I wrote the following piece as an oped for VTDigger in early 2018 (link: https://vtdigger.org/2018/02/21/rama-schneider-crisis-priorities-guns/).

Crisis, priorities, and guns

I used to say that we don't need to wait for a crisis regarding our modern day relationship with guns, but the crisis has been here for some time, and now I say there is no decent rationale that allows us to wait for the next count of childrens' bodies.

On Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2018, murderous violence descended upon Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community. The lives of children and young adults, parents, and school staff were brutalized in a truly horrifying and terrifying manner. Yet one more school massacre. We will not, however, be shown the images of the dead and wounded children and thus the reality of what occurred. Politicians, the media and most of us will sanitize the discussion so as not to make anyone squirm or rethink personal priorities.

It happened yet once again three short months later. On May 18th the schools and community of a small city, Sante Fe, Texas, were viciously attacked by a killer stalking the halls of the school with murderous intent and results. 10 students and staff dead and at least as many wounded. Once again.

I will not look away no matter how much I want to.

What I find truly pathetic is that we as a nation have a historical pattern of moving right on past the latest school shooting in the comfortable knowledge we can tweet and facebook our prayers and condolences; beat our breasts over missed signals; discuss the finer points of distinction between firearms; talk about further bunkerizing our nation's public schools; and make up fantabulous theories as to how the 2nd amendment is to be viewed in some biblical, gun protecting context.

I will not walk by and allow this to pass.

I have a simple proposal that will move us forward in a common sense manner by bringing to bear nothing more then the same standards we apply to bartenders.

Let's make weapons manufacturers and those who make a living selling and trading them legally responsible for the use of the firearms they deal with. The reality we face regarding these weapons is that there are too many and too much firepower, and nobody is willing to accept or assign responsibility.

Vermont is not an island immune to the rest of the world’s ills, and we need to protect ourselves from gun violence. This proposal will not be a cure for everything, but it will help by requiring individual people take responsibility for their actions - in this case flooding the market with weaponry.

I used to say that we don't need to wait for a crisis in this matter, but the crisis has been here for some time. Now I say there is no decent rationale for waiting for the next count of children's bodies.

I've got my priorities straight.

Last updated minor edit 05/20/2018