Gun Play

When I was 15 years old and in the 10^th grade, just a few months shy of turning 16, I remember an incident where a loaded gun went off inside of a vehicle that was sitting just out front of my home. I was in the vehicle, along with two male friends at the time. I never knew whose gun it was, nor why it was loaded and in the vehicle. These fellas were 17 and 18 at the time. I recall the music blasting so loud that we barely heard the thing go off and it went off just beside my legs.  I could have been shot. I will never forget that moment, or the many others I saw as a child growing up in an inner city. Seems like gun violence was a part of the territory, a norm, heck, this is why when I attended high school, 1991-1995, metal detectors were a must. I didn’t realize there was something seriously wrong with that picture.

My father owned a gun while I was coming up, two actually, a revolver and a 22 and he still has the 22. My father would often bring the gun out and shoot it from the porch on New Year’s Eve, as my mother and siblings watched, this was a tradition. Running from parties, athletic events, corner stores and more was a way of life for most of us, a norm that was far beyond normal. Our society has been plagued by gun violence since the 1980s, and it’s not getting any better. Our constitution states that we have a right to bear arms, responsibly, but how many folks do you know who actually use their weapon responsibly? From the toddler that finds his father’s gun and accidentally kills his neighbor, the youth running the streets that brandishes and uses their weapons, illegal guns, with no regard, the accident murderers as Nas so poignantly stated in his most recent record titled such, and let us not forget the tragedy’s that involve those similar to the George Zimmerman’s of the world, The incidents like Columbine, I could go on.

I’ve handled and shot many weapons over the years, I know many individuals who own guns, legally and illegally, but are they really for the benefit of protecting ourselves?  Currently, I don’t own a gun, and I probably never will, for reasons I will not disclose here.

As written by Jason Whitlock, “How many young people have to die senselessly? How many lives have to be ruined before we realize the right to bear arms doesn’t protect us from a government equipped with stealth bombers, predator drones, tanks and nuclear weapons?

Our current gun culture simply ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience-store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead.”

I am so tired of hearing about gun violence, so tired of losing loved ones to gun violence, or almost losing them. Our country needs to take a long hard look at this issue, it’s long overdue.

Peace and blessings good people,
Shamina

Bang! (Poem about gun violence)
Created by Artluva
This is about a child who died due to gun violence.

Bang!

I heard the shot ring

That sound changed my life

It changed everything

I heard the sound of a gun being fired

Today, about an hour ago

It wasn't my fault

Johnny brought a gun to school, I got hit, now I must go

God told me to say my goodbies and then leave

So here I am, and this is my last goodbye

Please, even though I won't be here anymore

Try not to miss me too much, try not to cry

Tell Daddy

I'm sorry I wasn't always the best

Tell him I love him

And in my eyes, he was better than all the rest

Tell my sister

We fought often but believe it or not, I loved her too

Tell her to live her life

And to follow her dreams and do whatever she wants to do

Don't worry about me, I'm not alone

Grandma is waiting for me

And I'll always watch over you

Even if you can't see

My last request

My dying wish

Is to warn others of weapons

And it's risk

Never bring weapons

Even if you'll never use them, ever

They are still horrible

Use them? Never

Artluva, http://quizilla.teennick.com/poems/8031524/noaction, Web. 03 Dec 2012