Guns – What To Do About It?

I encourage you to take a close look at the faces of those killed in Parkland Florida, and particularly the chart below.  Since I've started writing this just a few days ago I had to add 11 more shooting victims. All children, except for just a few – while they were at school, no less. IS THIS OKAY?!?! It appears to me that this is “okay” with the most powerful legislative change agents (I use the term loosely) in the world.

(More down below...)

Killings/Shootings at Schools in USA - Last 10 Years
Date Place (School & Universities) Murders Injured
2/14/2008 DeKalb, Illinois 6 21
8/14/2008 Federal Way, Washington 1 0
8/21/2008 Knoxville, Tennessee 1 0
9/2/2008 Willoughby, Ohio 0 0
10/16/2008 Detroit, Michigan 1 3
10/26/2008 Conway, Arkansas 2 1
11/13/2008 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 1 0
1/9/2009 Chicago, Illinois 0 5
4/26/2009 Hampton, Virginia 0 3
5/18/2009 Cambridge, Massachusetts 1 0
5/18/2009 Larose, Louisiana 1 0
6/16/2009 San Francisco, California 0 3
9/3/2009 San Bruno, California 0 1
10/16/2009 Conway, South Carolina 1 0
2/5/2010 Madison, Alabama 1 0
2/12/2010 Huntsville, Alabama 3 3
2/19/2010 DeKalb, Illinois 0 1
2/23/2010 Littleton, Colorado 0 2
3/9/2010 Columbus, Ohio 1 1
9/8/2010 Detroit, Michigan 0 2
9/28/2010 Austin, Texas 1 1
10/1/2010 Salinas, California 1 0
10/8/2010 Carlsbad, California 0 2
11/29/2010 Marinette, Wisconsin 1 0
12/6/2010 Aurora, Colorado 0 1
1/5/2011 Omaha, Nebraska 2 2
3/25/2011 Martinsville, Indiana 0 1
3/31/2011 Houston, Texas 1 5
5/23/2011 Pearl City, Hawaii 0 1
10/24/2011 Fayetteville, North Carolina 0 1
12/8/2011 Blacksburg, Virginia 2 0
12/9/2011 Edinburg, Texas 0 2
1/10/2012 Houston, Texas 0 1
2/27/2012 Chardon, Ohio 3 3
3/6/2012 Jacksonville, Florida 2 0
4/2/2012 Oakland, California 7 3
8/16/2012 Memphis, Tennessee 0 2
8/27/2012 Perry Hall, Maryland 0 1
9/7/2012 Normal, Illinois 0 0
10/6/2012 Mobile, Alabama 1 0
10/19/2012 Chicago, Illinois 1 0
10/31/2012 Los Angeles, California 0 4
12/14/2012 Newtown, Connecticut 28 2
1/7/2013 Fort Myers, Florida 1 0
1/10/2013 Taft, California 0 2
1/12/2013 Detroit, Michigan 0 1
1/15/2013 St. Louis, Missouri 0 2
1/15/2013 Hazard, Kentucky 3 0
1/16/2013 Chicago, Illinois 1 0
1/22/2013 Houston, Texas 0 3
1/31/2013 Phoenix, Arizona 0 0
1/31/2013 Atlanta, Georgia 0 2
3/18/2013 Orlando, Florida 1 0
4/12/2013 Dublin, Virginia 0 2
4/16/2013 Grambling, Louisiana 0 3
4/18/2013 Cambridge, Massachusetts 2 1
5/14/2013 Birmingham, Alabama 0 0
6/7/2013 Santa Monica, California 6 4
8/20/2013 Decatur, Georgia 0 0
8/23/2013 Sardis, Mississippi 1 2
8/30/2013 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 0 1
10/4/2013 Pine Hills, Florida 0 2
10/21/2013 Sparks, Nevada 2 2
11/2/2013 Greensboro, North Carolina 0 1
11/3/2013 Lithonia, Georgia 0 2
11/13/2013 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 0 3
12/4/2013 Winter Garden, Florida 0 1
12/13/2013 Centennial, Colorado 2 0
12/19/2013 Fresno, California 0 1
1/9/2014 Jackson, Tennessee 0 1
1/13/2014 New Haven, Connecticut 0 1
1/14/2014 Roswell, New Mexico 0 3
1/17/2014 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 0 2
1/20/2014 Chester, Pennsylvania 0 1
1/21/2014 West Lafayette, Indiana 1 0
1/24/2014 Orangeburg, South Carolina 1 0
1/25/2014 Los Angeles, California 1 0
1/27/2014 Carbondale, Illinois 0 1
1/28/2014 Nashville, Tennessee 0 1
1/30/2014 Palm Bay, Florida 0 1
1/31/2014 Des Moines, Iowa 0 1
2/10/2014 Salisbury, North Carolina 0 1
2/10/2014 Lyndhurst, Ohio 0 0
2/12/2014 Los Angeles, California 0 1
2/22/2014 Augusta, Georgia 0 1
3/12/2014 Miami, Florida 1 0
3/25/2014 College Park, Georgia 0 0
4/9/2014 Greenville, North Carolina 0 0
4/11/2014 Detroit, Michigan 1 0
5/4/2014 Augusta, Georgia 0 1
5/5/2014 Augusta, Georgia 0 1
5/8/2014 Lawrenceville, Georgia 0 1
5/14/2014 Richmond, California 0 1
6/5/2014 Seattle, Washington 1 3
6/10/2014 Troutdale, Oregon 2 1
9/9/2014 Miami, Florida 0 1
9/11/2014 Taylorsville, Utah 0 1
9/27/2014 Terre Haute, Indiana 0 1
9/30/2014 Albemarle, North Carolina 0 1
9/30/2014 Louisville, Kentucky 0 1
10/3/2014 Fairburn, Georgia 1 0
10/24/2014 Marysville, Washington 5 1
11/20/2014 Tallahassee, Florida 1 3
11/20/2014 Miami, Florida 1 1
12/5/2014 Claremore, Oklahoma 1 0
12/12/2014 Portland, Oregon 0 4
1/15/2015 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 0 3
1/16/2015 Ocala, Florida 0 2
2/4/2015 Frederick, Maryland 0 2
2/14/2015 Merced, California 1 0
2/23/2015 Daytona Beach, Florida 0 3
3/30/2015 University City, Missouri 0 1
4/13/2015 Goldsboro, North Carolina 1 0
4/16/2015 Paradis, Louisiana 0 1
4/27/2015 Lacey, Washington 0 0
5/12/2015 Jacksonville, Florida 0 2
5/24/2015 Flint, Michigan 0 7
8/27/2015 Savannah, Georgia 1 0
9/3/2015 Sacramento, California 1 2
9/14/2015 Cleveland, Mississippi 2 0
9/30/2015 Harrisburg, South Dakota 0 1
10/1/2015 Roseburg, Oregon 10 9
10/9/2015 Flagstaff, Arizona 1 3
10/9/2015 Houston, Texas 1 1
10/22/2015 Nashville, Tennessee 1 3
11/1/2015 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 1 1
11/20/2015 North Las Vegas, Nevada 1 0
1/22/2016 Indianapolis, Indiana 0 1
1/29/2016 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 0 0
2/9/2016 Muskegon Heights, Michigan 0 4
2/12/2016 Glendale, Arizona 2 0
2/29/2016 Middletown, Ohio 0 4
4/23/2016 Antigo, Wisconsin 1 2
6/1/2016 Los Angeles, California 2 0
6/8/2016 Dorchester, Massachusetts 1 3
9/9/2016 Alpine, Texas 1 2
9/28/2016 Townville, South Carolina 2 2
10/11/2016 Mobile, Alabama 0 1
10/13/2016 Columbus, Ohio 0 2
10/18/2016 San Francisco, California 0 4
10/25/2016 Sandy, Utah 0 1
12/1/2016 Bountiful, Utah 0 0
1/20/2017 West Liberty, Ohio 0 1
1/20/2017 Seattle, Washington 0 1
3/21/2017 King City, California 0 1
4/10/2017 San Bernardino, California 3 1
5/4/2017 Irving, Texas 2 0
9/13/2017 Rockford, Washington 1 3
9/20/2017 Mattoon, Illinois 0 1
11/14/2017 Rancho Tehama Reserve, California 6 18
12/7/2017 Aztec, New Mexico 3 0
1/9/2018 Forest City, Iowa 0 0
1/20/2018 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 1 0
1/22/2018 Italy, Texas 0 1
1/22/2018 New Orleans, Louisiana 0 1
1/23/2018 Marshall County, Kentucky 2 18
2/1/2018 Los Angeles, California 0 5
2/5/2018 Oxon Hill, Maryland 0 1
2/14/2018 Parkland, Florida 17 14
3/2/2018 Mount Pleasant, Michigan 2 0
3/7/2018 Birmingham, Alabama 1 2
3/14/2018 Birmingham, Alabama 2 1
3/20/2018 Great Mills, Maryland 1 2
TOTALS 177 288
*This list is actually a conservative comparison to some resources. Sad and scary, isn't it!

