Happy place feeling shortlived

The Way I See It


 

 

I unplugged from technology for much of the past weekend. Imagine my dismay when I received a notification from a group text alerting me on the shootings in El Paso and Dayton.

I had just spent two glorious days in one of my most favorite places and the “Happiest place on Earth” – Disney World – to learn of the deaths of innocent folks in two differents parts of our country within hours of each other.

As we were heading to our final park and going through security, I was more aware of what was actually happening around us.

Here were thousands of people entering a park and each bag was being checked. Supposedly there are metal detectors at the parks, though nothing like airport ones.

Looking around, I did not see one armed security officer. Checking online, I found that their security personnel are dressed as park guests.

I was relieved to find out that bit of info, but I was hyperaware of how many people could perish at the hands of someone armed with an automatic weapon.

Each time these heinous acts are committed, I think of the commercial by States United to Prevent Gun Violence of a disgruntled man going into an office, he takes aim at- I assume – his boss/coworker and fires. He then reloads the gun in the barrel and tamps it down. Of course by this time, everyone has fled to safety. The tagline appears “Guns have changed, shouldn’t our gun laws?”

When our right to bear arms was first conceived, guns were different.

The way I see it, I’m not advocating outlawing guns, but our laws need to be changed. Pressure needs to be made on our leaders to do so. Then we need to actually go to the polls to elect leaders that will do this and then vote for these laws.

SUE BROWN is a columnist of the Pleasanton Express. Contact her at psuebrown@gmail.com.

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