Second Amendment Rights - Leslie

The second amendment in the United States Constitution is the right to keep and bear arms.  I'm just going to go ahead and let everyone know that I do not have a stance on this issue that is set in stone.  I go back and forth with it a lot, because there are great arguments for both sides.  Therefore, this post may go back and forth.  I apologize for that.  This will be an account of my thought processes at the moment about gun control more than anything else, so please do not take this as something I am extremely passionate about one way or another.  I know what makes sense to me, but that doesn't always coincide with what is actually possible.

As far as keeping guns out of the hands of people who will use them in the worst ways imaginable, it's impossible.  Impossible.  Consider that for a second.  There is nothing anyone can do to keep things like shootings from happening, other than getting rid of all guns.  ALL guns.  You know THAT isn't going to happen.  If there aren't any guns anywhere, then guns aren't an issue.  Check.

The reality is that there ARE guns (and always will be I'm sure), and as long as there are, some people will use them explicitly to harm others.  Why?  Because they can.  Putting bans on people won't stop that.  How many times have you heard that such and such suspect from xyz shooting used his Great Aunt Susie's/dad's/uncle's gun to hurt those people?  Great Aunt Susie may have had tons of background checks done and went through a mountain of paperwork to get that gun legally and for protection reasons only.  Does that stop it from being stolen and used by her dipshit nephew?  No, it doesn't.  He doesn't care about what is banned as far as obtaining a gun.  He cares about what he intends to do with one, and where he will get it whether by legal means or not.  Those bans would not stop that from happening.  Then consider that perhaps Suspect Nephew goes and intends to shoot up a gas station.  He pulls out his gun and starts threatening for the money in the register or he'll shoot and kill the clerk, only to be shot by some no-name customer with a gun, saving the clerk's life.  The point is, as long as there are guns there are people who will use them for protection of themselves or others, and there are people who will use them to only do harm.  Should that person who used their gun to protect be punished because Suspect Nephew got hold of a gun?  No, I don't think so.  I think that if there are going to be people out there who will use a firearm illegally, then people should be able to exercise their RIGHT (not privilege!) to have a gun to protect themselves.  Banning guns doesn't hurt the criminals.  Not at all.

This is where things get a little tough for me and I go back and forth.  My biggest issue with having guns is something Heather wrote about.  Kids.  If you have a gun, you need to have it kept in a place that is safely away from children.  I don't care how much you teach your kids about guns.  Sometimes they do stupid things, as we all did when we were young, and sometimes those things could be prevented.  That said, if you own a gun, I definitely think your children need to be taught about them.  Using them safely, what not to do with them, and at some point possibly how to handle one.  Children are naturally curious and making something impossible to obtain will make them want to do it more.  It makes it seem much more cool.  I don't believe in telling a child what not to do and why and leaving it at that.  SHOW them why.  (And no, I don't mean go out and shoot someone.  Please, don't.)  Often children don't understand explanations, especially with something like "guns can kill".  Instead of keeping them away and hoping they don't come across one, teach them what to do in a situation such as that.  Here's an idea, teach them how to safely disarm a gun.

On the other hand, it's hard to think about teaching A any of that.  She's my whole world, and I don't want to think about her being in that kind of situation.  But the truth is, it's not always preventable unless your children are extremely sheltered.  A isn't, and won't be.  I still would rather teach her the safe way to handle a situation rather than just blindly hope it won't ever happen.  I want to give her the tools and knowledge to handle something by herself, because I won't always be there to protect her, as much as I want to be.  Taking a page out of Heather's book, and I definitely WILL, I can do all of the research I want into how other people handle their guns and store them, but that still doesn't guarantee that something won't happen.  The world is scary, and I would rather know that I did what I could to keep A safe, even if it's teaching her how to keep herself safe, instead of just worry and hope nothing ever happens.

It's a tough and very thin line to walk on. 

Homeschooling vs. Public Schooling - Leslie

I will start out by saying that I have zero judgment towards parents who choose homeschool over public school, public school over homeschool, private school, or no traditional schooling at all. There are so many factors that go into deciding our child's education and not all of them are things we can do much about. Also, my saying "public school" throughout this post really means any kind of organized, get up in the morning and go to a building where there is a staff that would teach my child rather than doing it myself. I KNOW it's not all considered to be public. But for the sake of convenience, I will use it that way.

That said, the school system in my area is absolutely terrible. So much so that I wish I could take my school-aged niece and nephew out of it and homeschool them myself. A will not be going to public school, and ESPECIALLY not if we are still in this area when she is that age. However, even if we move I don't think I will put her in school. I have always loved the idea of homeschooling. We get to choose the curriculum, the trips, the activities. We can do things during "school hours" that we wouldn't normally be able to do. It would be less hectic, and A would get a lot more out of what she's learning because we will be able to teach her the way she learns best.

I love, even now, being able to teach A at the pace she is ready to learn at. She is doing A LOT of things at 2 1/2 years old that most 4 and 5-year-olds are just now learning in school, and with other things she's not quite progressing as quickly. In public school, she would be hindered in both directions. She wouldn't be allowed to blossom fully where her strengths are concerned and she wouldn't be given the time and attention to learn what she may struggle with. To have a scale from below average, to average, to gifted (as a public school does) doesn't really give kids a chance. Some kids learn faster than others, and not everyone can comprehend something the same way, but they are all put through and all are expected to perform the same, which doesn't happen and that approach is ineffective. I believe that most of the kids who struggle in school would benefit if they stopped trying to keep everyone at the same level and just worked with them on an individual basis. 

I want A to have the best possible chance at a good education, and I know I can provide that for her. I won't let her education be a competition to see who is the smartest and who will go into the dumb kid class. No child is dumb, but some are made to feel that way because no one will take the time to figure out what THEY need to succeed. I don't think public education would be a bad idea if more people cared about making it the best it can be, and making sure EVERY student has a shot. The teachers who care, and the parents who want the best for their child need more support and people need to see that these kids ARE our future. Though, I guess that would be getting more into politics and investing in education what with having enough teachers and enough money to be able to do all of those things. That is a topic for another time.

Every parent has to make that decision for their child and their family. I choose homeschooling, because I feel that it will give A what she needs to do the best that she can. I choose to take responsibility for her education because while there are SO many wonderful and hard-working educators out there trying to give kids the best, there are too many who just don't care. I'm not willing to put A's future in the hands of those people. What better way to ensure my daughter has a good education than being taught by someone who knows her the best? Me. 

If you are interested in homeschooling or just want more information, here is a good resource:

http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/default.asp

If you have any topic suggestions, please pass them along to thecaseofthemissingcheerio@gmail.com