The Make a Law Generation

Recently the subject of gun control has gotten louder and louder.. a demand for gun control and an equally loud voice for our 2nd amendment rights. While I can see the point of both sides I have to wonder if everyone is missing the greater point.

We have become what I like to term, The Make a Law Generation. We don't like something, we try and make a law. A quick fix to a difficult situation except it really doesn't fix anything. Not the underlying problem.. It's just like the need for prescription pills, if there is a problem (being overweight, ADD, depressed) take a pill.. Don't try and fix the underlying issues first.. nope take a pill and feel better now. I am not against prescription medication of the need for laws.. what I am against is the need for the quick fix.

What we need to do in order to "fix" the issue is find out what is causing it. Could it be that the days of barely there parenting is finally coming back to bite us in the butt? The concept of quality time finally hitting us where it hurts? We, as parents need to take the time to teach our children what is right and wrong. From the beginning... be there for them.. not overwhelm and over protect them. Nope let them fight their own battles.. in school (you know when they get a bad grade because they didn't do their homework).. in spots (guess what when you play a game one side wins and one side looses.. suck it up).. yep teach them how to deal with issues. Fight their battles and learn that actions have consequences.

We complain about the government interfering in our lives then when life gets difficult we demand a law be made. Guess what folks, that is the government interfering, we are GIVING UP our rights, WILLINGLY..

Don't get me wrong, there will always be those who are ill and need attention. Both physical and mental. They may not be able to be helped.. there will be times when one person can bring a community to it's knees.. but if we, as parents, adults, community leaders step up there will be less. Take the time to show our children from birth the right path. Teach them the national anthem so they can sing along with it.. Not only the words but the meaning.. teach them what the flag represents so they understand WHY we should respect it. Teach them that life is hard, that there will be times when it will seem like the world is against them (it isn't I mean how important are they?). Teach them that hard work will deliver them if they take it one step at a time, not expect instant results. Teach them faith not fanaticism  Teach them that parents, teachers, firefighters and police are the REAL heroes.. not someone whose claim to fame is that they can throw/hit/kick a ball.

Give them hope.. teach them that everyone should have dreams, even the unrealistic ones.. but that they have to work to make them come true. It won't happen if you don't work for it. Teach them that the single most important thing they can do is to take responsibility for their own actions.

As for making a law.. yeah, that works *snort*. But we can demand that our elected officials started acting like we matter. To be the role models they should be. Stop stealing from us, stop living by George Orwell's concept that "Some animals are more equal than others". They aren't..

We will never have utopia, we can't we are merely human and will make tremendous mistakes BUT I firmly believe in the theory of nipping it in the bud.. teach our children early and often and many (sadly not all - referring back to the entire we are human concept) BUT there will be less issues because more people will understand.

Shauni