Impact of Assault Weapons Ban - Illustration-

[libdem4life]

83. Graphs and statistics fail at the most basic of the idea of the cost of weapon mayhem.

I have yet to see a graph or a chart of the financial costs/repercussions to the families of any one of these "statistics"...that would include the injured, as well.

And beyond a chart of the cost, including grief and emotional pain, the cost of losing a family provider, or a parent, or a child. What were the medical bills for those who died or those who lived, how many families savings were wiped out or crippling debt incurred, plans for college or vactions or home repair, the unexpected burial and funeral charges ($5,000 average) for those who died, the psychological costs of counseling, the damage to buildings, to businesses that perhaps had to close thus costing others their jobs, the jobs/income lost due to disability?

Adults may have life insurance to help with the costs, but children don't. The poor often don't. Our family was involved in a car accident with no fatalities fully covered by insurance, not at the fault of our driver, but the injuries and subsequent effects impacted and reorganized the other family members in a myriad of ways.

Statistics and facts are important...and our family's ordeal will never show up on a graph. But it's time to start including some real life faces and human beings. How does one "rate" the loss of a primary financial provider of a family vs. a small child, for instance? Or, a child who has become permanently disabled and needs a primary provider to stay at home now. The marriages...thus families...that fail in the wake of the sorrow and pain.

Much like wars, the real violence ... at the level where it is borne ... is sanitized because it is too painful and/or instructive...for the observers. But until that pain is felt, either by increased consciousness or god forbid personal experience, it can be ignored and put off.

This is neither maudlin nor obsessing...it is to hopefully influence and justify a system of gun management that is supported and participated in by those who do not posses and those who do posses weapons. To coin a phrase, it will Take A Village.

We who abhor even the owning of weapons, as do those who feel them necessary for their safety, sport, skill, food etc. must each become more honest, aware and flexible in order to compensate for the violence to society and our families. The NRA (non-profit in name only) must evolve, or be replaced by a sane organization and management entity that can see beyond their prolific balance sheet and political control. Perhaps Gabby Gifford's new organization will take hold, based on her highly personal, highly public assault and slow, painful recovery.

Even the name is outdated and refers to a time when guns were primarily for protection and hunting. The National Rifle Association, which evokes memories of Bonanza, The Rifleman, John Wayne, good guys with 6-shooters at most guns et al and would now be more appropriately updated to be referred to as the NWMDA...National Weapons(including those, of Mass Destruction) Association. More appropriate description of the newer role models for our children/society ... The Terminator, Die Hard, Rambo...good guys as glorified revenge fanatics with machine guns.

I feel certain that there are 26 more families readjusting their lives...and those of their extended families and social groups...to reasses the potential of gun violence, its causes, its remedies and its place in our society....based on exceedingly personal experience.

The conversation continues.