When former law enforcement personnel, employed as consultants, and even news anchors tear up and choke on their words of grief, it is time to say ENOUGH!

I grew up around guns – guns that were locked up after being properly cleaned. My father, a veteran, shared his passion for these with my brothers and his childhood friends. He even took me once to learn how to shoot. It was at my request because I wanted to be near him. He had many outlets for he and my brothers to bond, but little opportunities with which me and my sister could bond with him except the father-daughter dances in grade school.

Guns are not my passion, and quite frankly, they are not my thing. Having stated that, I can respect those who legally own guns; who use them for protection and sport. What I don’t understand is how guns find their way into the hands of the mentally troubled and criminals.

I also have issues with bump stocks and AR-15s (like the one used yesterday in Parkland, Florida). What purpose does it serve to make these things available to the general public? When I once said to my gun owning brothers that you don’t need an AR-15 to shoot squirrels, they laughed at me and said, “Sure you do!” Unless you are military or law enforcement, you have no NEED for such things. Even if you are a collector (like the Las Vegas shooter), you don’t need such a menacing piece in your coveted compilation.

I read last week that guns sales have dropped since Trump took office. It appears that gun zealots don’t feel their rights are threatened any longer since neither Obama nor Clinton are at the helm. On the campaign trail, this current president has suggested armed guards in schools would prevent shouting such as the one yesterday. Throwing a book of matches on a burning fire doesn’t extinguish the fire.

I know my gun owning friends will have much to say to me, but when you hear law enforcement officials say that an AR-15 isn’t for hunting, it’s a killing machine, people need to speak up further. Why won’t our executive and legislative branches do their job and listen to the professionals? To the survivors? To the healers?

I’ve tried to keep this blog free from politics. And it’s sad to realize that the shooting death of children, of unarmed suspects who are shoved in that category because of the color of their skin, or the language they speak, or the faith they practice are now lumped into the political abyss.

When will this country come together (in spite of the idiots in Washington and the highly pompous NRA) and tell them ENOUGH!

When we can plan marches for our civil liberties, why can’t we gather in numbers strong, so the Powers-That-Be will have to face us as we shout out…

I WANT TO LIVE!

WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO LIVE!