This is relatively old news, but it seems to carry a perennial message. First, I extend my sincerest sympathies to the family involved in this situation, and I am writing this in the honest hope that nothing like this happens ever again.
As a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I sometimes find myself wishing that I was from anywhere but here. When it came to my attention that we had a mother who was determined to carry a loaded weapon to soccer fields, I had one of those moments.
I generally support the Second Amendment, but this is one of those exceptions. There is a time and place, and bluntly, unless you’re a member of law enforcement taking a few minutes off while you’re on duty to watch your kids play soccer (something I’ve seen from time to time at various fields), you have no business carrying a weapon to a soccer field, period.
Perhaps one could consider it Karma, but Meleanie Hain, the gun-toting soccer mom was shot dead by her husband earlier this month. It could be just another statistic proving that those who carry guns are more likely to be shot, or it adds to the rolls of violence committed against estranged spouses, or both. No matter which way you cut it, it is a tragedy that can definitely be counted against the zealots who want absolute gun rights with little or no restrictions.
And the true victims of this situation – the children – have been largely considered a footnote in this story. Perhaps that is the real crime. There is no talk of professional help for these children, and given the area they are from, it is unlikely that there are advocacy organizations very close to them that are accustomed to helping children deal with their feelings in the face of gun violence.
I am as ever big on the concept of dealing with consequences – something that gun rights proponents rarely if ever talk about. There are responsibilities involved, beyond proper gun handling, storage, etc. There is the responsibility of dealing with the aftermath when things go wrong, as they did for this family.
If the NRA wants to stand to protect the rights of the people to keep and bear arms, it also needs to step up and do more when it comes to dealing with the responsibilities of the people who choose to own guns. Offering gun safety classes and encouraging people to protect their ears when firing weapons (as one link on their main page suggests) is only a small part of that. Beyond stating that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”, admit that guns are often the weapon of choice even for otherwise law-abiding citizens, and start offering services for those left behind.
Meleanie Hain stood up for what she felt was her right to bear arms – something the NRA likes. She ended up dead. She left behind children. The least the NRA can do is start a memorial fund for those children. Or does supporting proponents of gun rights and their families end when they end up dead because of gun fire?
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