MUFTIC FORUM BLOG

My 18 year old grandson, Nikolaus Streicher, posted on his facebook some thoughts that many in this country are probably thinking as well the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy. 

"When will the general public learn that unless we change something this is going to continue to happen? What sort of country do we live in that 40% of all firearms legally sold do not even require a background check? It's interesting that owning a car( an almost equally lethal object) requires the government to have a profile of you, yet owning a gun(an object with the intent to be lethal) require

s no profile at all. For all of you second amendment whores I am not against the second amendment. I am against the lack of control on guns. It's quite simple, every person that has a gun should have a profile that is attached to the guns that they own. In order to obtain a profile that allows you to own guns you need to have an thorough psych evaluation and a thorough background check. The second amendment just states you have the right to bare arms, says nothing about regulation and control. So before you say how sorry you are and how much you're praying for them, please think about what you're actually going to do. Make that empathy, sympathy and what ever else you feel matter. Otherwise don't be surprised the next school shooting comes around.Write to your politicians, demand change.
Rant over- My sincere condolences to all the families involved and affected."

I am still putting together thoughts, but at this point I am a little too emotionally involved to think clearly or to endorse any political action.   Niki's facebook post is a thought provoking beginning.  His mother is an elementary school teacher in a Jefferson County School that feeds into  Columbine High School  area.  My grandson is in elementary school  an hour or so away from Newtown,Ct.  but not in the same district. Her school constantly drills for incidents like these and the protocol was developed after Columbine and by most schools around the nation.  I kept her informed by text and email during the day.  She was literally sick at her stomach , but after the students went home, the teachers met for both reflection, morale building, and hand holding.  The students were not told of  the events, but the school sent messages to all of the parents about  how to talk with them about the horrible events they were going to hear on TV and in conversations.  My daughter's parting words to her class at the end of the day , as well as the advice to parents, was "Terrible things happened today; we will keep you safe; you are loved by everyone around you".