light talk tot he topic of family and of kids and how to become better parents and this hits home for us because we have three little ones in school.
We have a lot of nephews and nieces in school throughout the nation primarily in California and Texas and we will have grandkids that are going to be attending schools throughout the United States of America.”
Frances: “Today was definetely harder sending the kids to school.”
TJ: “Why was it harder for you?”
Frances: “It’s just your heart is broken and one of the fathers of one of the girls the victims he basically was saying hold your kids tighter.”
TJ: “Yeah”
Frances: “Give them a hug tell them you love them.”
TJ: “So Tori there has been two mass shootings in may alone. I think there’s been more, I know about obviously yesterday’s and then the supermarket one about 10 days ago in Buffalo that killed where a gunman a white supremacist killed 10 black people . i think it was 10 black. Maybe well it was in a black community. He wanted to go there because it was a black community. Regardless there definetely is an issue in our country and um.”
Frances: “No matter which side you’re on we all know that there is an issue.”
TJ: “I think we all agree that there is a gun issue and a killing issue . I on my social media Frances I don’t know if you have seen it. but I’ve actually mentioned whether you are a republican democrat left right liberal conversative.”
Frances: “Independent.”
TJ: “Gun act activist gun advocate or not I wanted everyone to be at this discussion if possible because i want to make sure we have an open discussion. i think the internet is not working or at least the visuals but you should be hear us okay and it’s been going in and out. Sorry about that if that’s the case but i wanted to make sure we provided a platform where everyone can talk to.
Try to help and solve this issue. I’m not a politician. I’m not an expert in politics so i can’t give you direct lines but I can encourage the conversation and maybe in a conversation that you may have with others it could encourage others to act.”
Frances: “We are all humans we feel this we are all feeling this.”
TJ: “With that said the reason why I wanted to bring that up because if you see comments in the live chat on a lot of these on our lives you’ll see comments in our live chats please be respectful please don’t batter anyone please welcome different opinions. The only way we are gonna grow as one is to encourage different opinions and respect different opinions. So that’s super important to me. I try to stay even down the road see both sides of things. Frances is more passionate on one side. With that said. This is an open conversation. We’re going to play some videos . We are going to. It is just something that is important to at least us and I think everyone out there ”
Frances: “And your comments are welcomed as well.”
TJ: “So Frances. Where do you want to start with this?
Frances: “ I think we just dive into it”
TJ: “What is your take on this. We’re discussing the Texas school shooting and how we can solve our gun issue. What is your take on all of this? Be perfectly honest be up front, be open”
Frances: “Well, I think we have an issue with thinking that in and look I understand the second amendment I get all that i just I’ve me personally i grew up in Texas where guns were around me. As kids we were taught. I was always terrified so i never wanted anything to do with them. I believe I would say 95 percent of my family have guns. I’ve just never liked them. They have always scared me and I still feel that way tot his day. I understand the right yo bear arms I just don’t agree with the laws that we have in place. I don’t. We all know that they are not strict enough because if they were things like this would not happen”.
TJ: “Yeah”
Frances “Like who needs an ar-15 like just to say you have it what’s it for?”
TJ: “One of the arguments that I actually think is a very strong argument is when the you know the help me out Frances when those laws where written back hundreds of years ago there were no ar-15s. There were single handguns that took a while to load and it made I guess it made sense.
I’m not gonna say it didn’t.”
Frances “But do we know why the law was put in place, the right to bear arms?”
TJ: “Why was it?”
Frances : “Because there was no military. There was no police at that point in time ”
TJ: “So now that we have a police, we have a military so maybe the initial reasoning no longer”.
Frances : “It was to protect your family and your land.”
TJ: “No maybe it no longer applies but here is my question to you. Guns are part of the American culture”.
Frances : “Yeah”
TJ: “That is not going go anywhere in my opinion. I think although I have an opinion on whether they should and how to I guess I share that later but they are not going anywhere. They are part of the American culture. You grow up watching you know.”
Frances :”Gun smoke”
TJ: “Gun smoke and you play even guns and robber games. They self nerf guns. It’s very populair toys here. Guns are just part of our cuture. That’s not going to change. Another thing that i think is very important to address is a lot of people are pointing to mental health and I’m going to highlight one.”
Frances :”And i understand that one.”
TJ: “One comment from Clarice. It’s not just guns it’s about mental illness compassing loving the unloved”.
Frances : “I agree”
TJ: “That is another serious issue that we do need to address and work on. I actually go before I let you have the fly I actually as of yesterday had a very strong opinion in probable the same as George Clary’s where I think a lot of it all these gunman do normally I think probable 95 percent have a mental health issue. So my mindset was obviously there need to be some gun restrictions or a little bit more difficult to get it done.”
Frances : “Not a little bit a lot more.”
TJ: “You shouldn’t be able to be 18 years old and not get a drink at the bar but you can get an assault right.”
