I’m sitting in my basement right now. All the doors are locked. I’m typing on my phone.

There is an armed gunman wandering my neighborhood. I was being lazy on the couch and heard someone open my trash can. My trash can is in the back of my house. I turned around and saw a police officer with a very large gun. I went outside and I asked what was going on. There was an armed robbery and the suspect was just seen on our street. He already checked our garage. Our house is cleared. The elementary school is on lock down. We moved to the basement.

Yesterday, an armed teenager killed 21 people in an elementary school. Last week, 10 people were killed in a grocery store in Buffalo. Last year, 10 in a grocery store in Boulder. February 14, 2018, 17 killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. October 1, 2017, 58 killed at a concert in Las Vegas. June 12, 2016, 49 at a night club in Orlando. December 14, 2012, 26 died at Sandy Hook Elementary. April 20, 1999, 15 died at Columbine High School.

You want to know the worst part. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of the mass shootings in this country over the last 20+ years. DOESN’T SCRATCH THE SURFACE!!!

If you are uncomfortable reading this, I’m glad. If you have a problem with me talking about it, you are part of the problem.

I grew up with guns in my house. I enjoy shooting guns. I’m actually very good at it. My husband calls me Annie Oakley. I shoot empty beer and soda cans and it’s fun.

I grew up to respect guns. I grew up knowing, I don’t know what I’m doing with guns. I grew up knowing, if my dad doesn’t hand it to me, I’m not touching it. I’m 46 now, and I still won’t touch a gun unless my dad hands it to me…. because I don’t know what I’m doing!!! I was trained to fear and respect the gun.

There is no training required. Rules/laws are getting more lax instead of more strict while guns are getting more powerful and deadly. It makes no sense. NO ONE needs an automatic rifle. I know PLENTY of hunters. They don’t need automatic rifles. No one needs thousands of rounds of ammunition. If you do, you need more training because you are a terrible shot. You don’t want a background check? Then you don’t get a gun. You don’t want your guns registered? Too bad! You have to register your cars. Get over it.

I don’t want to hear that people are the problem, not the guns. Shut up! It’s all a huge problem! That isn’t helping anyone. You know what else isn’t helping anyone, your thoughts and prayers. Save your thoughts and prayers. Start using your brain. I’m open to all solutions but I don’t want to hear even a single excuse.

What can we do? I’m truly asking. What can I do? Just me, one little person. How can I help change this? Yes, I vote. Yes, it feels like voting doesn’t matter… but I’m still going to do it. What can I (hopefully we) do to really affect change? Please, help me figure it out.