{"id":1203,"date":"2012-12-17T16:54:10","date_gmt":"2012-12-18T00:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=1203"},"modified":"2019-01-30T08:38:30","modified_gmt":"2019-01-30T16:38:30","slug":"when-will-america-wake-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/life\/when-will-america-wake-up\/","title":{"rendered":"When Will America Wake Up?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Again,we\u2019re confronted by another senseless tragedy<\/a>, this time, 20 children and\u00a0five adults killed in an elementary school in Connecticut, as well as\u00a0the shooter’s mother. I hate writing about such topics ,and yet I feel\u00a0I must, if only to add my voice to others pleading\u00a0for reason.\u00a0I also feel I must write about this as I have three beautiful grandchildren and a daughter who’s a teacher. She\u00a0teaches little ones like the ones who are now forever lost to their families; she is also as\u00a0dedicated as the one who laid down her life to save her students.<\/p>\n

When will America wake up? When will Americans see what the rest of the world sees? This great country, a\u00a0model for democracy to others living in tyranny, can\u2019t or won\u2019t solve her\u00a0gun problem. The problem is many Americans don\u2019t think they have one. When crimes of this nature happen, their solution is to go out and buy more guns. One gun shop owner stated he had his best day yet in four years following the Connecticut shootings.<\/p>\n

And so the insanity continues.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a Canadian and though we share a common language and pop culture and show a similar multi-cultural face, we differ a great deal in what we hold dear. Canada is a more liberal country, with liberal ideas about gay marriage, marijuana, and abortion. We believe in universal health care for all and yet when it comes to gun control, we have strict laws and rules about purchase and ownership.\u00a0 In stark contrast, \u00a0America by and large struggles with the liberal \u00a0ideas that Canada embraces, and when it comes to gun ownership, there seems to be no barriers to gun purchase and ownership.<\/p>\n

Yes, we do have our own horror stories from time to time, but there is no comparison to what\u00a0 Americans face on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

\"\"Obama in his recent speech at a memorial service in Newton, Connecticut expressed his sorrow and stated emphatically that these tragedies had to stop.\u00a0 I hope this time it\u2019s more than just lip service. In Toronto, the chief of police said Americans have to decide what they love more \u2013 guns or kids.<\/p>\n

Obama also mentioned the need to look at treatment of the mentally ill\u2014those who hear voices, who may be on drugs with side affects so horrendous that they are compelled to lash out and\/or kill themselves like the shooter in Connecticut. They walk amongst us. They are in our families, our workplaces, and they live next door.\u00a0 They are the elephants in the room.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not only the mentally ill that are responsible for the insane number of Americans killed by guns within the USA. Many are victims of domestic abuse, blue on blue incidents, road rage, gang wars, and domestic accidents, to name a few.\u00a0 As a clinical social worker, I\u2019ve conducted workshops on anger management, a tough problem for many (even normal folk), as rage unleashed has a life of its own. How many of us have been in a situation where we\u2019ve said things or done things we regret later? How many of us can recall times when we\u2019ve been personally out of control, and we\u2019re talking here of normalcy. Normal behaviour. The person with over the top anger issues cannot think straight and who can when they\u2019re emotionally upset?\u00a0 If the person is also mentally ill, you have a combustible situation. That\u2019s why easy access to guns is particularly dangerous .<\/p>\n

America\u2019s opposition to gun control seems to be inexplicably tied to the American\u2019s right to bear arms, as conceived in their constitution, which was written in 1791. The right to bear arms made sense back then when it was the wild west, and there were all kinds of unknown dangers. There was lawlessness, and a man needed to protect himself. \u00a0As Michael Moore pointed out in his recent newsletter, back then, it took 15 seconds to load one shot into a musket. The Connecticut shooter used an assault rifle that fires 30 rounds a pop.<\/p>\n

It makes no sense for someone in a civilized nation to be able to buy assault weapons. It makes no sense to be able\u00a0 to procure them and ammunition and other paraphernalia without some kind of screening. Hunting game is a sport I have questions about but I\u2019m not about to judge as most people eat meat, at least on occasion. But how many guns do you need to hunt game, and if you\u2019re not a hunter, why even have one?<\/p>\n

