MEMORIAL DAY 2023

 THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.

Please remember the fallen.

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States of America, a time when we pause to honor the fallen who died defending this country against its enemies to preserve our democracy, freedom, and all the other inalienable rights we are supposed to have.

Other countries have similar celebrations at different times to honor their heroes.

It would be so easy to point out all the bigotry and hatred, especially just within the last decade or so, directed towards those who are different; regardless of how slight or major those differences might be.

However there is one group that has become a growing concern over this past decade that a lot of people talk about, but not that many follow through and address the issues afterwards.

I'm referring to the innocents that have lost their lives in battles that they were unaware of, since no declarations were made until the trigger was pulled by an armed assailant on a shooting spree.

The current statistics as I post this are alarming!

Almost 14,000 people have died by gun violence in America so far this year.

What is even worse, the numbers have been growing in recent years!

WHEN WILL THIS MADNESS END?

While there has been some action taken by individual states, Congress on a Federal/National level has apparently yet to do anything significant.

The Senate introduced a possible measure that is currently "in committee".

The House of Representatives wants to make the AR-15 Assault Rifle America's "national weapon".*

WHEN WILL WE STOP SACRIFICING INNOCENT CHILDREN AND OTHER HUMAN BEINGS TO PROTECT THE "RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS"?

While it might be the basic concept of the Second Amendment to the United States' Constitution, the FULL text is “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The fledgling country that America was back then needed such groups to protect our freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We now have police departments and the various branches of the United States military to protect us.

PLEASE DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND OUR POSITION.

THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE IS NOT ANTI-GUN.

WE ARE PRO GUN RESPONSIBILITY!

Even after last year's Memorial Day editorial addressing this issue, there are still too many empty beds and broken hearts in this country as it is.

THE ABOVE WAS AN EDITORIAL.

Lee Houston, Junior

Editor-In-Chief: The Free Choice E-zine

All links were active at the time of posting.

*Denotes 2/TWO links within that sentence.