By Kellene Bishop
Silence.
Loneliness.
Darkness.
Fear.
In addition to the callous approach the police departments employ in reporting rape statistics to the FBI, “shame” also has a lot to do with many women not reporting such attacks. Alcohol consumption and drug abuse are often familiar prequels to rape, and no women would want to be labeled as an abuser or out of control. And due to natural side effects of substances, it’s common the victim is entirely unaware of what, if anything at all, even happened. Also, in some micro-cultures which have filtered into the U.S. from regions worldwide, rape victims are inexplicably seen as dirty, shamed, and of less worth to their families, recognized as being at fault for having lead-on the attacker. Having to relive the horrors of the incident to fill out a report and even testify in court understandably seems too much to handle. Ironically, many take an even more difficult path which requires silence, but ultimately does more damage emotionally, as well as physically and subsequently financially.
According to the justice department, it’s rare that attackers use extreme force or brutality during the rape, even though psychologists believe it to be an act of dominion and power. Consequently, it’s rare that there is an abundance of physical evidence surrounding the attack. This is another reason why more rapes aren’t reported by victims and police departments, and why more perpetrators aren’t taken to court. Without physical evidence, and because of the commonality of alcohol and drug abuse during the act, the charge seemingly amounts to little more than a victim’s personal vendetta against her attacker. It’s her word against his, and he’s innocent until proven guilty.By Kellene Bishop
With all that is going on in your life, why should you be better informed of a gang of illegal immigrant rebels? Because they are a realistic face of the harm which threatens your life, even your everyday life. They are not an obscure gang. In fact, the FBI defines MS-13 as the most organized crime entity in the U.S. They are feared not solely because of their horrific violent acts, but due to their organization. They specifically target middle and high school for recruitments. They have no compunction of committing violent acts upon their fellow citizens, as they fear no repercussions. Their greatest criminal focuses are on human and drug trafficking, and contract killing combined with unspeakable violence. A crime will never be committed by one of these members without it being accompanied by a beating, a rape, a murder, a dismemberment, or all of the above. They also have known ties and alliances to Al-Queda.
Who are they and why should you care? They are MS-13, otherwise known as Mara Salvatrucha. And yes, they have invaded your community. Visual evidence of such will be manifested by graffiti in your area that says “MS,” “Mara,” or “MS-13.”
Their violent organized traits stem from the fact that the majority of their founders are well trained in guerilla warfare in El Salvador. As such they possess a level of methodical training and skill set than any rival gang. Their very initiation is bloodcurdling. After enduring a slow 13 count beating, minimum, the inductee must then commit a violent act—either a beating, a rape, or murder—prior to being to be accepted. If they fail in their efforts within 13 hours, then they are murdered themselves in order that the MS-13 does not get spread by “incompetents.” (If you are a girl, the right of passage would include an obligatory gang rape). The more violent they are, the more elevated they are among their “military” crime group. One MS-13 member claimed during questioning, “The crazier you are known to be, the more respect the gang gives you.” On November 26, 2008, Jonathan Retana was convicted of the murder of Miguel Angel Deras, which the authorities linked to an MS-13 initiation.
As further evidence of their organization skills, there is a unique communication which takes place among them. Gang "signs" are also used by MS-13 including the infamous "devil horns" sign which gang members "throw" to signify their ownership of their turf. The devil horn sign, when turned upside down, forms the letter "M". Members also use multiple hand signals to communicate. Known as "stacking", these signs can be used to indicate their clique or to coordinate an attack. Pulling up on the shoulders of the shirt indicates an imminent attack while rubbing the belly indicates a shooting. A brush on the left shoulder indicates a stabbing attack. One of the defining factors of MS-13 is their absolute intolerance for anyone who informs the police of their activities. Court papers in Nassau County detail recorded telephone conversations where a MS-13 member bragged how he had put a stop to an informant—"I put one in the chest and three in the head."
Once a member is brought into the gang, they are in for life. They cannot act without the boss's consent—they cannot kill without reason, cannot talk to the police, cannot skip gang meetings, nor can they leave the gang. MS-13 has no tolerance for gang members who drop out. A MS-13 member and even their family members must die in order to exit MS-13, no exceptions. On May 13, 2006, Ernesto "Smokey" Miranda, an ex-high ranking soldier and one of the founders of the Mara Salvatrucha, was murdered at his home in El Salvador a few hours after declining to attend a party for a gang member who had just been released from prison. Not only had he offended his “brothers” for not attending the party, but he had threatened dissent by studying law and working to keep children out of gangs.
