In the wake of the shootings and tragic deaths at nearby Marysville Pilchuck High School, kids discussed; some worried; some admitted school 
shootings were a fear of going to high school.
Someone responded with this statement: “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”
Sometimes a young, 17-year old articulates something that grabs your attention. Today a young high school student sent in some thoughts.
No matter how you feel about gun control or gun rights, or whether you lean left or right, gun violence took two lives inside a nearby high school. Lives were changed at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.
Here is the response from a high school student:
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people’ is an over-used attempt at a catch-all cliche to justify keeping gun laws loose. It makes me want to throw up.
Yes, people kill people, but guns depersonalize it and make it easier to kill faster and in greater quantities. There is no way that someone could stab six people before someone noticed or stopped him – or people ran away.
You have a chance to out run a person with a knife – not a gun. You can hide from a guy with a knife because he can’t stab you through a door. Whereas, if he has a gun, he can unload it through a door and probably still kill or wound the person inside.
The news just released that a student was confirmed dead. Go tell their parents that guns don’t kill people.
I’m sorry, but this is the issue I am most passionate about. I can’t stand so many, so desperate to defend guns at all costs. They can use the second amendment, but at the end of the day it’s not about ‘personal safety’ or our ‘right to bear arms.’ It’s just that some people like guns.
Sorry again. I understand if you don’t want to read this. I’m just really sad and upset, and going to school scares the crap out of me sometimes – and I don’t think that’s right.
These were just kids, probably looking forward to the weekend or complaining about homework. How are they any different from me or anyone I go to school with?”
~ Anonymous
Comments
Well put. You are very wise.
There are trillion ways to kill people and killing people has gone on way before guns. What’s next ban on anti-matter devices? There will always be a tool to kill or defend and it will always get more advanced with innovation, so long as there is… you guess it: DEMAND: aka human being desire.
Again the point is work to fix people (peaceful parenting, reasoning skills, etc..), not limit someone’s right to defend themselves. Bad people will always find an implement to kill someone regardless of laws- laws only hurt good people.
See here for the facts about gun control:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFMUeUErYVg
See here for the solutions to human violence (peaceful parenting):
Scott misses the point. Gun control is not an attempt to stop ALL killing, not even all gun killing. It is just a way to make it a little harder. I do not want to accept that occasional killing sprees with guns is just a part of American life. We can do better. Let’s not make it so easy to have guns.
BTW – I also hate the argument that “we don’t need gun control, just more mental health care”. why not both?
Yet another young person with more of a firm grasp on truth and reality than many adults. I will be voting YES on I-594, NO on I-591 and support Child Access Prevention Laws when that comes up next. It didn’t take another shooting for me to make those decisions. Not one of these initiatives take guns away from anyone other than those who should not be in possession or have access in the first place.
I-594 would have done ZERO to affect this. First of all, Fryberg was a 14 yearl-old boy who couldn’t legally buy a gun ANYWHERE. Second, we don’t know how he got the gun. Likely his parents or relative bought it legally, so again 594 would have not be a factor. Again, it hasn’t been told yet how he got the gun.
While the original writer is entitled to his opinion, the simple truth is that People kill people, instrument aside. He could have easily stabbed or slashed the two victims and killed them just as quickly.
Sane people do not commit crimes like this. Nor do law abiding citizens. The only thing 594 would do is infringe on law abiding citizens rights. It will have zero affect on gun violence. Criminals don’t follow the law. What makes you think a poorly written law will make any difference?
There are very few man made objects that are intrinsically evil. Therefore, I can not deny the trite and “sophomoric” argument that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Unfortunately, the same can be said of drugs, cars, cellphones, money, power, prejudice, hatred, religion, fear, ignorance…and the list goes on. All of these things have killed people and in some instances millions of people. Only one of these “inventions”, however, was specifically created to harm or kill others, the gun. As this young adult has so accurately stated, guns allow us to kill more people with greater ease, more emotional detachment, and impunity.
We have managed to find plenty of other uses for this weapon and I do not begrudge anyone the right to hunt for food or sport. There is also some historical evidence that an armed populace can protect the innocent, victims and persecuted. Even I understand the value of having a gun to protect my animals from predators or my family from intruders. However, I can not dismiss the negative impact that the prevalence and ease of access to guns have on our schools and teens. This is a legitimate fear that teens have that can not be dismissed with a simple, and condescending, “guns kill people” response.
If, as so many of you anti gun regulation proponents claim, the issue is with parents educating children on the dangers of guns, and that people are truly the killers in this situation then lets put the punishment where it belongs…on the people that allowed this type of tragedy to happen. Let us follow the chain of neglect that led to a gun being in the hands of a child and put the responsibility of unnecessary deaths on those who failed to do their job or were not educated enough to understand the responsibility that goes along with owning, selling and making guns.
For every fatality by gunshot wound, we should charge the person who pulled the trigger. We should charge the person who supplied the specific gun, knowingly or unknowingly. We should charge the owner of the gun. We should cite, or at least make it public record, who sold the owner the gun. We should create a public list of the manufacturers whose guns killed innocent lives.
If so many gun owners, sellers and makers feel so strongly about this issue and honestly believe that the current system does not need changing then you should have no qualms about owning up to your own role when children die from your weapons. For those who are actually respectful of the great responsibility that goes along with owning a firearm you would never be affected by this simple placement of blame. There is also no reason why this should not apply to all industries. Blame the drug dealers and makers. Blame the investors and decision makers.Blame the blind followers and the preachers of hate.
All I know is that if my actions and beliefs led to the deaths of innocent people I would want to change what I do, what I say and what I think.
