So, I’m preparing breakfast for the kids this morning (my daughter is 12 and my son is 10; my son had a friend sleep over last night), when a rather interesting conversation took place. I was explaining to the kids why I was watching a news show (Countdown with Keith Olbermann) on my iPhone at the breakfast table, when the conversation then turned to President Obama. The kids are very smart and, as many german kids do, know a little about history, so it came as a total shock to them when I said to them that there are some Americans who compare Obama to Hitler, calling him a fascist, sozialist and a Nazi. They of course wanted to know why these people compare Obama to the greatest mass murderer in the history of man, so I explained a few of the reasons; fear for their jobs, some racism, ignorance, etc. (NOTE: how I feel about this criticism of Obama will be addressed in another post very soon.)
It was when I mentioned the fear that Obama would take their guns away by tightening the current US gun laws that the conversation became even more interesting for me. After I explained to them the differences between the U.S. and German gun laws, the requirements for owning and carrying a gun in both countries, etc., it dawned on me not only how extremely out of date and removed from reality the current U.S. gun laws are, but the mentality surrounding the ownership and usage of guns in our society are.
I honestly believe that people have a right to defend themselves. I also believe that there should be tighter restrictions on certain types of weapons, if for any other reason than to keep them out of the hands of stupid people. We are reminded all the time of how “legal” possession of guns can have tragic consequences; I saw evidence of up close during the school shooting in Winnenden, Germany, a town not even 20 miles away from where I live. It was because of the Winnenden school shooting that the children at the breakfast table were so curious, and it was this conversation that made me take a hard look at where I stand on the issue of guns in society.
Es ist schön zu hören, dass Deine Kids an diesem Thema bzw an Politik überhaupt interessiert sind!
Weniger schön sind natürlich die Ansichten mancher Amerikaner bezüglich Mr.Obamas´. Völlig unverständlich für mich überhaupt auf die Idee zu kommen ihn mit Hitler zu vergleichen. Ich denke da haben wohl manche die geschichtlichen Hintergründe nicht verstanden.
Erschreckend finde ich schon, dass in den USA jeder an die härtesten Waffen kommt.Das “Recht auf Verteidigung” wurde vor 200 Jahren verfasst. Damals waren die Umstände auch anders. Aber nach diesen vielen Massakern wird ne Verschärfung nicht schaden, damit der Zugriff eingeschränkt wird. Wobei ich aber denke, dass es generell nicht das Problem von Amokläufen löst. Da liegen die Probleme wohl eher an der Erziehung generell und an dem Interesse der Eltern an ihren Kindern. Sie zu stärken und Ihnen Rückhalt zu geben. Für die Persönlichkeit eines jeden werden die Grundsteine einfach in der Familie gelegt.