To watch 200,000 teenagers converge on our nation’s capital last week to lead for bigger and better gun laws made me sad. And mad. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s their right to protest or demonstrate for something they believe (or don’t) believe in. But the images and stories I saw and read showed an entirely different affair in my eyes.

 

I saw kids carrying profanity-laced messages on poster boards, aiming their distaste on the NRA and people who own guns. I saw a young “leader” in David Hogg (not a real student) give a fiery speech that concluded with a fist punch to the sky ala the Nazi movement of the 30’s and 40’s.

 

I saw teens with shirts and hats that said, “NRA = bloodshed” and “thoughts and prayers don’t save lives.”

 

Really? I’m thinking if more homes and schools included thoughts and prayers, there just might be less violence in them.

 

Can anyone tell me have there been any school shootings at private, religious schools? Maybe? If there has, it is few and far between what is happening in our public school system.

And what is the mitigating factor?

 

God. Prayer. Discipline.

 

Yes, a lot of school shootings are kids who may have been bullied or are bullies themselves. With no spiritual guidance, structure or a two-parent system in the homes, it’s no wonder more and more youths are turning to violent behavior as a result.

 

By taking God, the Bible, authority and discipline out of the classrooms, anarchy ensues.

 

Marching to reform this nation’s gun laws and take away people’s 2nd Amendment rights is not the way to go about it, in my opinion. 

 

Like I’ve said in the past, youths and young adults are vulnerable and I believe there is a certain “window of influence” that steers a child towards something that “clicks” in their brains. Be it violent video games, peer influence, graphic violence on TV and the movie theater and so on and so on. We need to realize, we adults are responsible for guiding, directing and disciplining today’s youngsters from birth to adult age. We can’t just slough off our parental and care-giving duties to the schools, teachers, neighbors, karate instructors or cops.

 

I’m in full support of having armed guards, police, military veterans and even credentialed teachers in each and every school. Don’t you find it odd that we have armed guards at banks protecting our money, yet no armed guards at schools protecting our children? What’s more important? Oh the irony!

 

The NRA shouldn’t even be in the mix of any gun-related violent acts. The NRA is an organization providing education, training and disciplines in owning and deploying weapons. Predominantly the NRA is  funded from donations from the approximately four million members, not the federal government (unlike Planned Parenthood). 

 

Why attack an organization that is the epitome of gun safety and use? The attack should be on the fathers, mothers, uncles, etc. that carelessly keep their guns unlocked and the storeowners who don’t follow state and federal laws or ensuring the gun buyer is properly licensed and registered to do so.

 

My “gun reform” would be to raise the age to 21 for the purchase of all guns and imposing a strict, three-day waiting period.

 

The AR-15 rifle is getting all the headlines because people associate the gun with an “automatic” rifle or an “assault” rifle. Neither is true. “AR” stands for ArmaLite, Inc., the name of the gun's original manufacturer. 

 

Many people with ARs use them for target shooting at the range, home protection or even hunting.

 

But whatever the weapon of choice is, a nutcase with a penchant for harm will find whatever he or she feels will get the job done — whether it’s an AR-15, a pipe bomb or even a rock (see Cain and Abel).

 

So instead of marching to take away people’s rights to bear arms, regulating the sales of guns and ammo or trying to tear down as nobel an institution as the NRA, how about we march on capital hill for better mental health care, bringing God back in our lives and establishing some discipline at home and in our schools.

 

Better yet, how about we have all these 200,000 know-it-all teenagers pick up a rifle and serve in the U.S. military for a couple years? I’m guessing they’ll come out of that experience with a better respect for the weapon, a better appreciation of its capabilites and a structured life that’ll take them from whining to winning.