The war on drugs began in 1969 when Richard Nixon held the office of the President. It began as a Presidents attempt to stem the drug trade by going after drug makers in other countries. The only things that it did manage to create was a permanent lower class and it had detrimental effects socially, politically and just plain didn’t work.

Similar results can be expected from the latest “War on guns." Every time something tragic happens the nation and the government call for tighter control on guns and more restrictions to buying guns. Some how it is thought that if the only ones that can legally own guns are the police then crime will fall and we will all be safer. This way of thinking is a knee jerk reaction that helps no one but the criminals.

More stringent requirements for purchasing a gun and tougher guidelines to get permits for those guns are fine and needed to keep people from acting on impulse. The government should never try and block a citizen’s Constitutional right to own and bare arms.

Politicians will tell a scared nation if guns were illegal then whatever horrible tragedy occurred would not have happened. That way of thinking is flawed.

The evil people that shoot up schools and churches aren’t going to be stopped even if guns were illegal to own. If they are intent on shooting and killing people, I am pretty sure they are okay with breaking a few more laws to get the weapons that they need.

Think about it this way, if you went to purchase drugs I would bet money that the gun the dealer has in his back pocket wasn’t purchased legally and I am sure he doesn’t have a concealed weapons permit either.

If eliminating guns will likely only help the criminals than what will help? Some of the questions the Charleston tragedy should be causing us to ask are; “Why are we not looking into training our teachers better to identify students who may have a propensity to violence?” and “Why aren’t we touting racial equality instead of allowing the traditional segregation to continue?” Those are the real issues that will help Charleston heal.

It is a normal reaction for any human being with a heart to want to make a difference when a tragic event like the shooting in Charleston happens. It is impossible for normal people to understand what went through the mind of the mentally ill young man as he ruthlessly shot nine innocent people in the Emanuel AME Church.

We must make sure that are reactions are appropriate. To use this horrible situation as a political rallying point for the argument against guns is silly and disrespectful to the men and women who died in that Church.

Being there for your fellow man reaching out in the time of need to this church family and the surrounding community is what we should be focusing on. If we could take one lesson from Charleston it should also be helping our children see that the color of our skin doesn’t matter we.

We should also take note of the reaction from the families who lost love ones. The way they are reacting in love and forgiveness should be a lesson for us all. We should celebrate that and not turn their tragedy into a political rallying point for the so-called war on guns.