I'm just thinking out loud here and not suggesting that we actually DO any of these things. And my friends know that I have my Illinois (FOID) Firearm Owners Identification Card.

But what if…

  • these 165 separate atrocities occurred inside of the state (or federal) capital buildings in the 30+ states where the shootings occurred. Would we be where we are today?
  • we had no gun laws, but had strict legislation about buying ammunition?
  • all legal gun/ammo sellers, school administrators and the ATF had an integrated database?
  • when you bought 1,000 rounds of anything a "red flag" was issued to local law enforcement?
  • all guns were registered and stored at the local police station? CRAZY you say! My friend, who grew up near Seoul, South Korea told me just yesterday that that is the law in her hometown. She knows many people who have guns, and knows no one who ever shot someone else.
  • What if we had leadership, Democrats and Republicans, that had the character to do something bold and creative that defended the liberties of its people, children now dubbed "the Mass Shooting Generation" while still honoring the rights of those who legally own guns?
  • What if...(what crazy idea would you put here)?

LEADERSHIP LESSON -  Trying to solve big problems using the same old paradigms produces the same incremental weak results. By asking the “what if” questions and encouraging outlandish answers you may just break free of the thinking that created the results you currently have.

The definition of insanity is to continue to do the things you’ve always done and expect a different result

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This blog shares perspectives on how you have the ability to create new story endings that are meaningful, powerful and filled with hope. I facilitate culture changing processes that help organizations achieve greater impact. Also, I provide leadership coaching to help executives and aspiring leaders become the fullest expression of who they’re intended to be.

If you're looking for coaching or consulting services, contact me - brian@leadersedge.me

@beckerbits #leadership #vision #culture www.leadersedge.me