#MNR: [The Right To] Kill at Will

 
#MNR: [The Right To] Kill at Will
 
“Just throw your guns in the air, and boop boop like you just don’t care.”
Onyx
 
[As of 12.6.2021] There have been 29 school shootings this year, 21 since August 1. Here are some quick facts:
 
The latest shootings occurred on 11.30.2021. The first shooting that day occurred at Oxford High School in Oxford, MI. There were 4 dead, 7 injured. 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley is the alleged shooter.
 
*On the same day a school shooting at Humboldt Junior/Senior High School in Humboldt, TN killed one and injured three at a pair of basketball games.
 
**There was a school shooting in America THE DAY BEFORE on 11.29.2021 at Cesar Chavez HS, Laveen, AZ. A 16-year-old is in serious condition after being shot by a 15-year-old. There were no fatalities.
 
There have been 87 school shootings since 2018.
 
60 have been killed or injured in a school shooting:
11 killed -- 8 students or other children killed, and 3 school employees or other adults killed
49 injured
 
I’m fairly certain you were unaware about the other shooting on 11.30, the very same day as the Oxford tragedy. I’m willing to bet a large amount of money that you were unaware of the shooting that occurred the day before the two incidents. I’ll BET MY LIFE that you had no idea whatsoever that America’s had damn near 100 school shootings in the past four years, and that time INCLUDES COVID LOCKDOWNS. We have become so desensitized as a culture that complete tragedies often go unnoticed by the masses. Barring a special circumstance (such as the Crumbleys, who will be addressed in this blog), these tragedies are typically forgotten within short time. It’s beyond disgusting. We are all to blame for America’s relative apathy.
 
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
 
Amendment II: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
12.15.1791
 
Please take note of the verbiage and date of the amendment.
 
Along with abortion, the right to bear arms has been perhaps the most contentious topic of recent debate in America. I don’t give two fucks if you are on either end of the spectrum, or somewhere in-between. You can be a pacifist, tree-hugging, protect the whatever enthusiast or a MAGA hat wearing, card-carrying NRA member. I’m not mad at either side. I don’t debate the right to bear arms at all. I am fully in favor. But don’t pass me a MAGAt hat and surface-to-air missile just yet. I’m all for the right to pack heat, but I don’t think that assault weapons should be in the hands of everyday Americans. I feel that way because these types of weapons were made for wartime scenarios, not for “regular” defense of self or property. I don’t think private citizens should be able to carry weapons with enough ammo to take out a company (2 or more platoons, not Nabisco) without reloading. I’m all in favor of handguns for self-defense and rifles for hunting and game, but I don’t think anyone should be in possession of weapons that can cause mass casualties in mere seconds. I don’t want another Vegas incident. I also feel that there aren’t adequate prerequisite mental health checks for arms purchases. Except for Cali, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, NJ, and NY, a valid state ID is pretty much all that’s required to walk into a gun shop, weapons show, or pawn shop and purchase multiple firearms. The background check is only searching for a few things, namely prior felonies and/or gun charges. The second amendment is open to a great deal of ambiguity, enough to make for perpetual debate. Some use the amendment to claim that the right to bear arms is inalienable and not subject to scrutiny while others feel that the amendment itself is archaic, a relic from the birth of this nation, a time when most facets of local law enforcement had yet to be established. The Supreme Court has left it in the hands of the states, only adding to the discrepancies. The aforementioned NRA (National Rifle Association) has been vital in the advocacy and preservation of gun rights, as it has put plenty of money in the pockets of many a politician (allegedly). The debate also depends on where an American lives. Rural areas are the largest proponents of the second amendment, while those who live in urban areas are usually more in favor of gun restrictions. Suburban areas are somewhere in-between, usually leaning more toward being less restrictive. Throw it all in the pot and mix it up and we have the confusion that exists today. America, the beautiful.
 
ETHAN, JAMES, AND JENNIFER
 
Yesterday, James and Jennifer Crowley, parents of alleged school shooter Ethan, were apprehended and charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for their alleged “assistance” in the murders allegedly committed by their son. They were briefly on the run, with reasons yet to be explained. The two are allegedly responsible for providing Ethan with the pistol he allegedly used to kill four and injure others. Ethan has been charged (as an adult) with terrorism, first degree murder, and other counts. As of press time, both parents had retained legal counsel while Ethan has been issued a public defendant. On the day of the shooting, school counselors and the Dean of students were alerted about concerning drawings and written statements made by Ethan. He was removed from the classroom and taken to a counselor. After speaking to the counselor and after an unsuccessful attempt to reach his parents, Ethan was allowed to return to class. He allegedly went on to take four lives that very day. The day before, Ethan was seen viewing images of ammunition on his cell phone during class. The Friday before, Ethan’s parents basically gifted him the gun used in the shootings. Jennifer allegedly took her son to the gun range to test his new toy. I’m not clairvoyant, but I’m certain that if I were Jennifer or James, I would have seen this coming from a country mile away. I was raised by a Black woman who kept her tentacles in damn near every aspect of my life. She damn sure wouldn’t have gifted me a pistol. There were enough red flags in this situation to make a UBN set jealous (IYKYK). I’m one of MANY Black folk who are certain that this is the result of bad WHITE parenting. Pay better attention to your child. Please DO NOT gift him a pistol under any circumstance until he is of legal age. Please make sure he’s not a fucking psychopath or sociopath before you do, though. It’s not that hard. This could have been avoided. Let’s see how things progress.
 
We have digressed to a point in civilization where news of school shootings is no more troubling than an impending late summer hurricane headed in our direction. Each talking point is debated until the event fades into our distant memory, usually a few days after the latest shooting evaporates from headlines and until the next shooting. Repeat process. But what if your child was the victim? What if your child WAS THE SHOOTER? Would it MATTER then? I mean TRULY matter. Would it stick with you? Would it be enough to push for change? Of course, it would. But that’s how America works. It doesn’t matter until tragedy forces you to have to put one of yours in a grave or mausoleum. Or seek counsel. Then and only then do we speak the fuck up. But don’t worry. It’s all good. It doesn’t matter [to you]. It wasn’t your child. Not this time…
 
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