There is a great opportunity here that we all seem to be
missing. It is an opportunity for many of us to come together and understand
each other.
Please consider the following:
- · Restricting travel for citizens of a handful of nations which happen to be predominantly Muslim seems to some, a small matter of inconvenience for a few, with great security benefits for many Americans.
If you are on the other side, of course, you can see right
through that. What security benefits? Refugees and immigrants (these are LEGAL immigrants we are
talking about. There is already a de-facto ban on illegals. That is why they
are called illegals) rarely, if ever, conduct terrorist attacks. Further, the attacks
that have happened here were NOT perpetrated by immigrants from any of the
nations on the “banned” list. The attackers were from nations that are noticeably
missing from that list.
Does this scenario sound familiar? It should.
- · Restricting sale or access to a small set of firearms that seem scary seems to some is a small matter of inconvenience for a few with seemingly great security benefits for many Americans.
If you are on the other side, of course, you can see right
through that. What security benefits? Law abiding citizens no matter how well armed they are, rarely,
if ever, conduct murderous attacks on innocent people. These are LEGAL firearms
owned by law-abiding citizens we are talking about. Murder is already illegal.
The vast majority of firearm deaths in this country are either suicides or the
result of criminal activity. Making certain guns illegal, or more difficult to
get legally, will likely have no reducing effect on either category and may indeed have the opposite effect.
If after reading this you are formulating a reply as to how your side of one of
these arguments is different, and more righteous, than the other side, you are
missing my point. Everyone’s freedoms are important. A divided nation is not
in any of our interests. PLEASE take a couple of minutes, or at least a couple
of breaths, and look for ways to understand the other side OF EVERY ISSUE. We are literally
all In this together. If we cannot find common ground with those with whom we
disagree, then I truly fear that a government of the people, by the people, and
for the people, may indeed perish from this earth.