The majority of these gang members are in the country illegally. As such they are deported regularly. Going along with the fact that MS-13 members can’t simply get out, the much reported incident of Edward Guzman, a 14-year-old MS-13 members proves the more significant punishment of deportation. Guzman left Guatemala to escape the gang lifestyle and illegally came to the U.S. At the age of 16, on March 10, 2004, he was deported back to his home. He hid in his home for several days. His first day to venture out was March 20, 2004. He made it only 5 blocks where he was shot multiple times. MS-13 grudges never die.
Wikipedia mistakenly states that this gang originated in Los Angeles. In fact they originated in El Salvador and were the largest formalize gang there. The gangs then infiltrated the Los Angeles area as it was already rampant with a gang culture. While they originally consisted of Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans, their desired “market” penetration has forced them to take on any Central American individual who can suitably pass their initiation and sub-sequent performance requirements. Their targets are indiscriminate so long as they can wreak horror and obedience to their reign in their communities. Case in point, in the minds of an MS-13 member, the term “road rage” means nothing to them. It is their road, and they allow you to drive on it. Obstruction of such means death. On June 22, 2008, in San Francisco, CA, a 21-year old MS-13 gang member, Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father, Anthony Bologna, 48, and his two sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16, after their car briefly blocked Ramos from completing a left turn down a narrow street. In spite of their cache of firearms, most MS-13 members are adept in the use of a machete.
They are not a criminal gang so much as they are much more focused on political power. As such they have been ordered to focus on eliminating border patrol guards along the Arizona border as it interferes with their money-making activities. (see:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2005/mar/28/20050328-125306-7868r/ and http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3386933) In Honduras, MS-13 executed a son of the son of Honduras President Ricardo Maduro after kidnapping and torturing him. (1997) All over Central America, their acts of death and defiance are intended to taunt government officials. Members also left a dismembered corpse with a note for the Honduras president that “more people will die… the next victims will be police and journalists.” In 2004, Guatemalan President Oscar Berger received a similar messages attached to the body of a dismembered man from MS-13 members. As such, this gang operates with no fear of government reprisals. Since they were able to sufficiently overcome any such consequences with their own Salvadoran government, every country, state, and community they enter with the same haughty view of the Laws’ inability to deliver suitable consequences. They do not fear a prison sentence. Rather they return to their gangs upon release as an elevated veteran. Thus there are uninhibited in the horror of their criminal acts.
They have sufficiently permeated every state in the U.S. Even our nation’s capital holds no borders for them, in fact, they flaunt the fact that they are the strongest gang in the D.C. area. In northern Virginia and southern Maryland, around the Washington D.C. area, local authorities estimate MS-13 membership to be between 5,000 and 6,000 members. In July of 2003, the Washington DC area encountered three known murders attributed to MS-13. The first was the murder of a federal informant. The second was the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy. The third was the death of a 16-year-old boy who had both of his hands completely chopped off.
In December of 2004 in Honduras, a local MS-13 chapter stopped a traveling bus mostly filled with women and children and sprayed it with automatic gunfire. No robbery was attempted. No rape or kidnapping. Simply murder and mayhem which resulted in the death of 28 people. Their motive was to cause horror in the government as indicated by a note left behind promising the government that more killings of this nature would take place.
So why should YOU be concerned about them? Because they are yet one more aspect of a potential emergency situation for which you need to be prepared. Do not underestimate their violence. You will not be able to reason with them. You will not be able to give them what they want and have them simply go away. Horrific violence is at their very core. You will need to be mindful of them and to defend yourself appropriately.