But, maybe I am missing the point of this young adult. Maybe, I am just reacting to ignorant adults that are dismissing this teen’s feelings. Maybe, the point is, that as adults, we are failing our children. We are not listening to their fears and not trying to assuage them. We are not trying to solve the problems we created and they must face. It is one thing to criticize the naive opinions of someone. It is another, to dismiss those feelings as invalid or unimportant.
And on that note, I am going to hang out with my daughters. I am going to paint their toenails and braid their hair, put them in pretty dresses and dance in the kitchen. I am going to do all I can to make them realize that when they get older and begin to fear, or question the world in which they live, they know I will listen to those fears, those frustrations, those opinions so that if another Marysville, Columbine, Newton happens they know I am trying to do all I can to prevent it, that I understand how they feel, that I am listening.
Amen Brian.
When I first read the article from Anonymous, I had, just a few minutes before, read an article about the North Carolina grandfather who shot three home invaders who had threatened to rape his 19 YO granddaughter. They used guns to threatened the grandfather, his wife and granddaughter and wanted them to open the safe in the house. The grandfather used his own weapon to shoot all three (killing one of them) and was, in turn, shot himself. But he saved his family. Reports are that he is out of surgery but needs our prayers. No doubt he assumed that since he and his wife and granddaughter could recognize the would-be rapists/robbers that they would be killed as soon as they handed over the money from the safe.
Some folks don’t understand the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and would naively take away the grandfather’s option of even owning the firearm that saved his family. It may also seem trite to say that when all guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns – but that statement is just as true as “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Banning a tool because of its misuse by a few is not a reasonable action. If it were, automobiles would have been banned in their infancy.
Sadly, since a Black male was one of the three home invaders, mainstream news sources have pretty-much ignored this story of bravery, action and self-defense.
Vote yes on 591 and protect your right to protect yourself and your family.
Dave Battey
In my opinion and I don’t care what you think or not because there are idiots out there that say stupid no brainer things like GUNS DONT KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE DO…their are idiots out there that think the government is going to take their guns, their are idiots out there that think that gun control means just that well get your heads out of your buts and use your brain as that is NOT at all what gun control is…it more about gun safety than anything. Yes, people will always break the laws to have this illusion of power that a gun makes you safe, it doesn’t when a natural disaster hits, when a disease hits or the car next to you on the highway veres into you and kills you. But if people are buying them illegally and using them for violence it needs to be harder to purchase for them, more guarded or watched, and those that have anger problems or mental illnesses need to be banned or guarded depending on the situation. Stop listening to lies of the government taking over your guns and start realizing that its not different that requiring a license to drive in a registered vehicle. In the end more gun safety would make it better for current gun owners, especially if your guns are stolen. Stop the irrational thinking before the next person that is killed because someone had a gun to shoot the person is someone you love. Note if that person would have had a counselor to speak to about the unresolved anger and no possibility of purchasing or acquiring a weapon…oh well at least two more people would be alive. Also, parents need to start teaching their kids to advocate for themselves without using violence to solve the problem. Boys are told to beat the kid up well now is a lot of schools that is treated as 5th degree assault….teach your kids to be smarter than that and mostly teach them to not bully to not treat someone rude because they don’t like something about them…this also causes so many problems. GUNS DO KILL PEOPLE with an angry person behind it….stop this insanity and ignorance now. THEY DONT want TO BAN GUNS….just make them safer.
“GUNS DO KILL PEOPLE with an angry person behind it”
You just confirmed the point. It take an angry person to kill someone. You’re absolutely right that Fryberg’s parents should bear some responsibility in this. Whether it was recognizing their son’s hurt and state of mind, or making sure their gun was secured properly. Fyberg was 14. He had NO way of purchasing a gun anyway, so the only other option was to steal it from someone. We don’t know yet how he got the gun.
“THEY DON’T want TO BAN GUNS”
Um, yes they do: Here’s the list: http://rense.com/general85/obs.htm
It is a irony that those who support gun control and bans would want those laws enforced with guns. And enforced with the use of gun violence. Beyond the hypocrisy is this important point. The root causes have been overlooked, long ago the schools and unfortunately the home in some cases abandoned the teaching of moral absolutes for situational ethics and relativism. I`m not talking about the teaching of Christian fundamentalism, there are values of respect for others, to do no harm, etc that all people of all faiths or of no faith can agree on. And people wonder why we have school shootings. Maybe instead of focusing on inanimate objects we focus on values. The schools should have a real anti bullying policy that includes suspensions and expulsions as penalties instead of just empty talk
It is important to consider the context in which the Second Amendment was created, i.e. America was fighting for independance from England and needed armed militias as there was no standing army. Made complete sense in the context of the time. Fast forward to present day, I have a hard time believing that our founding fathers wouldn’t want debate on this issue given that routinely, kids are shot in schools in America amongst other serious gun issues. Until this country can sensibly debate this issue, it hold us back as a nation. Gun control needs to be discussed sensibly with an outcome that progresses our country forward, benefitting all citizens in the process and not just a portion. This does not include getting rid of all guns. I’ve lived in many countries in my life and I have enjoyed watching citizens and nations have serious debate over controversial issues with better outcomes for everyone, including gun control. It is dissapointing to say the least that we are blocked on this topic as a nation and we are poorer for it.
To the teenager who articulated so well the frustration of this national situation we are stuck in, and the harsh realities of its consequences at times, keep believing that your voice is heard and that it does make a difference!
Trying to get gun control in the wake of a shooting is ludicrous. The person that shouldn’t have had the gun was 14. and on school property. 2 things that the laws about gun control do not solve. Maybe we should home school everyone, and make it so they don’t have to worry about cafeteria attacks. While were at it, outlaw texting and phones in school. If only we had done that they would still be alive.