tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923521815435744951.post11943116001595646..comments2012-12-22T19:59:22.118-06:00Comments on Living on Faith and Hope: Gun control and mental healthKennadiesMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12583689711718948357noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923521815435744951.post-77970574724850372742012-12-22T19:59:22.118-06:002012-12-22T19:59:22.118-06:00Martha- don't apologize for venting; I appreci...Martha- don't apologize for venting; I appreciate your comments. This is a hard topic to talk about, but we must address the situation. I agree that typically those with Aspergers are non-violent and this is not a crime indicative of this syndrome. I don't know how to change these mind sets, but something must be done. KennadiesMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12583689711718948357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923521815435744951.post-32628378514322354192012-12-22T19:37:12.129-06:002012-12-22T19:37:12.129-06:00This is an interesting post and hits on a number o...This is an interesting post and hits on a number of issues. When my son was first born (25 years ago) I was adamantly opposed to having guns in the house. Even though I was raised on a ranch, my dad didn't hunt and there just weren't guns around. My uncle was a hunter and a conservationist - a responsible gun owner. My ex-husband got into competitive shooting and got me to fire a target pistol one afternoon and it was a blast. Next thing I knew, I went through NRA gun safety training (they did not recommend a gun as first-line home defense, but did recommend a large noisy dog). For a few years, we would go out shooting, long after we divorced, and he eventually gave me my own handgun for self-protection. When my son started toddling around, I unloaded the gun and put it away and separate from the ammo. I haven't fired it since 1995 and honestly, I don't even know which box it is stored in at this point. All this by way of saying that my feelings have evolved over time. It turns out that my son has autism and is on meds to help him control his emotions. In no universe that I know of would he be capable of planning and executing a massacre such as Sandy Hook. Is he capable of picking up a gun and firing it in the middle of a tantrum? Maybe. He has told me that after I die, he is turning in my gun. He feels things like Sandy Hook deeply and like most Americans, I have been an emotional wreck. I have been on antidepressants for years and went through four years of therapy some years ago. It never occurred to me until reading this post that I might be one of those that could be targeted. I could live with it if that were the case. One of my best friends lost her bipolar husband to suicide a few years ago after an increasingly dysfunctional marriage and a lot of verbal and physical abuse - mixed with alcohol. We all know that guns, alcohol and anger don't mix well and most perpetrators of domestic abuse are under the influence of alcohol or some other drug (not marijuana, however). Why would anyone need an assault rifle or a semi-automatic gun magazine that holds 100 bullets? Not for hunting. Not for home defense. Not for competitive shooting. Buyers at gun shows should be subject to the same background checks as a buyer at Wal-Mart. Individuals who are a threat to themselves or others should not have access to guns. That's what makes the Sandy Hood massacre so tragic. His mother was apparently convinced that "they" were coming and she would need to defend her family. She knew her son had severe emotional problems, maybe or maybe not in conjunction with Asperger's -- the two are not the same thing at all. She bought the guns, taught him how to shoot, took him to the target range and died first. Kids are dying every day on the streets due to guns. I don't know what the answer is -- I do believe in responsible gun ownership for those who are so inclined. However, I do know that we have to start somewhere to change the culture of guns -- and the mindset of politicians who are afraid to stand up to the NRA. Sorry to vent - it's been building up. @sweetnonnie (twitter)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01208038473932733778noreply@blogger.com