Between the fall of 1997 and the spring of 2002, FIFTY-THREE high school students were KILLED playing high school football. (National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, Feb. 2001) The lives of the spectators and the fellow students of these players will never be the same. And I want something done to make sure that such needless deaths never happen again. Fifty-three deaths! Where is the outrage?! Where’s 20/20 or 60 Minutes when you really need them to shed light on a problem? Why can’t we have Football Free Zones?! Something must be done to STOP these needless football playing deaths. In fact, I think that the schools should all adopt a strict “no play zone” policy. Someone could poke an eye out with one of those footballs, or choke on it. A teacher could be emotionally and physically harmed for life if a student hit them with a football! If you see someone drawing a picture of a football, I don’t care if it’s a fifth grader in St. Petersburg, FL, that person should be arrested. If a drawing of a football is used at school, even if it’s two eight-year olds, they should be have criminal charges filed against them and be considered a terrorist threat. If a child is caught pretending to throw a football, they should be charged with felonious assault. Take down those pictures of football players and coaches! Stop glorifying them. These types of activities KILL KIDS! And if they get caught with a Nerf ball on school property—that’s just unacceptable. Such a criminal should be jailed in Fort Meyers, FL—I don’t care if they ARE a National Merit Scholar. There should be an aggressive and zero tolerance policy to this kind of extreme in order to ensure that no such football players are ever killed playing football again. In fact, this problem is so pervasive, I demand that the National Education Association offer a FREE $150,000 insurance policy to be paid in the event that a teacher ever dies from a football incident.
Did you think that the ruling in favor of D.C. residents of legally possessing handguns was simply a fluke? Think again. If you’re in favor of the 2nd Amendment being honored throughout this nation, then you have reason to shout and holler with happiness! In an otherwise highly liberal court, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California has ruled to enforce the 2nd Amendment! Woo hoo! This is a significant development, folks. Take a moment to bask in good news.By Kellene Bishop, Women of Caliber
When you’re finished reading this piece, I hope that you will see how numerous of our government officials AND the majority of our journalists are actually guilty of premeditated child endangerment in our nation.
Don’t you HATE being manipulated? I don’t know about you, but I LOATHE being manipulated. So much so that when I’m watching a live presentation and I can tell that I’m being manipulated to laugh or clap or holler at a particular moment, I obstinately refuse to be a “joiner.” To me, manipulation is right up there with spewing “bold-face” lies. Such actions are disingenuous, and in my not-so-humble opinion, when such manipulated efforts are perpetrated by a government or otherwise trusted “officials”, it’s worse than just a lie. It’s an act of treason which is intended to strip me of my freedoms and security. So how would you like to discover that countless attempts are shot at you regularly to manipulate how you raise your children, and in doing so are actually putting your children at a significant danger? Yup. Now “Dem’s Fighting Words, Bubba!”
Welcome to the relationship our international media has with guns. Their motives are unfathomable to me, but they clearly reek of a subservience, minion-like attitude of one who is serving a tyrannical king. (Makes me wonder why so much blood has been spilt so that these journalists can have the right of free press, when they clearly do not use such a right freely.) While horrific criminals are being let off Scott free for premeditated murder of children, child abuse, child endangerment, and child slavery, our very own media is in love with manipulating our nation’s parents in their views and education of their children about firearms. IF firearms are a danger to the lives of children, then they are sounding a much needed warning cry. However, IF firearms are actually an effective means of protecting ourselves and our children, then such manipulation is a terrorist act, in my opinion. In such a case, here’s the real crime—the protection and safety of our children should be the number one priority of every single parent in America. Such instincts to protect the children are even remarkably innate in non-parents as well. And IF a firearm can actually ensure that an added measure of safety and security is available for our children, then anyone who would desire to eliminate such a tool is an enemy to my children, the future security of my country, and thus a terrorist enemy to me.
If right now, you cringe at the thought of possessing a firearm in your home or on your persons out of fear that a child may be harmed by it accidentally, then you have indeed fallen prey to this criminal campaign. Here’s why.
Crime #1—How the government statistics define “children.” Since the anti-gun proponents frequently use images of young children to ensure the proper emotional reaction to firearm accident statistics, it’s important to understand how such research studies define a child. Are you ready? According to the majority of all gun and children related accidents a child is defined as the age of 0 to 20 and even as old as TWENTY-FOUR years old, depending on the source. That’s right. Junior who has joined a gang at the age of 18 and is 35 times more likely to be shot as a result of such gang-relations is blatantly used to skew the statistics of the “children and guns” movement of the anti-gunners. Why is this the case? For the very reason that I used in my example. Gang related deaths are numerous. And unfortunately it’s common for teens to be involved in gangs, thus they are involved in gang related shootings.
