ENOUGH!: Why An Unlikely Coalition of The Youth, Corporate Leaders, and The NRA is a Potentially-Potent Vanguard Against Gun Violence in America

by Yemo Fashola

Gun violence in America is so routine, a ‘normal’ fact of life, just like background noise. But, frequently, it breaks through forcefully, thrusting itself into our consciousness, demanding our attention, as it so often does after mass shooting massacres. At such times, the routine response repeats. The call for action on gun violence is raised. Predictably, lawmakers find a way to avoid the issue, and to ride another wave of outrage, until other concerns redirect our attention away, and we return to ‘the background noise’ of everyday shooting deaths and injuries. Yemo Fashola’s book, ENOUGH!, seeks to re-direct the national discourse on gun violence, away from the current pro-gun/anti-gun debate. Developments since the 2018 Valentine’s Day school mass shooting in Parkland show that the time to engage in honest and open conversation, is now. An interest-balancing approach would explore ways of ensuring that both the interests of America’s gun owners in exercising their Second Amendment right and the interests of the American people in having regulations which protect them from gun violence, are met. The exercise of the 2nd Amendment right of the American people would cease to take precedence over the lives of the American people. The conversation, conducted with all honesty and candor, must the need for safety-driven, firearms-related data collection and research; unfettered presence of semi-automatic assault rifles, such as the AR-15, in the hands of civilians, with no required training or accountability; proliferation of handguns, used in most gun-related suicides and homicides — some 80% of gun owners possess at least one handgun. The conversation must lawmakers’ need to make the laws; law enforcement’s need to pursue enforcement that is serious, sustained, and well-funded; bump stock, high-capacity magazine, gun silencer,... hardly fit with the spirit of the 2nd Amendment; most law-abiding gun owners support regulations which do not infringe on their rights — universal background checks, minimum age requirements, mandatory waiting periods, restraining orders,... Additional protection of lawful commerce in arms act (PLCAA), which unduly shields the firearms industry from accountability, uniquely; forcing the concealed carry reciprocity act (CCRA) on states which do not permit ‘concealed carry’ is an infringement on the ‘states rights’ of such states... much the same way the Fugitive Slaves Act of 1850 was, by compelling ‘free states’ to support slavery. Just over a decade later, the Civil War began. These, and other elements, are touched upon in ENOUGH, providing a brief primer and conversation guide for tackling gun violence. Author Yemo Fashola is a first-generation American citizen. He does not come from a democratic, republican, or libertarian family tradition. He finds it unsettling and sad that the nation is unable to conduct much-needed conversations about issues of national importance realistically. A propensity for name calling and labels — liberal, conservative, socialist, communist, fascist, antifa, gun nut, gun grabber— serves to short-circuit civil, cordial, responsible, meaningful discourse. Dr. Fashola adds his own mea culpa, but remains convinced that, if we are to forge a more perfect union, we must adopt a process which starts with having intelligent and meaningful, even passionate, conversations and debates on issues of national interest, but which are undertaken “with malice toward none, with charity for all.” Civility and decency need not be sacrificed. This is not rocket science. Dr.

52 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2018

About the author

As a first-generation American citizen, I do not come from a democratic, republican, or libertarian family tradition. I find it unsettling and a sad reality that my adopted home is unable to conduct much-needed conversations about many pressing issues of national importance in any realistic and productive manner. For instance, the propensity to employ name calling and labels—liberal, conservative, lefties, socialist, communist, fascist, antifa, gun nut, gun grabber, tree hugger... and many more—serves to short-circuit civil, cordial, responsible, and meaningful discourse.
I hurry to add my own mea culpa. Yet, I remain convinced that, if we are to forge a more perfect union, it is imperative that we adopt a process which starts with having intelligent and meaningful, even passionate, conversations and debates on issues of national interest, but which are undertaken “with malice toward none, with charity for all.” Civility and decency need not be sacrificed. This is not rocket science.
I worked at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama during the 1980s. I have been a business consultant and advisor since shortly thereafter. I earned an engineering Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from IMD, the European business school in Lausanne, Switzerland.
As my professional background suggests, I do not have any significant prior exposure to history, law, or the social sciences. Nor have I been actively involved in politics at any level, whether as an organizer or a seeker of public office. For most of my life, my attention has been focused on the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, and later, on economics, business, and commerce. Yet, issues which affect us all in very stark and direct ways today demand that we all develop deep appreciation for, and pay serious and consistent attention to the historical, cultural, social, economic and political factors that shape our present realities, and that will have profound influence on future generations.

Reviews

[Booky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

A well written piece that gives both insight and history to the NRA. A good well done on providing factual evidence on the need for gun reform and showing how that is unrelated 'taking guns away'. A much needed and timely work.