Sunday, December 16, 2012

Mr. President, members of congress, we need Drug Control not Gun Control!



I know that all of us are probably numb this weekend watching the news coverage of this latest horrific mass shooting in Connecticut. I am so deeply sorry for all of those families. But I am very skeptical about all the talk I have heard about the need for gun control. I don't like guns, don't want them in my house, yes we need strict regulation, but I question more than the gun. I question the mental state of the user. What is the common link in all of these 20 something young men that are going on these shooting rampages? What is it that is causing them to do this horrible thing?  Is it the use of psychotropic drugs? We have a prescription drug problem in this country of epic proportions and we should all be calling for drug reform, not gun reform. I have watched my mother in law become a shell of her former self due to all of the drug cocktails her doctor prescribes to her for pain. I have seen what drugs did to my mom after my dad died. I have known suicidal kids that were prescribed anti depressants. There needs to be an outcry from all of us to stop these drug pushers and get our country off the dependancy for prescription drugs, stop these TV commercials, stop the magazine ads, stop drugging our children. It's not just about the guns. I urge you to watch this video, it's only 11 minutes but it is very revealing......
last I am going to say on this weekend's events. It's Christmas and I want to enjoy my friends and family and thank God that they are all with me and safe, and I will grieve the loss of those that are no longer with us.
I just pray for some common sense for this world in the coming year....

14 comments:

Sissy said...

Are the drugs in the US stronger than here in Europe? A friend of mine who lived 5 years in the states bought cough medicine in a grocery store...and almost died because of the side effects. You can´t find that strong medicines in the Finnish pharmacies only in hospitals...and unfortunately here you must have one leg in the grave before getting any prescription drugs...it sucks too.

beaquilter said...

amen! it's so true, they are ALL on anti-depressant drugs or something similar and it's a scary statistic in the US. in europe people are on it too, but yes they do have stronger "rules" on drugs and OTC drugs. I.e. I just sent my mom oragel and ICE for Christmas. I don't like guns, but it's not the guns that kill, it's the people, and if they WANT to shoot someone, no matter what the law is, they'll get a gun somehow or kill some other way.

Sandy Miller said...

My heart just breaks for the families of Sandy Hook. How many times have we heard the shooter was quiet, bright, we never saw it coming. And as horrific as this is a nut in Sweden shot and killed 77 kids on a retreat a few years back. I'm following the dollars and don't tell me drug companies don't have a lobby working over time in Washington. The frequency this is happening is alarming. My last year in as inner city park ranger in Cleveland, Ohio, funding was pulled for the psyc. ward. We used to made a field assessment of an individual to determine if they were crazy trying to determine whether incarceration would hurt or help. If they were crazy we took them to the psych. ward. They were either treated or turned back to us, some went directly into rehab. When funding was cut everybody got dumped into the jails, no assessments of any kind or help. It was a bowl of mixed nuts to put it bluntly and a mess. It wasn't a perfect system but better than now. Do you ever listen to the TV ads? A young person walking through a field of daisies and some narrator in the background listing all the side effects...... just scary! My Dad had a lazy susan filled with prescription meds. I asked him; Dad how do you know what to take? Oh I just spin the wheel the fortune and take something. At his death he had 43 different bottles of meds. His Dr. and the drug company made a fortune. He was a vet and had prescription plan from BF Goodrich so no matter what he was prescribed it cost him $1. No matter how many times I would load the pills bottles in a bag and go to the Dr. I was waved away and told he needed all. And it was all approved ........... how many others are out there like my Dad? and yes, my Mom called one day to say he was in the basement cleaning his guns and crying..... how fast can you get in your car when you have little ones and live an hour away.......
Tracey thanks for the post...... sorry for the soapbox, I have been home alone for three days and while on the ladder all this stuff has just rumbled through my head...... my vent for the day...

Judi Tavill said...

I think the issue is both gun control and diagnosing/properly treating mental illness...The problem with trying to control mental illness is that it is a very difficult scenario with high variables... Gun control can be dealt with more simply and clearly. This kid should not have had access to those guns. Period.

June Perry said...

Agree Tracy, too many of those mass shooters were on anti-depressants which can cause psychotic behavior resulting into suicidal and murderous tendencies.
The other problem is that often psychosis emerges in late teens for many, or a psychotic break can happen as a result of a trauma. We can't prevent some of those; but we can control what guns are allowed and who can have them.
I don't own any, because I just don't want to live in a consciousness of fear, believing that what you fear you manifest. Fear is a very dense, powerful emotion, which is why it's more usual for people to manifest what they fear than what they desire. Guns like any other dangerous things should be regulated much better than they are.

cookingwithgas said...

interesting and thought provoking.

