Posted on March 4, 2018
My heart is broken with the shooting in Florida on February 14. The voices of the teens who survived this terrible shooting has shamed me. I am scared that its just a matter of time before there is a shooting in one of our local schools. It is just a matter of time before I have to do a funeral for a member of your family. My heart cannot bear the thought. And I know that I am guilty for not taking action and doing everything in my power to reduce the deaths due to gun violence.
In our Mishneh, we are taught, “To save a life is to save the world.” For me, this instructs us that even one life has incredible value and even if efforts are not sufficient to eliminate all deaths, perhaps we can save one life or hopefully many. I believe it is a moral imperative for all us, regardless of what you believe the cause of gun violence is, to take real action. It is no longer permissible, in my mind, to say that this is the price of living and growing up in America. It is no longer okay to say that things will never change. Prayer and heart felt messages will not prevent the next mass shooting, homicide, or suicide. All of us who have a conscious, I believe, must act to save lives and strive to create a better country for our children, the next generation, and for our families and friends.
I believe the following steps must be taken:
1. Screening/background/training before a person can purchase a firearm or ammunition:
To drive a vehicle, one must demonstrate that he/she is not a danger to others in order to get a license or keep driving into old age. They have to learn the rules of the road, how to drive, and then pass a test. I believe a person must demonstrate that they know how to store their weapon, understand the ramifications of their gun getting into someone’s hands, are screened for violent behaviors such as expulsion from school, domestic violence, and etc. This is because life takes priority over all. God’s law tell us, “You shall not commit murder.” We have an obligation to prevent killing and senseless loss of life.
2. Shaming any politician that accepts money from the NRA- no matter their political affiliation.
I want the NRA out of our politician’s checkbooks so they can independently assess the needs of our nation. The NRA has consistently fought against universal background checks, any common sense restrictions on who gets a firearm, and even congressional funding for research to prevent gun deaths. See who has taken donations:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/nra-donations/?utm_term=.67796623d153