“Most violent crime is committed by males ages 16-24, so these numbers include adult gang members dying during criminal activity.” (FBI Uniform Crime Statistics, 1997) “18-20 year olds commit over 23% of all gun murders.” (U.S. Treasury and Justice Dept. Report, 1999) None of these “children” are allowed to purchase a handgun due to their age under current law.
And don’t forget the fact that some of these “children” are fighting over in Iraq or Afghanistan right now. The clear motivation with this stretched definition of what constitutes a child is that the anti-gun individuals will have a more suitably intimidating statistic of “children involved in gun related deaths” to influence society with. Don’t believe that these statistics are defined this way? Here’s just one direct quote from Handgun Control, Inc., a blatantly anti-gun organization.
The annual review of mortality data, published by the Department of Health and Human Services, said gun-related deaths dropped from 4,223 in 1997 to 3,792 among children under age 20 in 1998." -Handgun Control, Inc. (emphasis added.)
In actuality, 142 children ranging in age from 0 to 14 were killed as the result of a gun. That does not imply that 142 deaths of any age is acceptable, but do you really think that the media and government officials would get the emotional result from you they desired if they instead stated “Out of over 300 million guns held legally nationwide among over 15 million children under the age of 14, 142 were killed in 1997.” Yeah. It lacks the “pow” effect that they believe they can accomplish with the other so-called statistic. It’s a far cry from the 4,223 or 3,792 number, now isn’t it? Do you feel manipulated yet? Don’t worry if you don’t. I’ve got more.
Crime #2—Blatant Media Bias on the Reporting of Children and Gun Incidents: When you see a news report on a child killed with a gun, pay attention to how many times such a report is run compared to any other news piece, and pay attention to the pictures which are associated with such an instance. When individuals are killed in an airplane crash, what does the media attempt to do after such a report? They predictably follow up the story with statistics on overall safety record of flying, attempting to allay any fears the viewers/readers may have about flying. Have you EVER read a news article that ever attempted to convey the facts about the SAFETY and BENEFITS of guns in our nation?
During 2001, John Lott, Sr., Research Scholar of the School of Law at Yale University, audited the 3 major news networks. During that year there were over 190,000 words of coverage dedicated to gun crimes. However, only 580 total words were devoted to the merits of owning a gun for self-defense, and even that occurred as the result of ONE network interviewing a police office who helped stop a school shooting.
In 1999, Newsweek did a special issue of “American Under the Gun.” There were over 15,000 words spewed in an attempt to bias the dangers of gun ownership and not one single word sharing statistics of the use of guns in self-defense scenarios.
In 2001, USA Today contained 5,660 words on crimes committed with a gun, no words on gun use in self-defense. Washington Post provided 46,884 words on stories of gun crimes with only 953 words on defensive uses of guns.
In 1999, 20/20 aired a very anti-gun episode specifically attempting to enlighten viewers on dangers of mixing children and guns. During the course of the show, a toy room was filmed showing children playing with real guns and playing with them as if they were toys. At one point the “voiceover” even stated “It wasn’t long before the shooting began.” There was NO shooting. There was make-believe play! The same year this show aired, 1999, there were 31 children under the age of 10 who died from accidental gun deaths. Is there ANY other way that children die which receives more press attention with the same level of alarm? Think about it. If 31 children died this year as the result of choking on a Triscuit cracker, do you think it would receive ANY news coverage? The level of disproportionate coverage is clearly an indicator of blatant manipulation. Wouldn’t it be revolutionary for a new report to follow-up a rare accidental child shooting with statistics such as, “Did you know that water is 19 times more dangerous to a child than a firearm? Or “Bathtubs are twice as dangerous to children as guns. Fire is 18 times more dangerous to children than guns. Cars are 57 times more dangerous. Household cleaners and poisons are twice as dangerous.” (Dr. Joyce Lee Malcolm, Guns and Violence , Bentley College history professor)
Feel manipulated yet? There’s more.
Crime #3—Blatant Government Bias on the Reporting of Children and Gun Incidents: First of all, it’s important that you understand that government reports almost always result in statistics which favor the entity which funded the work of creating such a report. Politicians clearly want research studies which produce the support for the position which they have already opted to take. And they rarely resist injecting politics into supposedly objective science studies. In spite of being in existence and well-funded for decades and with all of the “studies available” conducted by government organizations on guns and children, the Department of Justice and the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, has never conducted ANY is ANY report which attempts to discover the number of children’s lives that were SAVED as the result of a gun being present.