Frances : “No chance.”
TJ: “That should not be the case.”
Frances : “No chance.”
TJ: “That is something that I hope does change will it change. I guess that is up tot he politicians. Apparently 80 percent of the Americans want there to be some type of reform some type of stricter laws when it comes to getting guns. I think most Americans can agree on that. Will it change, i hope so. I hope the politicians. There is some fire under them to make some change. That should be the first one. You should have to be at least 21 to get a gun.”
Frances : “I think 25 but.”
TJ: “Frances okay so that’s the first thing. But yes there is a menthal health issue.”
Frances : “There is. And there’s also mental health issues in other countries and this doesn’t happen.”
TJ: “Yes so there is the point I was going to make. Yesterday I was trying and again i try to see both sides.”
Frances: “I get angry. I’m sorry I get very passionate.”
TJ: “You have kids.”
Frances: “It really upsets me when I hear these statemtents guns don’t kill people. Stupid people kill people or humans kill people regardless it’s there has tob e stricter laws .”
TJ: “Yeah, well you make a good point. Everywhere else there is mental health issues and i want to show one chart there is going tob e some tweets and stuff but one chart. Take a look at this you guys.
America has six times the number of school shootings than 26 major countries combined. Let that digest. 26 major countries combined and we have six times the number of shootings as 26 major countries combined. And that is from 2009 to 2018 as you can see in this chart since 2018 those numbers have went up.
I mean back in the 90’s we were doing one two three mass shootings but since 2012 we have been jumping up and sadly we are on pace to break even the 2017 record of 12 school shootings so far this year. Now you see you may see only two shootings in 2020 and only six in 2021. But you have to also remember we were under lockdown. We were in quarantine schools weren’t even barely open. At least here in California everyone was at home schooling.
I know some states kept going which is a whole other topic and seems to have been the right call but it’s a whole other topic. The problem is we have to protect our kids we owe our kids that right and we have to. This is me speaking a little open that I want to read Angela’s comment. Look there is sacrifices i make all the time. I may love something so much but if it is not good for kids it is becoming a fear for kids it needs tob e addressed I have to put my sac my. This is something i don’t agree with. Some people like it’s my right it’s my freedom . there got to be some sympathy. There is got to be some empathy. You got to be able to say okay I’ll take some restrictions. Maybe I can only shoot a gun or have gun or rent gun or get my gun at a gun range. Or at a gun parik whatever it is. Maybe I’m not allowed. We have to figure that out. Did you want to say something?”
Frances: “Yeah. When we first decided to have children together. That was the one thing that you mentioned. You said I don’t want toy guns in the house for the boys or the kids and I agreed because they look so real”.
TJ: “Yeah I just.”
Frances: “Even nerf guns were like uh. You know what that was borderline. But the kids loved them but.”
TJ: “I just think”
Frances: “But that was one thing we agreed on not to have even fake looking guns .”
TJ: “Call me what you want and this where I could be direct. I just think guns and toy guns are so old-fashioned. Have we not there is so many cooler toys now. We got legos we got connects we got so much cool stuff to engage our kid. Why do we throw a gun is it to be a man? There’s much better ways to do that. That addresses that. And i’m not saying you know just because a kid plays with a gun they are tempted to be gun owners and go on to rampage. Obviously that is not the case my point is I just feel as Americans, In America we should be doing a better job of slowly reducing our infatuation our addiction to guns. Angela says blaming mental health is a cop-out mental health affects the entire world but the rest of the worl doesn’t go shooting up elementary schools. The Nar and greed is that full. What I’d say Nar.”
Frances: “Nar yeah. It’s NRA”
TJ: “Oh that is the National Asociation of Real Estate sorry guys I have a realtors o that also happens but the Nra in greed is absolutely.
Frances: “it’s the truth that is driving this country money and power. It is disgusting.”
TJ: “Yeah so here is and here is another interesting point. Cammy Says TJ and Frances not even cops are allowed to carry guns in my country Norway. They have to get their guns from their car in an emergency ”
Frances: “Wow”
TJ: “And i remember please cammy address this because i remember there was a big shooting in a camp a youth camp in Norway and I believe guns were legal up tot hat point and I think this was maybe 15 years ago and then guns became outlawed and banned and it seems like as if you guys have stopped haven’t haved these mass shootings issues going forward. Can you confirm that? And if any Norwegians are there any Europeans who may know that. Please let me know because I love to know more about that because one argument is we can’t get rid of all guns because they are to embedded in our society how will that work? I understand that and that is a valid point.”
Frances: “It will take years”
TJ: “It will take years and decades but it can be done. Other countries have done it. Sure we may be the biggest of those countries when it comes to population and when it comes to gun the amount of guns that are out there but it can be done.”
Frances: “18 is to young you cannot even drink in the States at 18 years old. You cannot have a glass of alcohol but you can buy a gun? That is crazy to me.”