Mass shootings in America have become something of a national past time. A lot of young men, frustrated with life, overmedicated, armed with the fresh realization that everyone ISN’T a WINNER in life, go get guns and shoot people. In 2008 America had over 12,000 deaths at the end of a firearm, compared to 11 in Japan, skew for population ratios and it’s still a massively high number.

I was watching CNN’s Piers Morgan’s exchange with Alex Jones the other night, it was crazy (see below for yourself). More minutes of my life wasted watching my fellow Americans continue to spiral into the polarized black hole that has become the gun debate in the US. Congrats to CNN for increasing their ratings, make no mistake that Piers’s producers knew exactly what they were doing, and what they would get with Alex Jones. Be careful what you wish for Piers..

Mass shootings with “Active Shooters” is a problem we can’t ignore any longer. I for one am willing to take a leadership role on the issue.

America’s culture is rooted in gun ownership. I’m a gun owner and enjoy shooting with my son in a safe controlled environment. I personally wouldn’t have taught him firearms safety at such a young age if given the option. However, America is rooted in gun ownership culture I thought it best to drive home firearms safety and the responsibility that comes with handling firearms. His mother and I did decide to take away all his violent shooting video games, not a good thing for a ten year old to practice taking head shots, and this could potentially lead to mental health issues, better safe than sorry I say.

I don’t have all the solutions on this issue but I do know that I’m personally ready to compromise to limit mass shootings, and I’m ready to have an intelligent conversation on this issue. If leading gun organizations like the NRA don’t take a leadership role in proposing realistic solutions, then they will have failed to truly represent gun owners. The result will be that politicians will end up passing more ridiculous laws that don’t make sense for anyone. The issue is cultural also, you can’t just go after gun control. Most silly laws passed, especially magazine limitations. It’s like trying to get rid of drunk drivers by shrinking the size of gas tanks in cars. Yes, it really is that silly.

Sometimes change, and healthy debate, as difficult as it can be at first, is a good thing. After all it was once within our constitutional rights to own and enslave other human beings. I believe in the 2nd Amendment and our right to bear arms but, if we continue to do nothing on the issue (mainly a mental health one) of mass shootings then we can expect more of them in the near future. Remember that when you kiss your kids goodbye on their way to school.