** WARNING: THIS POST MAY SEEM AS THOUGH IT HAS POLITICAL LEANINGS. IT IS NOT WRITTEN WITH THAT INTENT. IT IS NOT WRITTEN AS A COMMENTARY ON THE CURRENT POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH WE LIVE. IT IS WRITTEN STRICTLY TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT BULLSHIT. **
If you haven't had a chance to read the national news today, allow me to bring a headline/story to your attention:
Fatal Police Shooting Caught on Facebook Live Stream
Because some of you reading this may be reluctant to read the above article, allow me to summarize:
In St. Anthony, Minnesota, a couple traveling with their young child in the backseat was pulled over because of a broken tail light. The driver of the car - Philando Castile - had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Following the law, he immediately informed the officer of his (legally carried) weapon. He was then instructed by the police officer to hand over his driver's license and registration. As he was reaching for his wallet - which, as is commonly the case, located in the back pocket of his pants - the officer pulled out his service weapon and shot the gentleman. For some reason (admittedly, this would not be my reflexive action), his girlfriend pulled out her phone and began live-streaming the situation on Facebook . When the video first starts, you see her boyfriend - who, by the way, was gainfully employed as a cafeteria manager at a local Montessori school - covered in blood, leaning toward her looking dazed, and, as we learn a few seconds later, taking his last gasps of air. He died there in the car as the officer is still aiming his weapon in the car window (instead of rendering aid to this gentleman who was clearly no longer a threat?).
This post isn't about the color of skin the driver had. This post isn't about "fuck the police". This post is about guns. And what in the absolute fuck is going on in this world that we need them.
Please do not interpret this to be victim-blaming, because I'm not. But I have a hard time understanding why in the absolute fuck this gentleman: one, felt it necessary to have a concealed carry permit; and, two, felt it necessary to, while driving in the car with his child and girlfriend, carry that weapon. For what reason was it necessary to carry this weapon?? I can't wrap my head around it.
No matter the reason, the gentleman was carrying his weapon legally with a permit. So my next question is - why in the absolute fuck would a police officer give a command to a person after having been informed that he has a legal weapon in the car, and then find it necessary to draw his weapon and shoot him dead. If the officer was concerned about his safety, I'm sure there is protocol (since it's apparently legal to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Minnesota) as to how an officer should proceed once the driver has complied with the law by informing the officer of his concealed weapon, as was the case in this instance. But for that officer having that firearm, with which he was so quick to pull and fire, the gentleman pulled over because his goddamn tail light wasn't operating correctly would still be alive.
You see - this is my thinking. When a person has a gun, it's the immediate reaction to fix any problem. Instead of rationally thinking and figuring out the next logical step to solve a problem, a person with a gun immediately goes to the gun to solve the issue. And I promise you, few things end well when a gun comes into the picture.
I'm certain that when the 2nd amendment was adopted - in 1791!! - there was reason to believe that these weapons, which operated much differently then, were useful to those who were heading into war. As the amendment states, "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." In 1791 that was COMPLETELY reasonable. There was unrest. There was war. There was a fledgling government that, at the time, did not yet fully understand the necessity of a police force or a regulated military. Since the adoption of the 2nd amendment, things have changed. DRASTICALLY. We - as a people - have figured a few things out and have discovered the necessity of a police force to protect its citizens. We have determined that a regulated military to protect our shores and our interests abroad is necessary. These things weren't as necessary in 1791 as much as they are today. So, ...
In 2010, the US Supreme Court chimed in on this. They stated that, even though the wording of the amendment lends to the idea that the only reason to keep and bear arms was during a time of militia, the amendment is still defining a fundamental right - as described in the 14th amendment.
So I get that. The highest court in the land has made that determination. But sweet Jesus. Can we perhaps think rationally here? But for Philando Castile having a legally acquired and permitted weapon, the police officer wouldn't have felt threatened so that he pulled his legally carried service weapon and fired it upon Philando.
It goes full circle. And but for those two people carrying weapons - legal or not - one would still be alive, a young child would still have her father, a girlfriend would still have her love, and a police officer wouldn't have the constant memory of firing that weapon upon a man and ultimately killing him. Why isn't that all we need to determine that this shit is crazy and something has to be done to stop it?
Thanks for reading ... I'll go back to discussing my cute kids and how they're growing up too fast and how much I love the fact that Davis will still hold my hand when we're walking somewhere together and how much I adore that Andrew will still hug me and tell me he loves me. I'm the luckiest gal in the world. But I'm getting tired of reading about other people who won't have these fortunes all thanks to a stupid weapon that is manufactured strictly for the purpose of hurting someone.
That's. Not. Ok.