Would You Mayan If We Took Your Guns Away?

We did it, everyone! We survived the greatest Doomsday prediction of all time ... since that last one. I like that Doomsday scares are always wrong without fail. In a world filled with uncertainty, at least we can count on that. Pro Tip: Now's the time to buy your new Mayan calendar. They always get cheaper once the new calendar starts.

Yep, you'd think with the track record apocalyptic predictions have had, people wouldn't make a big deal each time, but here we are.

Speaking of not learning from the past ... the recent events in Connecticut have filled me with equal parts sadness and anger. This shit has got to stop. It's simply astounding to me that so many Americans refuse to acknowledge the connection between easy access to guns  and frequent deadly shootings. 

It's reported that there was a spike in gun sales in the days immediately following the shooting as people rushed out to stock up on semi-automatic weapons. Are you fucking kidding me, America? What part of "20 children were murdered with legally purchased weapons" don't you get? You'd think this would be a time of reflection and banding together to reduce the threat of gun violence. No. Instead it's a panic to buy as many guns as possible before someone takes them away. That would be like a rise in flights being sold on September 12th.

Apparently the American mindset it this: If I buy a gun my family is safe and I'm a true patriot. If I buy more guns my family is safer and more patriotic. If everyone in the neighbourhood buys guns, we are the safest, patriotic-est street in town. If everyone in the COUNTRY owns a gun, I am invincible and Jesus will descend from the clouds on a red, white, and blue eagle of justice and hand feed me an apple pie from a rifle-spoon.

As a group, Americans have an amazing ability to not learn from mistakes. You can present them with clear evidence of dangers their lifestyles cause and they still become more obese and more in debt and more heavily armed by the day. It's like watching a country slowly implode. 

Here's an idea. I've heard that some police officers in training have to experience being tased or pepper-sprayed to gain an appreciation for the weapons they may be forced to use one day. I don't know if it's a common practice, but some training academies do it. Why don't we apply a similar rule to owning a gun? You can own a gun, but you have to get shot first. Once for every gun you want and once more for every box of bullets.

It's not a solution to this problem, but maybe you would see a dramatic drop in gun sales. Which is what should have happened after Sandy Hook.