The manipulation never seems to cease, does it?
Crime #4—Out Right LYING about Gun Use Statistics: Seatbelts save lives, right? That’s why it’s a crime in most areas of the country not to have your child in a car seat and with a seat belt. And yet in spite of such requirements, 250,000 children are injured in car accidents every year, with over 2,000 of them resulting in child fatalities. (National Center for Statistics) Additionally, in spite of the rare circumstances which have occurred in which a seat belt or an air bag has actually killed a child in such an accident, you do not hear any clamoring for such cars or automobile safety features to be banned or locked up, right? And yet the entire aura of government reports and media reporting would have you believe that guns are an offending foe in the deaths of children.
While we’re told that 13 children die every day from a gun accident, this number “13” involves gang-related activities while committing felonies and kids that commit suicide. (FBI Uniform Statistics, 1997) In fact, four children dies each day in the U.S. as the result of parental neglect and abuse. Perhaps we should register and license parents? Not! The number “13” is nothing more than a bold-face lie intended to manipulate the presence of guns for self-defense in our lives.
According to the Center for Disease Control, of all of the accidental killings of children, 56% of them were from car accidents, 22% were from drowning. 0.1% of all deaths of U.S. children between the ages of zero and 14 are from firearms according to the National Safety Council. In 2000, there were 86 accidental firearm deaths of children under the age of 15. However, in that same year there were 40 children under the age of five that died in a bucket and 80 who died drowning in a tub.
According to the General Accounting Office, gun trigger locks are proven ineffective against most children older than 7 years of age. California has a trigger lock law and saw a 12% increase in fatal firearm accidents in 2005. Texas doesn't have such a law and experienced a 28% decrease in firearm accidents in that same year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
The myth is perpetuated that handguns are 43 times more likely to kill a family member than a criminal. And yet of the deaths that were reported in the study this mythical statistic originates, 86% of the deaths were suicides. Other deaths involved criminal activity between the family members such as drug deals that went awry. Only 0.1% of the defensive gun deaths resulted in the death of a family member. (Dr. Gary Kleck, Criminologist, Florida State Univ.)
Manipulation rages on.
Crime #5—Failing to Assist in the Education of REAL Gun Safety: You can’t watch television all your life without being exposed to the reinforcement of rules that parents teach their children such as “don’t talk to strangers,” “say please and thank you”, etc. And yet there has not yet been ONE government or media sponsored piece teaching children gun safety. Over the past 5 years, not a single gun safety mention has ever been made after the report of an accidental shooting involving a child. Not one. And yet if the safety message of parents were to be reinforced by the media and our government, the number of accidental child shootings would be reduced by HALF! (Read The Bias Against Guns by John R. Lott, Jr.) Instead of supporting and even sharing such teachings of safety, our media, entertainment industry, and particularly Hollywood glorifies the insolence and rebellion of youth and gangs.
In my opinion, if you are not a part of the solution, then you are definitely a part of the problem. Instead of getting this kind of support funded from the egregious taxes they pay, parents have to rely solely on like-minded friends and family members, or the generosity of private organizations such as the NRA’s Eddie Eagle Gun Safety program, to reinforce the most critical of gun safety rules. If you were to protect yourself and your family from an intruder (rapist, kidnapper, robber), would a telephone or a firearm be more effective?
The facts are that over 2.5 million crimes are PREVENTED every year as the result of the possession of legally held firearms. (as reported by John R. Lott, JR AND Dr. Gary Kleck) How many of those prevented crimes have actually saved the life of a child or prevented the sexual abuse of a child or a child kidnapping? Well, that’s yet one more “research study” that is glaringly missing from the campaign of guns in America. Gee. I wonder why?
Instead of vilifying guns and gun owners, our government should be accurately reporting the facts related to guns and children and guns used in self-defense. And based on the REAL statistics, even encourage and empower more citizens to actually possess and use guns in self-defense and to defend their family.
