget the pain and suffering that has been caused by this deplorable tragedy. It should also not make an excuse for seemingly ordinary, upstanding members of society to blast a public display of outrageous threats, hatred and misplaced ideology towards anyone who is legally in possession of a gun. The lefties have come out in force in the last week, berating public figures and ordinary people who take up their right as a citizen of the United States to bear arms. The horrific events which occurred in the school that day are in no way connected to the millions of responsible people who legally own a gun, and do so for the protection of themselves and their families.

The issue is not about the 2nd amendment, and people are simple missing the point entirely. It is more than likely that the Newtown gunman would still have carried out this horrendous assault even if guns were not legal. He was mentally unstable, and looking at his preparedness and complete disregard for life, it seems more than likely that his strong desire to commit this awful atrocity would have lead him to attain a gun even if they were not legal. Sadly such events happen from time to time in countries all over the world, many of which do not have legalized gun possession. The real issue is how a young man in this mental state was able to slip through the system undetected and unaided.

Unleashed a Darkside

Obama and other anti gun lobbyists have created a conflict between ordinary citizens all over the country. The right to bear arms has never been such a hot topic, and the reaction of this event by many citizens is deeply alarming. Not only are they misinformed about the true impact that banning guns would have on our nation, they are also showing themselves to be full of hatred and highlighting a lack of compassion and respect for others. Many online debates and social media platforms have been awash with attacks, threats of violence, death threats and other obscenities, directed towards gun owners and associations such as the National Rifle Association. At a time when the country should be mourning the deaths of these innocent adults and children, people are using it as an excuse to direct hatred and blame towards the millions of upstanding members of society who choose to take up their right to bear arms. The way things are at the moment, it wouldn’t be surprising if left wing supporters of a ban on gun possession were actually also backing plans to prevent gun owners from buying a property in their street or apartment block. The truth is that we need to be rational in our response to issues, and address them in a sensible and though out manner, not open up a witch hunt towards those with an extremely loose connection to the issue.

The Way Forward

The most sensible way to progress over these issues would be to do absolutely nothing right now. With passions rising to such an extent, it would not be wise for the government to rush into creating any emergency legislation before the real impacts of these policies has been investigated with an open and objective mind. A panic reaction is all too easy, and this really would be the sign of a weak leader. It should be Obama’s job to stand up as a calming voice after such an event and ensure that no rash decisions are made about one of the founding amendments which has helped to form this great country. Guns are certainly not responsible for massacres; unhinged people in need of help are responsible, and we should not be getting confused on the real issue here.