More compromise, solutions needed to prevent gun violence

This evening I was witness to a conversation that should never have a reason to take place. I was sitting with my daughter-in-law and her 11-year-old daughter as they discussed some of the day’s events, the kind of sharing that every Mom and Daughter should be able to have… warm, loving, sometimes with a giggle or two.

Then the mood changed as Mom said she’s been looking at bullet-proof inserts for her child’s school backpack! How many other parents are searching for ways to keep their children safe when they send them off to what should be a safe place for every child?

Are we to become a nation where the solution to every gun slaughter is to suggest more guns? Is the vision of security in this country to have armed security at the schoolhouse? At the grocery store? At the church? At the shopping mall? With every school shooting suggestions are made to make it more difficult for a shooter to penetrate the school house: Armed security, limited access, armed teachers, duck/cover/hide drills and more. We could go to the extreme and advocate that students arm themselves and take target practice instead of recess.

Politicians have reemphasized their entrenched positions; one side calling for gun control; the other suggesting more mental health services. These and more are needed! Compromise and new solutions are needed! The majority of Americans support the removal of assault weapons… how about a buy-back program that sends them to Ukraine where they can be appropriately used?

Our government leaders need to pick a dollar figure to target solutions, split it in half, let one side develop programs to amp up our mental health and anger management programs, restrict divisive use of media and the other side to ban assault rifles, limit ammunition sales, provide background checks, etc. The issue of gun violence in this country is so rampant that we need to take drastic measures and employ all strategies to bring this crisis under control.

Kay Knapton, Washington, Whitefish native