Consider these final facts. Eight times as many children die from non-gun violent acts than from gun crimes. (Kids and Guns, 2000, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) 82% of homicides to children age 13 and under were committed without a gun. (1997, FBI Uniform Crime Statistics)
Yes. You’re being manipulated. And the overwhelming statistics of SAFETY actually prove that such a distortion of the truth could cause harm to your children. That’s why I wholeheartedly accuse several government officials and leaders, as well as so many so-called journalists of endangering the life of our nation’s children. Unfortunately, if you buy into this travesty of a campaign, the real statistics indicate that it just may COST you or your child their life.
Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.
You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.
With great foresight based on a history of learning, the Founding Fathers specifically tied the right of the citizens to defend their liberty to their right to defend against a tyrannical government. Is it a coincidence that such a right to “keep and bear arms” was only the Second Amendment? I think not. As such it certainly cannot be accused of being a mere afterthought of our forefathers. Indeed, these wise servants of our nation desired that if the power of the spoken or written word was ineffective in ensuring the freedom and sovereignty our nation, then by all means they were willing to ensure such freedom by the “flint and lock.”
Secondly, I have written previous pieces regarding the fictitious state of such claims. However, while it may be common place for so-called journalists and gossipers to restate this mythical statistic, I believe it an act of ignorance and perhaps even treasonous for our Commander-in-Chief to do so. Recently, on his trip to Mexico, Obama “admitted” to President Calderon that “90% of the guns which are found in the use of crimes in Mexico have come from the U.S.” The problem is there was no such fact to “admit” anymore than it was a “fact” when he claimed that America was no longer a “Christian nation” at a recent international summit. This claim of the 90% weapon stuff is indeed NOT fact. And if Obama made such a statement knowing that it was in error, then he did so with the intent to put the American culture at odds with the rest of the world once again. In fact, a knowing mis-statement of this nature clearly shows his anti-gun agenda to the world, most importantly to those who elected him to office believing (however naively that may be) that he had a more favorable stance on the right of American citizens to defend themselves.
the manufacture or assembly of firearms, ammunition, explosives,
and other related materials:
a. from components or parts illicitly trafficked; or
b. without a license from a competent governmental authority of the
State Party where the manufacture or assembly takes place; or
c. without marking the firearms that require marking at the time of
manufacturing.
States Parties shall establish or maintain an effective system of export,
import, and international transit licenses or authorizations for transfers of
firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other related materials.
States Parties shall not permit the transit of firearms, ammunition,
explosives, and other related materials until the receiving State Party issues
the corresponding license or authorization.
States Parties, before releasing shipments of firearms, ammunition,
explosives, and other related materials for export, shall ensure that the
importing and in-transit countries have issued the necessary licenses or
authorizations.
The importing State Party shall inform the exporting State Party, upon
request, of the receipt of dispatched shipments of firearms, ammunition,
explosives, and other related materials.
1. States Parties shall exchange among themselves, in conformity with their
respective domestic laws and applicable treaties, relevant information on
matters such as:
a. authorized producers, dealers, importers, exporters, and, whenever
possible, carriers of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other related
materials;
By Kellene Bishop
Let’s ask this question. If you were a criminal intent on shooting people, or robbing a place with a firearm, where would you NOT want to go? What would be the most stupid place or area you could attempt to hold up? Let’s see… The Pentagon. A police station. A military base. A Texas rodeo. A donut shop in New York (because that’s where a lot of police hang out – j/k) or a pawn shop in Utah—way too many guns there and people with guns. Yup. I haven’t heard of any criminals trying to hold up the Federal Reserve or Fort Knox in a hundred years. I wonder why that is? Oh yeah, there might actually be GUNS there and people who know how to use them. Indeed, with the exception of a little tongue in cheek humor, these places would be the most risky for a criminal to infiltrate as a result of the harm that he would most assuredly face. And since such criminals are cowards of prey, not predators, they would not be inclined to expose themselves to such a risk.
Riverside, CA—Roman Catholic Retreat—no guns allowed. 2 killed, many wounded at the hands of one gunman
By Kellene Bishop
I’ll start right off with answering the question, “What is Really Responsible for the Deaths of Our Nation’s Children?” This is specifically posed to the deaths that result from guns being inappropriately used by children, and not all of the other more deadly causes of death discussed in Part II of this series. The answer is the somewhat naïve position that parents take regarding “toy guns” and the entertainment that we expose our children to. Allow me to show you why this is indeed the case.
