Trading Freedom for "Safety"

The tragedy in Connecticut was devastating, there is no getting around that.  However, the response that many have had is appalling.  Why is it that our first response is always to give up our freedoms in search of "safety"? Taking guns from the hands of law-abiding citizens is not only unconstitutional and wrong, but dangerous. If we take the guns away from the good guys, the only ones left with guns will be the bad guys. The people who are committing crimes don't care if you make it against the law to possess a gun, they are already breaking the law. As NRA Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre said during the NRA press conference earlier this week, "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."  Gun regulation is just a way to make you feel safer, without actually addressing any of the problems. 

Not only is our Second Amendment right to bear arms up for debate, but now we are discussing if we should ban violent video games: an assault on the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Enough is enough. We do not need the government coming into our homes and telling us what we are and are not allowed to do. It is time for parents to step up and start being parents. One of my friends has a twelve year old son who is autistic; because of this, she is very careful about what she exposes him to. That is what being a parent is all about! President Obama doesn't know what is best for your child, you do. 

Despite the fact this is an issue that should be dealt with in the home, people have yet again sought government intervention. Which got me thinking: what makes Americans so apt to trade in their freedoms? I realized it may be because people don't recognize the precedent these bans would set. For example, many Christians support banning violent video games. But what does this line of thinking lead to?  Do we really want the government telling us what games we can play, or what we are allowed to say? 

It is pretty ironic though. Christians, who are being demonized for saying Merry Christmas, are the very ones in favor of giving the government the power to push political correctness. I guess everyone is willing to give up their freedom, until it starts to affect them.  

When I was in 5th grade I was bullied by a classmate to the point that my parents almost pulled me out of school. When my mom tried to talk to his mother about it, she replied, "He just has a lot of anger issues. He gets it from his dad" and then did nothing to address the situation. A few years later, this classmate raped and murdered a two-year old girl, a tragedy which easily could have been prevented if his mother had chosen chose to take to take action sooner.

Of course we need to make sure that parents have resources available to them to help their children. Ultimately, parents need to be responsible for their children. What society needs isn’t more government regulations, it’s strong families that raise up young men and women of moral integrity.