Diversity Rules Magazine

20| Diversity Rules Magazine |Apr 2023 Tony Guadagnino is a marke ng con- sultant. Located in New Jersey, his clients are based across the country, focusing on social media to build their presence on the internet. He studied crea ve wri ng in college and is currently working his first novel on the sub- ject of bullying. He lives with his partner Mark. As I am wri ng this, there was ANOTHER MASS SHOOT- ING in the country. This me, in Nashville, where 3 adults and 3 children (aged 9) were shot dead. Let me say that again – 3 adults and 3 children, whose lives were cut short at the age of 9. NINE! That means they were Middle Aged at 4 ½. As of this wri ng, this was the 130th Mass Shoo ng in 2023. Let me say that again – 130 Mass Shoo ng in 2023. That averages to approximately 43 mass shoot- ings a month. FORTY-THREE MASS SHOOTINGS A MONTH (That's more than 1 a day). WAKE UP AMERICA! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Let me start by saying and STRESSING that I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GUNS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. As I have stated previously, my father was a responsible gun owner. We knew he had them; we knew where he kept them; we knew not to touch them. Neither my mother, my brothers, nor I ever picked up and played with any of his guns. There are lots of responsible gun owners in America and I do not believe that all guns should be banned. I have to come out and say that because whenever I rant on this subject, that's what some people believe I am saying. I am not! It's me to stop with the cliché "Thoughts & Prayers" expression because, at this point, it is laughable. We all feel for the families who lost loved ones. We're all human; we are emo onal people. However, saying "thoughts & prayers" does not show compassion for the situa on. It's been overused so much that the meaning behind those words is lost. WAKE UP AMERICA! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! The AR-15 rifle seems to be the center of all shoot- ings, and I have to ask --- why is this rifle available to the public? It was designed for military use a er World War II, not for hun ng, not for everyday target prac ce, and not for the general public of America. Yet, President George Bush allowed the ban on as- sault rifles to expire during his presidency. (I bet he regrets that decision.) And with the expira on of the ban, and the availability of these weapons, more AR- 15 guns are ge ng into the hands of people who should not own them. This should not be a Republican/Democrat issue; this should be a human issue about life and death. We should all want to stop these scary incidents from happening. Instead, I am reading ar cles from mem- bers of Congress. I am reading statements of indif- ference like Tennessee Governor Bill Lee saying "We can't control what we can't control" (yet it was im- portant for him to sign bills that banned drag shows in public places and remove health care for transgen- der minors.) Rep. Tim Burche , R-Tenn., said that the shoo ng was "a horrible, horrible situa on, and we're not gonna fix it. Criminals are gonna be criminals." (That's an ac- tual quote; look it up.) Instead, people in government believe that the solu- on is to arm the teachers or get be er security in schools. As someone who works in the school dis- trict, I can personally tell you that schools are very well protected. The buildings do not have unlocked doors, nor can people walk through the school build- ing without screenings from both the administra on office and security. And giving teachers guns to keep in the classroom --- I shouldn't even need to discuss the ridiculousness of that idea. Genera on Alpha is the first genera on of people who will say "I lived during mass shoo ngs when I was in school." Before the next genera on starts, I, really, really hope that we will wake up. It's me to stop this craziness. We all have to do it – together. Here We Go Again ... Here We Go AGAIN! By Tony Guadagnino

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