The other night I was at a family gathering watching 12 raucous boys ranging in age from 3 to 12 in the back yard. There were all kinds of “boy toys” back there such as foam swords, balls, and even a plastic gun. I was livid however, when one of the boys picked up a toy gun and began “shooting” his cousin with it. Clearly this child has not been taught anything about the proper use of guns in his environment (Yes, I did intercede and took the moment to educate…not that it will do any good unless it’s reinforced in his home as well).
and guns? I mean seriously, if the media painted overeating and refined sugar as the villains that they really are the same way they portray guns in the presence of children, we’d have a very different health status in our American youth. It’s hard to uncover any other way that children die which receives more focus by the media in America. Regardless, one life lost unnecessarily is too many in my opinion, especially when it truly is so easily avoidable. The key aspect of this problem is that our nation has come to accept a dichotomous position, yet the two sides of this position simply cannot coexist and still foster gun safety with children.
It defies logic to think that we can simply teach children that “play” guns are acceptable but “real” guns are not, when “play” guns always instill the physical action of pointing and shooting! Parents have an even tougher challenge in this regard when we consider that “play” guns are expertly mimicking the appearance of real guns today. Parents, you simply cannot have it both ways. You can’t successfully have a world of toy guns and a world of real guns. Remember, you can’t control what your children will find outside of your home. The rules for guns need to be consistent, and deliberate whether it’s a “play gun” or a “real gun.” Teach your children that there’s no such thing as a “toy” gun. Non-real guns can be used to teach skills, safety awareness, etc. But every gun your child comes into contact with should be viewed with the same safety rules and respect as a gun which shoots real bullets and can take another’s life, otherwise it’s playing Russian Roulette in it’s truest form. There’s too much else that your child is exposed to which is relentlessly fighting against your message to your children of gun safety. As such, you can’t afford for there to be any confusion on the subject. You are either going to teach your children unequivocal truths about gun safety, with no exceptions, or you are going to fail miserably. Does this mean that you shouldn’t teach you children how to shoot, how to clean a gun, how to hunt, how to enjoy shooting sports, and how to defend themselves? Absolutely not. In fact, quite to the contrary.
When a child is old enough to pick up a toy gun and begin playing with it, this is the perfect time to take him into the education process of teaching him the REAL world of guns. Start teaching him how to clean them. Teach him the safety rules, all of them, again and again. Take him shooting. Take him to a REAL gun training class (like the kind that Women of Caliber offers to children 5 and up with a parent present). My husband and I even bought our niece a BB gun when she was 5 (with her mother’s permission, of course) and taught her how to shoot it. Bottom line, you can’t successfully outlaw all guns, period, because of what they will be exposed to elsewhere. So you’ve got to educate them with one set of rules which applies to all guns.
From the beginning of the 1800’s and through the 1970’s you rarely heard of accidental shootings with children. Why? Because the combination of gun usage and children was a necessary and integral way of life for a significant portion of our youth during that time. Children had to regularly learn to shoot on their farms, for hunting, in sporting events, and yes, even to defend themselves. Don’t you recall the abundance of “children” that attempted to enlist during the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and even World War I? It was also custom at the time that when a boy turned 4 years old, he was taught how to shoot rabbits to put food on the table. Additionally, children were not exposed to the kind of “entertainment” and pervasive television like they are now either. Guns weren’t vilified during these years as they are now. Think about it. Our nation lasted over a century without this prevalent kind of problem in our midst. Why is that? Because guns had their proper, respected place in society.
Serious flaws were present with the 20/20 show aired last Friday, April 10, 2009. This episode was focused on showing the error of private citizens owning guns. It made a case for the fact that individuals don’t shoot effectively when they are under stress, that children and even teenagers aren’t properly trained to avoid guns, and that gun shows are ideal locations for criminals to buy guns. Let’s go over their fallacies bit by bit.
