One nation, divided by guns
My youth was a series of extraordinarily vivid, jarring experiences which deeply colored my perspective. Experiencing bullying, racism and hate in a hellish third-world country, my early life fuels my passion to resist intolerance and violence. I was never happier than to achieve citizenship by volunteering to serve our free-and diverse-country, but it’s hard to watch it being attacked from inside.
On Sunday, Oct. 1, it got personal.
My son felt bullets whiz by him at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival, miraculously missing him! He immediately felt and saw that he was bleeding from shrapnel, not bullets; then (he) rushed to assist a woman who died in his arms.
I described the carnage to a large gathering of friends and wondered aloud if we will ever be free of this scourge of horrific mass shootings. Imagine my amazement when someone suddenly — and scathingly — reminded me of our Constitution’s 2nd Amendment! “You realize if we had no guns we would have had no Revolution and no America!? This is not the time to be talking about gun control!”
Really. Really? When would be a good time? Thanksgiving? Or after someone shoots 90 rounds a minute at your child?
Rudy Xavier, Arroyo Grande
This story was originally published October 11, 2017 at 3:21 PM with the headline "One nation, divided by guns."