Gun Death in a Gun Shop

Yet another shooting has happened. Last week, a guy went into a gun shop with a loaded gun. The clerk told him he needed to unload his gun before entering the store, but the guy got angry at this request and started shooting, ultimately killing two people. A big shootout then followed between him and others in the store and he was eventually killed by police when they arrived at the scene.

This is the world we live in; a world where there’s a mass shooting almost every week. We need to stop this. This is not how the world should be. I know some people believe that society will be safer if everyone carries a gun, but this incident goes against that fully. Guns will not keep us safe, only respect, compassion, care, and emotional intelligence can do so. This guy obviously had no emotional skills. If he had, he would have simply done what the clerk asked him to do and nothing would have happened, no one would have died. People need to learn how to handle the world properly because that is the root of the problem. The gun wasn’t responsible for the shootout, it was the guy’s lack of emotional intelligence. He was quick to get angry and he got into a huge argument when he didn’t have to. Our society will not survive if this kind of slaughter continues to happen. We need to learn how to handle situations without resorting to violence. And for those witnessing dangerous situations, we need to keep our eyes and ears open. We need to be aware of our surroundings and flee the scene at the first signs of trouble. We need to be ready to respond to trouble the moment it happens because we’re not living in a safe society where compassion and respect for life predominate. We’re living in a place where danger lurks around every corner. We need to be alert to the possibility that trouble can happen at any moment and we need to be ready to respond if shooting does ensure. I wish things were different, but unfortunately, they are not.

Moving forward, we need to set the example. We need to teach people to respect others for who they, be kind to everyone we meet, and live our lives with compassion and love. If we set this example, others might begin to follow. If we want a more peaceful world, we’re going to have to live peaceful lives ourselves and show others that there are better alternatives to violence than using a gun. Getting into confrontations that end in homicide is not the way to go. No one wants to die in a gun shop. People may have the right to own guns, but they do not have the right to shoot one another. Violence is never the answer and that needs to be taught everywhere. We also need to learn how to handle confrontations if they do develop. If you get into an argument with someone, don’t let it escalate enough for it to turn violent. De-escalate the situation and if it doesn’t work, get out of that dangerous environment and go to a safe place. Get up and leave no matter what the argument may be about because it’s not worth getting killed over. Let us adopt the skills of respect and negotiation; those things are far more important than a gun. Guns are part of the problem, but they are not the problem. The problem is our lack of emotional skills, but we can learn those skills of peace just as easily as we have learned the skills of war.