On a recent trip to London, during the Paralympics, I saw a news story about a shooting of two female police officers<\/a>, who were patrolling their beat unarmed, which is standard practice in the UK. There was naturally a public outcry, asking for police officers to be armed. Though there was much discussion, the police superintendent reminded the public, that once armed, the police were in greater danger of blue on blue<\/em> incidents (meaning officers killed or injured by a fellow officer). He further stated that arming the police would encourage criminals to buy bigger guns, and the result would be a higher number of violent crimes.<\/p>\n

Children are our greatest national treasure. They are jewels in our midst. At times like this, we need to pray for the families of the children and adults lost in the recent tragedies in Connecticut and Aurora. We also need to pray that those who have the power to change the laws in favour of gun control will do so with the utmost haste. Someone has to restore sanity to the wondrous country of America. Someone has to say no to guns, and yes to kids, our most precious resource.<\/p>\n

I’d love your comments. And if you agree, check out Michael Moore. Give him your support. He has a big heart and is working for all of us. Also, Newtown United<\/a> , members of the community where the tragedy happened, would welcome your support.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Again,we\u2019re confronted by another senseless tragedy, this time, 20 children and\u00a0five adults killed in an elementary school in Connecticut, as well as\u00a0the shooter’s mother. I hate writing about such topics… <\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[88],"tags":[78,440,438,437,439,390,377,441],"class_list":["post-1203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life","tag-diana-stevan","tag-gun-control","tag-michael-moore","tag-newtown","tag-nicholas-d-kristof","tag-obama","tag-right-to-bear-arms","tag-shooting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1LuVB-jp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1260,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2013\/uncategorized\/spinning-wheels-in-the-gun-debate\/","url_meta":{"origin":1203,"position":0},"title":"Spinning Wheels in the Gun Debate","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"30 \u0421\u0456\u0447\u043d\u044f, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The gun debate in the USA reminds me of something a therapist once told me on a particularly cold and snowy day in Winnipeg, back in the 70s. I was working as a clinical social worker at the time, and was at an all day workshop with William Glasser, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"250px-Stuck-Car-3752","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/250px-Stuck-Car-3752.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6803,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2025\/life\/the-cracks-in-mental-health-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":1203,"position":1},"title":"The Cracks in Mental Health Services","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"12 \u0422\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043d\u044f, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, in Vancouver, British Columbia, we became aware, once again, of the cracks in mental health services. They failed to help those in need and they failed to protect the public from harm. At a Filipino Street Festival in South Vancouver on Saturday, April 26, a mentally ill man drove\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"cracks in mental health services","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luke-jones-DHR8LQRY-fU-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luke-jones-DHR8LQRY-fU-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/luke-jones-DHR8LQRY-fU-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg?fit=675%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2387,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2015\/life\/prayers-and-wishes-for-2016\/","url_meta":{"origin":1203,"position":2},"title":"Prayers and Wishes For 2016","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"21 \u0413\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u044f, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"When I was growing up, I prayed a lot, the usual, for myself and for my family. Today, I continue to pray for my family but now, among my many prayers and wishes for 2016, I include ones for world peace. I'm tired of all the strife, the senseless loss\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Life"","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"From Wikimedia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Dove-300x292.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4056,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2019\/writing\/truth-in-political-art-fiction\/","url_meta":{"origin":1203,"position":3},"title":"Truth in Political Art & Fiction","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"27 \u041b\u044e\u0442\u043e\u0433\u043e, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"With so many attacks on the news media today, political art and fiction can do what news can't. Both can turn news on its head, shake up disbelievers, and open up thought and discourse. Since viewers and readers are questioning truth like never before, there\u2019s an urgent need to present\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"political artist","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG-5692.jpg?fit=791%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG-5692.jpg?fit=791%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG-5692.jpg?fit=791%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/IMG-5692.jpg?fit=791%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1081,"url":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2012\/uncategorized\/taking-a-break\/","url_meta":{"origin":1203,"position":4},"title":"More About Guns","author":"Diana Stevan","date":"4 \u0412\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0441\u043d\u044f, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but I'm refueling myself, taking a break traveling and soaking up new horizons. 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I, like many, wanted to make sense\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u0423 "Film"","block_context":{"text":"Film","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/category\/film-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dianastevan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Humphrey-Bogart.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1203\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}