Dec. 14, 2012, was without a doubt the saddest day of my life. I was deeply affected by the mass shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. I live in the area. I unfortunately experienced the after-effects of this horrible tragedy. I have heard it all, from the disgusting conspiracy theories that some loser in his basement made up to the 6-year olds themselves talking about their “dead friends” in casual conversation.
I have heard and seen enough to know that this cannot happen again. Ever.
Following the shooting, I thought for sure everybody would support for stricter gun-laws. How couldn’t they?
I was in complete shock to see resistance to the many policies and gun laws proposed. When I was informed that Donald Trump was planning to eliminate gun-free school zones in America I refused to believe it.
It seems as if the math is wrong — elementary school children get brutally murdered, plus hundreds of fatal gun accidents a day, equals the removal of gun-free school zones?
That cannot be right.
When Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy asked Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump’s elect for education secretary whether she thinks guns have any place in or around schools, DeVos said the issue is “best left to locales and states to decide.” At this very moment, I’m pretty sure my already dropped jaw hit the floor. It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that after all of the gun-related deaths within the last few years, guns in schools is still not a unanimous ‘NO.’
She further responded to Murphy by giving an example of when a school might need to use a gun. She mentioned a school in Wyoming that has fences surrounding it to protect against grizzly bears.
“I will refer back to Sen. [Mike Enzi, R-Wyoming] and the school he was talking about in Wyoming. I think probably there, I would imagine that there is probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies,” DeVos said.
I have a feeling that everybody in the building, both Democrats and Republicans, chuckled at that remark.
This ridiculous remark gives me the impression that deep down, not even DeVos agrees with Trump’s decision to remove all gun-free zones. If that is the reason that came to mind as to why guns should be present on school properties, then I think there needs to be some reconsideration.
I guess it just seems strange that at this time four years ago I would have thought the country would be moving toward restricting gun use, not increasing the areas to use one.
