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EDITOR:
Guns have been a part of my life for over 55 years. I believe in the Second Amendment of our Constitution that gives us the right to keep and bear arms for militias. I believe most, not all, people in our country should be allowed to possess firearms for self defense, sporting activities and collecting. But as responsible citizens I feel we should examine the facts.
Our country is in the midst of an epidemic of violence. We can argue and debate guns are or are not the cause of the violence, but it is not questionable firearms are the means for most of our mass killings.
If this epidemic of violence was being caused by bombs or weapons of mass destruction using chemicals, bacteria or radiation we would expect and demand our heads of government take any and all steps required to stop the culprits and eliminate the precursors required to commit mass killings.
Because the means for our epidemic are guns, there are many who do not support any actions of our government officials based on our Constitution and the Bill of Rights ratified in 1791. When written, our founding fathers were referring to single-shot muzzle loaders that were needed for protection as well as for gathering food and hides for clothing. It was before supermarkets, malls and movie theatres. Public schools were small and very sparse.
Many people today argue that we tried gun control once, it did not work (though we will never know what was actually prevented), so we should not try it again. If the Wright brothers had that attitude we may have not landed a vehicle on Mars today.
I look at the world we live in today and ask how I can be part of the solution and not the problem. How many guns do I actually need to feel safe and secure in my own home? How many rounds per minute can I fire and remain effective and efficient? How many bullets does it take to bag desired game?
As responsible gun owners who enjoy hunting, plinking and just having one around, it is time we examine what we really need and what matters most. Do we really need the right to any and all firearms that fire a bullet or bullets or should our children have the right to attend schools without barbed wire fences and armed guards patrolling the halls or armed teachers in the classroom?
Instead of saying “No” to everything let’s step off our soap boxes and try working together to find a cure for our epidemic.
JIM ROTH
Placerville
Common sense from a responsible gun owner.
Common sense most commonly is whatever expresses our own common point of view, regardless of whether the argument actually makes sense.
“Our country is in the midst of an epidemic of violence. We can argue and debate guns are or are not the cause of the violence, but it is not questionable firearms are the means for most of our mass killings.” Now, let’s just change a couple of words and see if the logic still applies…”Our country is in the midst of an epidemic of OBESITY. We can argue and debate SPOONS are or are not the cause of the OBESITY, but it is not questionable SPOONS are the means for most of our massIVE EATING”. Whaddya all say? Responsible “eating utensil control”? Or is the problem really the folks holding the spoons?
The obesity and spoons argument is beyond lame. How many mass murders have been committed with a spoon? It’s time that all of us responsible gun owners ask these questions. I am a staunch supporter of all of the Bill of Rights including the Second Amendment. But as there are limits on free speech we should at least be able to look at limits on gun ownership. I am tired of the hysteria that accompanies any attempt to discuss gun ownership. We need to face today’s realities and stop worrying about black helicopters. We are all at more risk of a being killed by a mass murderer in a public place then we are of being subjugated by the United Nations or some scary unnamed government agency.
Gerald: I’m not good with statistics, but you may be. Could you give comparative stats for murders committed in “gun-free” areas like Chicago versus, say, murders committed with a spoon?
Home protection begins with the 2nd amdnt, it ends when effective tools are taken away. there are not just the gang bangers, coordinated home invaders, thugs of oportunity, to consider , but there are going to be many more as our future economy continues to collapse. if it doesn’t GREAT, but is my RIGHT to be prepared. There are 29 federal state and local overlapping law enforcement agencies that already have superior weapons than we are “allowed” to keep and bear, I will resist any further degradation to PARITY clearly intended in our Constitution. Remember, so called ‘assault weapons’ in the hands of law abiding citizens are ANTI-ASSAULT weapons.
Gerald, spare me the “I’m for the second amendment” BS. You and other spew that in an attempt to convince those you disagree with that you are being reasonable and we aren’t. No infringement on MY rights is reasonable to me. However, you don’t seem to be quite so concerned about my rights and are quite content to strip me of them, so I have to doubly vigilant. More people die of obesity and heart disease in the US than gun deaths. Did you even know that or is this the first time you’ve heard it?
Gerald, look around, the black helos are already here. ALL the millions of HP pistol ammo purchased by various Federal agencies recently (not just Homeland security) but including many non-law enforcement agencies like the Social Secuity Administration…is all in anticipation of suspending our SECOND AMENDMENT. Remember MARSHALL LAW has been setup by congress last year through NDAA, (amndmt 1028) and is on a silver platter for Obama to just say the word. Wake up Gerald!
Rod, strike Marshall Law, add Martial Law.
James, thnx
Proposed new gun restrictions would stop the sale, transfer, importation and manufacture of more than 100 specialty firearms and certain semi-automatic rifles, as well as limiting magazines to 10 rounds or less. And for the NRA cry-babies, the restrictions would not apply to guns owned before enactment of any law.
What’s THIS about?
I believe that every law abiding citizen has the right to own, collect, and use firearms responsibly. How to stop the criminal use of firearms and how to stop evil is a question as old as the invention of gunpowder. The country is in a cultural moral decline that has been fostered by a variety of things, this is the real issue. Our founders ideas were sound and are timeless. The right idea is to lock up armed felons and criminal bad actors and have new in patient treatment for mentally ill people.
It’s hard to argue with those who maintain that between the passage of the Homeland Security Act, the Patriot Act & the NDAA, the US has become a post-Constitutional Republic.
Evelyn, I’m afraid that most folks have no idea what the NDAA even is, what it means, and the long term ramifications of it will be. Explaining it to most folks is pointless. I asked a buddy of mine after they passed it “did you hear about the NDAA?” He said “no, what is it”? I said “The end of due process” and his eyes got big as saucers. The sheep are asleep. Blissfully.