Following the horrific massacre of 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the anti gun left has come out in force to exploit another tragedy. Using grieving students as props, holding a scripted town hall, and repeatedly ‘interviewing’ students, some of which are of voting age with far left political views, left wing activists and media outlets, particularly CNN, have once again grabbed hold of the narrative in an effort to strip Americans of their constitutional right to bear arms.
Amongst the so called ‘solutions’ offered up by the left, raising the age of purchase for firearms to 21 has stuck out, as it has even been adopted by many in the center and on the right, including President Trump. Despite the fact that 18 year olds are trusted to vote in elections, pay taxes, and even go to war to defend the United States, the idea of raising the age of purchase to 21 has taken off quickly. Although at first glance, a simple change to purchasing laws may seem like a reasonable solution to inhibit gun violence, especially in our nation’s schools, it is far from it. The age of the shooter is being used a scapegoat just as the appearance of AR15 rifles has throughout recent years. Gun control doesn’t work, as evidenced by a laundry list of European nations with strict gun laws ranking ahead of the United States in likelihood of being killed in a mass shooting. To put it simply, despite Norway’s strict gun control laws, you are far more likely to be killed in a mass shooting in Oslo, Norway than you are in Anytown, USA.
Absent from much of the debate over where we go from here have been obvious issues impacting and endangering the American people, and directly leading to increased crime and mass murder rates, specifically mental health, the destruction of the nuclear family (51% of mothers under 30 are raising children without a father) and gun free zones (where over nearly all mass shootings take place). Although calls for armed teachers and security guards in schools have been heard, mainstream media has ridiculed the ideas as simple and backwards. We’ve been told to just ‘call the police’ during a mass shooting, that they will be there to protect us in a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, that is just the opposite of what happened in Parkland, Florida, as a number of Sheriff’s Deputies have admitted to sitting outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, listening to gunfire explode from within, and waiting for other units to arrive. Unfortunately, the American people will not be safe until they are able to defend themselves.