Until Then, We’re the Security System

Yes, we need gun control. We have needed it for decades. Since the Supreme Court says we can’t ban the weapons, perhaps we should ban the bullets or put high taxes on them and make them very expensive.  

I am pessimistic about Congress passing stricter gun laws. Outrage and anger is appropriate after horrors like the school shooting in Connecticut, the movie theatre shooting in Colorado, the Virginia Tech shooting, the Wisconsin temple shooting – you see the reason for my pessimism.

And while some schools (and shopping malls, movie theaters, and grocery stores) may create airport-like security check points, I am not sure that will be a viable or popular solution. I most certainly don’t want to see teachers (or anyone else) carrying weapons or armed guards outside of schools. The answer to gun violence is not more guns.

I have sent emails to my senators asking, point blank (pun intended), what they are going to do to prevent these events from happening. I have signed online petitions. Perhaps this time, it will be different.

Perhaps.

Until the political cost is high enough, our politicians won’t act. In the mean time, we need another approach. This issue is in our hands. How democratic.

So what do we do? First, we open our eyes and really see each other; we look beyond our boundaries and see the people with whom with share our communities. This doesn’t mean we become spies or snitches, quite the reverse. We reach out. We invite in. We ask, “What can I do to help?” and then we do it. Perhaps we do it before we ask.

As we walk the dog, ride the train, shop in the grocery store, or drop off our children at school, we greet people. We talk to people. We go beyond the superficial and connect. We reach across social lines and talk to new people. We build real and significant relationships and communities.

We can form alliances in our neighborhoods. We can take small and large political action. We can keep this issue from fading into the background until another terrible incident. For example, I wonder what would happen if the “buzz book” school directory had the option to put “weapon free” next to the listing for each home. What message would that send?

Granted, this people based security system is not perfect and will not completely protect our loved one. Neither will the doorbells, cameras, and locks on our children’s schools. This is a supplement. It is one more layer of coverage.

“But I do that! The people in Newtown probably did that, too! It didn’t help them! That isn’t enough.” True, it isn’t enough. We need a country where the mentally ill have better access to healthcare than they do to weapons, and where there is not only a human safety net but also a legal safety net to prevent catastrophes like these mass murders. Regulating or banning weapons would be a good start.  

In the meantime, we must rely on each other.  It is up to us.