Guns: the pictures say it all

The joy of Niall's birth somewhat (for me, personally) overshadowed last week's (yet another) horrific mass school shooting in this country (Parkland, FL on Valentine's Day); however, the victims and families (as well as thoughts of "What's next?") are very much on my mind.  In my opinion and that of many reasonable people in this country, some solutions to reduce the devastation of such events such as drastically restricting access to the quantity and nature of firearms in this country (as is the case in other civilized, and therefore safer, countries) are obvious. Even though I am aware that we will never be able to prevent the ability of violent, evil, gun-toting people to commit egregious crimes in our country, fewer shootings and fewer deaths is obviously better and a step in the right direction.  As someone who is not interested/ does not really see the need to ever be a gun owner, even to protect myself under a tyrannical Trump- and scary Republican-led government, I am not interested in a gun-control debate with evidence-ignoring, "pro-life" yet second amendment proponents who don't value our nation's children's or citizens' lives over the right to own/use an assault weapon. I am also not interested in hearing that this issue is just about "mental health," as a NY Times Daily podcast interviewing a UC Davis psychiatrist illustrated extremely well. I am currently scared to have my children attend school (or be in any public place) in this country, and I wish lawmakers would find their backbones and stand up to the wicked N.R.A.

The following pictures, all from Facebook (sorry that some sources are not included) illustrate it all.  This country disgusts me and needs to change.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 (Raising kids in Japan is looking so great right now.)

Here's hoping that some of these passionate young people whose lives have been changed forever by the trauma of witnessing a shooting like last week (and the countless others in recent months and years) can make a difference in the sickening gun culture in the U.S. and lead to some positive change in my lifetime and in those of my children.