Look At This Graph

Okay, there's my attempt to cope with life via levity represented; you frequenters can't expect me to talk about something that sucks without at least trying to laugh at it.

But yeah, speaking of laughing, here's a fun little statistic for you; if you are a parent of a child under the age of 19, as of 2020 they are now statistically more likely to be shot to death than die in a car wreck.

Look. At this graph.

So hey, guess what! We've actually made progress on the whole car wreck thing! That bit looks great, honestly, I guess all the ad campaigns, the improved safety regulations in cars, and the ever-present push to click-it or ticket (or whatever your state's version of that was) really worked! We, as a society, made the decision that it was important for our children to increase their safety on the roads, we made a wide range of policy and social changes to do that, and it worked! Parents have become more safety conscious and they've been given the tools needed to keep their kids safer than ever while they travel. Still plenty of work to be done, but we're doing it!

Now you know what's incredibly frustrating as a parent? That second line.

Why is that second line even there? Why is it going up?? WHY ISN'T ANYONE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT???

Some idiot reading this somewhere is about to open their mouth and say something about that mostly being gang violence and even if you were right why is that an excuse? Wouldn't you rather have all those hypothetical gang kids getting killed in gang-related dance-offs kill each other with knives? If you don't think that would bring the mortality rate down more than just a little, you clearly know nothing about guns.

That's right, Chad. You gun-ignorant piece of crap.

Some other moron reading this somewhere is about to say something about how guns don't kill people but you know what Karen neither do cars but we regulated the snot out of them anyway! And guess what happened! GUESS! Oh wait, you don't have to! Because look at this graph!

LOOK AT IT you @$%*# spineless coward!

Defending the NRA and the larger firearms lobby at this point is absolutely the most asinine, boot-licker stance you can take. The lack of gun regulation and the normalization of gun use has literally climbed to the top reason children younger than 19 die in this country. There is no question, there is no excuse. And to you who still defend the stance that nothing will ever justify trying to restrict access to certain types of firearm, let me just speak as one Christian to another.

Because statistically speaking, I know you're a Christian, or at least you claim to be. Your worship of this thing is transparent idolatry. Because we were made in the image of our creator, and no matter how much you look up to and defend the NRA, you do not have the appearance of a Smith & Wesson. But you know who you do look a bit like?

All those children being shot.