DirtKicker Pottery said...

Tracy I'm glad that you brought up this important point.
Last year we received a call to inform us that my husbands step-mother had been stabbed by her granddaughter. She survived. But it turns out that the granddaughter was on 2 conflicting drugs and they contribute her actions 100% to the drugs.
My Dad was murdered in 1982. He was killed by a man using a gun, so by rights, I could look at gun rights as a contributing factor. I don't. I know the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
It's my understanding that the UK has total gun control, not even patrol police carry.. 3 years ago my husband's half sister lost her son to a shooting in a night club in London. Gun restrictions didn't work there and they won't work here.
A person determined to commit a hanus crime will find a way to kill, whether it's using an "illegal" gun, a bomb or whatever.
My heart is broken for those families and if making gun ownership illegal would heal our country of evil, I would say do it. But it won't, it will just prevent us law abiding citizens from being able to protect ourselves.

Schnee said...

I think we do need gun control on semi-automatic and automatic weapons. While a conventional gun fires one bullet at a time, those can kill dozens in seconds. It allows for indiscriminate killing.

I don't disagree that mental health and the overmedication of this country are avenues to also talk about and work towards improving. But I don't think that precludes us from taking any measures limiting the availability of these true killing machines.

These are not for self defense. These are not for hunting animals. These are for killing people quickly and your average citizen does not need these in their homes whether they are sane or not as they can be stolen.

While yes, someone that wants to kill people that badly may find another way to do it, why shouldn't we at least make it harder for them?

We are willing to do more to prevent DUI. We have more control over who can drive a car than who can own a semi-automatic. But we won't place greater restrictions on who can own these weapons? That's just nuts.

How many more people have to lose their loved ones to maniacs with machine guns? I lived in the DC area during the sniper attacks....I know the terror someone with a gun can create.

We need to keep having this dialog and we need changes to improve safety. It's pretty damn sad that a locked school is still vulnerable to a guy with a semi-automatic. It's deeply troubling.

Schnee said...

I think we do need gun control on semi-automatic and automatic weapons. While a conventional gun fires one bullet at a time, those can kill dozens in seconds. It allows for indiscriminate killing.

I don't disagree that mental health and the overmedication of this country are avenues to also talk about and work towards improving. But I don't think that precludes us from taking any measures limiting the availability of these true killing machines.

These are not for self defense. These are not for hunting animals. These are for killing people quickly and your average citizen does not need these in their homes whether they are sane or not as they can be stolen.

While yes, someone that wants to kill people that badly may find another way to do it, why shouldn't we at least make it harder for them?

We are willing to do more to prevent DUI. We have more control over who can drive a car than who can own a semi-automatic. But we won't place greater restrictions on who can own these weapons? That's just nuts.

How many more people have to lose their loved ones to maniacs with machine guns? I lived in the DC area during the sniper attacks....I know the terror someone with a gun can create.

We need to keep having this dialog and we need changes to improve safety. It's pretty damn sad that a locked school is still vulnerable to a guy with a semi-automatic. It's deeply troubling.

Lori Buff said...

I think we do need better gun laws, nobody really needs a rapid fire long gun for self defense, honestly. We do need to eliminate the drug issues, you're right. We also need to remove the stigma of mental heath issues so people who need help will get it the same as if they have diabetes. And we need violence control, we need to teach our children and ourselves that hate, anger and killing are not the answer.

Tracey Broome said...

Great points and opinions everyone as usual!! Thanks for you comments and thoughts on this subject:)

Vicki said...

We have seen so much more 'rage' over here as more and more psychotropic drugs are prescribed to people.
The multi-billion dollar drug industry has such powerful influence on those who swore an oath to practice medicine ethically and honestly.

I too saw what prescription drugs did to my mother (who was a WW2 victim) for most of her life. The effects eventually killed her. So very sad, when she treated doctors like gods and their words were gospel.
Her bedside table drawer rattled with so many pill bottles - her health never improved, only continued to decline with no better alternatives sought.

And, my sister-in-law came dangerously close to being killed by her son who was on ritalin and other prescription drugs - too young.

I wish people could be encouraged to take more responsibility for their mental health (health in general).
With good support, time and care, try to work out the source of the "problems", rather than be rushed so earnestly to the pharmacy.

I feel I'm not qualified to speak on the issue of guns as our laws are different. Although, Australia has had it's history of gun violence.
I believe that the mix of psychotropic drugs and powerful weapons cannot be a combination that ever has a good outcome.

Tracey Broome said...

Vicki, Gerry's mom is the same as yours, so sad to watch and his parents think their doctors word is law. I don't know how this money monster can be stopped!

Vicki said...

Can it? So much power - so many innocent lives. The repercussions are so far reaching.