Enough is Enough
A few months ago I took part in the 100 Thousand Poets for Change. I had many topics to choose from. I decided to write about gun control. There have been several massacres this year in the United States-human beings shooting other human beings. Today in Connecticut two men entered a school and began shooting. At this hour, there are 26 people dead-18 of those dead are children. Children who went to school to get an education-not to be killed. The violence has to stop. We are better than this. I now share with you the poem I wrote for the day of change: "Enough is Enough".
Enough is Enough
Back on July 20 in
Colorado people went to the midnight showing of the latest Hollywood
movie to hit the big screen. They went there to see the movie, have a
good time. A few minutes into the movie a gunman entered the darkened
movie theater and began shooting at the people in the theater. 57 people
were wounded, 12 people were killed. The gunman had 3 guns with him in
the theater and another gun in his car. The gunman, in riot gear, gas
mask, bullet proof vest, was apprehended, and made a comment about is
home. It was later found to be booby trapped to ensure the injury or
death of anyone entering his residence. He had purchased several hundred
rounds of ammunition in the weeks leading up to the event. His youngest
murder victim was a 6 year old girl. He has been charged with 24 counts
of first degree murder and 116 counts of attempted murder.
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On August 5, 16 days
later, there was a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. They came to
the temple to worship. 6 people were killed, many injured. The gunman
was killed by police.
.
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Just a few days later, at
the Empire State Building in New York City, a gunman killed an ex
co-worker of his, and injured 9 people. The gunman was killed by police.
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These acts were
perpetrated by mentally ill, criminally insane, deeply disturbed men.
(I’m sure some other descriptive words can be inserted in that
sentence.) I don’t know about you, but I am tired about hearing about
shootings that have happened on the nightly news.
.
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The Second Amendment to the US Constitution states: “A
well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state,
the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
To my understanding, the second amendment gives an individual the right
to own a weapon to protect yourself, your family, your home, if you so
choose. It also gives you the right to own a weapon to hunt for food to
feed your family.
.
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I believe in this right,
and if you chose to own a firearm, I respect your right to do so. But it
must be recognized that this amendment does not give anyone to
permission to shoot people in cold blood.
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People are being killed in
our country, around the world, every day. When is it going to be
enough? We need better gun control in this country. As a country, as a
people, as citizens of the world, we are better than this. I do not have
the answers, I do not have the solutions. I don’t have a magic formula
to solve this problem. However I do believe that we need an open
dialogue in this country, throughout the world, to ensure that no more
innocent lives will be taken. We have to stop the killing. Enough is
enough.
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For more information, to join the dialogue, please consult the following links. Thank you.
© Esperanza Habla All Rights Reserved
The Brady Campaign to End Violence: http://www.bradycampaign.org/
We Are Better Than This: http://www.wearebetterthanthis.org/
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