In this scenario, 20/20 had a “shooter” enter a classroom full of undercover participants and one “Exhibit A,” an individual “armed” with a derivative of a paintball gun in a holster on their person. All of the “Exhibit A(s)” had just gone through a gun safety and target training with professional instructors prior to being put in this contrived situation. While each “Exhibit A” was attending a training class, the appointed shooter enters the room and starts shooting. The undercover participants start screaming and running in all directions. In every instance shown by 20/20, the Exhibit A person was unable to draw their firearm effectively, protect themselves from being shot, and/or accurately hit the offending target. Can I just say, DUH! For one thing, just how often does such a scenario as the one 20/20 illustrated actually occur? Sure the news is full of shootings in public places over the last 6 months, but they are far from being commonplace. In my opinion, using such a scenario was callused and sensationalizing a horrific occurrence. Very rarely do mass shootings get stopped by regular citizens. It is difficult to be sure of your shot and thus difficult to avoid collateral damage due to the ensuing chaos of fleeing and frantic persons all around. The cessation of such a scenario with a firearm would very likely require either a whole lot of armed private citizens focused on the same outcome, or one very well trained shooting expert.
2) “Children and even teenagers do not handle situations with firearms properly”: Again, another DUH! This point is 100% accurate thanks to the education that most children receive all of their life at the hands of the media and film industry about guns—not for the reasons that 20/20 attempted to demonstrate. Most parents do not train their children appropriately about guns nor frequently enough. 20/20 would have viewers believe that gun safety training was ineffective in preventing accidents. Bottom line is the safety your children employ around firearms is up to you. Obviously it takes more than a simple 20 minute safety class to train them properly—it has to be a lifetime effort. Just as you attempt to train them all their life to choose right over wrong, you must train them all of their life to handle a firearm appropriately. That way they don’t turn into stupid teenagers who mishandle firearms. By the way, you may want to take a look at the real statistics of children dying at the hands of firearm accidents by seeing my previous expose on children and guns: http://womenofcaliber.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/children-and-guns%e2%80%94part-ii/
3) “Because of all of the shootings we’ve had, we must make it harder for people to get guns”: See this is where folks really don’t understand what it means to be a nation of Freedom. Freedom is in place so that ALL citizens can have the unfettered ability to make decisions for themselves. And in the event that some citizens use their freedom to take away the freedoms of others, then they need to suffer the consequences. But taking the freedom away from law abiding citizens because there are many who won’t use their freedom wisely is wrong, plain and simple. This is like the age-old question that people ask, “Why does God let these bad things happen?” Because He allows us to make choices and to suffer the consequences that come thereafter. If He took away the freedoms of one to punish another then He would not be a God of Free Agency, would He? And if our nation takes away the Freedoms of some in order to MAYBE thwart the evilly used freedoms of others, then we are no longer a nation of Freedom. Our government does not exist to legislate and squelch freedoms. It exists to support and protect our freedoms and then to dish out appropriate punishments to those who abuse that freedom, and ONLY to those who abuse that freedom. Yes, it’s easy for criminals to get guns. And no matter what laws get put into place, it will always be simple for criminals to get whatever it is that they want. But we cannot punish the criminals in what may be their evil intent (i.e. prevent them from getting guns through standard processes) without surely punishing a free, law-abiding people from carrying out their rights.
Horrific news is coming in today from several sources. A woman who was repeatedly raped in the presence of MTA employees at a train station in Queens, NY was told by a judge today that those who stood and watched her rape take place had no obligation to help the woman other than informing their command center and informing them that police presence was needed at their location. (Note, they are only obligated to call the command center, not 9-1-1)
My thoughts on this issue are frankly all over the place. I will always fight vehemently that our Constitutional freedoms are upheld. Unfortunately, that means that I must tolerate the immoral way that others use their freedom. However, we certainly need to be reminded that the U.S. Constitution was created for a moral and God-fearing people. Clearly, as in the case of those who watched this heinous act take place in Queens, many have become numb to any thoughts of moral conscience. While these onlookers will not have to answer to this particular judge, they will certainly have to answer to God and explain to Him why they simply allowed this to happen.
The sanctimonious positions of many who mistakenly believe that the 2nd Amendment is only for members of militia is clearly wrong in light of this set of circumstances. Our Founding Fathers fully understood that others could not be compelled to defend us, except in a time of war, and still have our nation be built on freedom. However, they certainly would not have left us defenseless in the face of evil as this woman was either. Thus every American in this nation was given the right—not privilege—to defend themselves with a gun. This woman lost her civil lawsuit against the MTA. Perhaps she should be suing the State of New York for making it difficult for her to defend herself with the most effective means possible!
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