Political Pawns

By Tammy Derouin

When tragedy strikes we do everything we can to further protect ourselves and the ones we love. We go through many different stages of emotion. Shock and disbelief are certainly in the forefront as we struggle to grasp with what is happening. Shock eventually gives way to grief and or anger as we begin to comprehend and come to terms with our new reality.

It is never easy to understand why such tragedies take place. Why do innocent people become victims? We try to recreate a better outcome with “what if” or “if only” possibilities. We even insert ourselves into the situation. What could we have done differently? Could we have prevented this moment in time? Trying to make sense of something so senseless can be exasperating. But, that's what we do, we try to find a reason and then we try to fix the problem so that it never happens again.

We have all dealt with personal loss or tragedies. We know the heart-wrenching feeling of helplessness. As a nation, we have also dealt with many tragedies from natural disasters, the loss of those who serve protecting our freedom, to attacks on our home soil by both foreign and domestic assailants. Once we begin to recover and acknowledge the reality, we want to prevent such tragedies and losses from ever happening again. Acting purely on emotion is however, very dangerous. Using our children as political pawns to promote an anti-American agenda is disgraceful, shameful and a national tragedy.

I think we can all agree that any violent act against children is unacceptable and we need to make sure our children are safe in our schools. The latest shooting in Florida had many warning signs. Local authorities were aware of this individual. The FBI was informed and failed. School security at the time of the tragedy, failed. We need to investigate and analyze each situation, each tragedy, on a case by case basis.

We know the Left doesn't waste an opportunity to push their agenda. Tragedy, unfortunately, becomes an opportunity for them to target our most basic God-given rights, our rights which are protected in our Constitution. They will use any means necessary, including our children, to promote their agenda. The children and the American people are exploited for their political gain. Every American will be victimized if the Left ever becomes successful in removing our rights.

A gun free zone is a joke. The only individuals who abide by the law are law-abiding citizens. If we allow ourselves to be disarmed by our government, the only entities who will have guns or weapons of modern day choice, will be the government and criminals. Do we want to be stuck with yesterday's weaponry while the government and criminals make advancements which could be used against us?

An individual who wants to cause harm will seek out his weapon of choice regardless of the law. It is not the gun or the weapon which causes harm, it's the individual. The Left knows this but they use it as an opportunity to advance their cause. If they can get the people to willingly remove their rights, the Left accomplishes their goal. They prompt and encourage the population to become a weapon against themselves. The Left isn't forcibly taking the guns out of our hands; the uninformed Americans are doing their dirty work for them. This way the Left can say they did, by way of legislation, what the people wanted them to do. Once the 2^nd Amendment is gone, the rest will follow.

With freedom comes responsibility and with freedom comes risks. The government cannot protect every individual from a personal attack. I would much rather take my chances with my God-given rights, protected by the Constitution, than rely on individuals who claim they know what's best for me. The government cannot keep drugs off our streets, illegals from crossing our border or corruption from taking place within itself. I'm supposed to believe that by giving up my rights I'll be better protected?

Why is it that those who love the ideals of socialism and communism do not move to their Utopian paradise? If you truly feel that your rights are granted by the government and the government should have ultimate control, please feel free to migrate to such countries which limit speech, assembly, religion, do not allow you to own a gun and keep you shackled and chained. You may however, need to apply for legal status and assimilate to their culture. Let me know how it goes when you try to make entitlement demands. If socialism and communism are your ideas of paradise, please feel free to leave and live among the enslaved. Leave my freedoms alone.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Benjamin Franklin