Gun Control

For 40 years I have been hearing the gun control arguments from both sides.

It never fails to confound me that the one discussion we rarely hear is the argument that if people use a firearm to commit a crime, they should spend the rest of their lives in prison. No gun recidivism for those if they never have a chance to do it again.

The second amendment is designed not only to allow citizens to defend themselves and their property, but to insure that we have a standing army in a moments notice in the event that any foreign enemy attempts to invade us. Granted this is highly unlikely, though the chances for that improve on a daily basis these days.

The part of the second amendment that keeps me believing that there are better solutions than eradicating firearms is the fact that the second amendment is the means to also defend against domestic enemies.

Guns are a deterrent. Not in every case but in many cases. Most importantly they are a deterrent against those who would seek to over throw our democracy and turn it into a dictatorship of any kind.

A few years ago a friend of mine was murdered in his own yard by someone who was supposed to be his friend. Shot from ambush. This individual received a twenty year sentence.

Seriously ? A twenty year sentence for murder by ambush?

Now this guy is up for parole. In my opinion, this man should never see the light of day again.

He forfeited his liberty when he murdered a man who was supposed to be his friend from ambush.

He used a shotgun, but he would have used any weapon he could have had, had he not had a firearm.

The only way to deter this individual and others like him from committing other crimes like this, is to see that they never have the opportunity to do so again.

Laws are screwed up really bad and common sense has completely been tossed out. People in too many cases can not defend themselves because it has become a crime. While murderers can kill them and actually walk out of prison as a free person.

Don't eliminate guns, eliminate criminals.

If a person is found guilty of murder, the family of the victim should decide his fate. If he is found guilty and they want him to die, they should carry out the sentence. They are the injured party, not the state..

LOL yeah, I can see the reply's I will get from this now. But as a 64 year old veteran, I have seen way too many times when the state, completely in the hands of politicians make decisions like this based on politics. Even to the point of executing people accused of crimes they know are innocent.

We have a responsibility to not only see that no innocent person is ever convicted of a crime they did not commit, but also a responsibility to see that when people murder someone else, they never get a chance to do so again. Even if it means locking them in a box, in solitary for the rest of their lives.

I have heard so many times that we need to make gun laws that will protect us. Bull Crap !! If laws could protect us, we would not have crime. There are so many laws now that no-one even has a clue as to what they all say or what they are for. What we need is a more direct approach. One that will actually be a real deterrent. Locks are not made to keep thieves out, they are made to keep honest people honest.

Where I grew up we didn't have locks on our doors. There was one simple deterrent. If someone broke into your house, they would die. The right to self defense for those who are capable and willing to do so is an inerrant right under the constitution. Now someone is going to have to ask, “How is that constitutionally a right?, LIFE, LIBERTY and the pursuit of HAPPINESS.

If it makes me happy not to live in fear of someone breaking into my home and killing me and my wife in our sleep, that is indeed a constitutional right.

We have prisons full of people who are there for idiotic reasons that could be punished in a hundred other ways, yet we have people who have committed murder walking around on the streets, or people who have committed armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and a score of other crimes using a weapon.

Is it their fault that they are out of prison and walking around free while their victims are walking around in fear of their lives or worse, dead ?

No, it is the fault of the political laws that we have. Laws made to sound good on election but have to real practical application other than giving a false sense of security.

A deterrent is when I do not harm people because I know they do not have to put up with it, or that people do not harm me because I too do not have to put up with it.

When people die, don't blame guns, blame criminals and make sure that the punishment is so serious they will never have a chance to repeat that crime again.

If we were to take every firearm in America, our next discussion would be what to do about bombs, knives, swords, slingshots etc...

People have been murdering each other since man has existed. No law will change that. Only changing people and attitudes will change that.

When you make fun of someone that can not help themselves, or bully someone who can't defend themselves, just remember, there are consequences to your actions as well. By changing your actions and your attitude you may be the best deterrent that someone else has.

Until we learn to live at peace with each other, there will continue to be violent crimes. In order to live at peace with others we have to act as though that possibility depends solely on us. When that does not work and someone is intent on harm regardless, then there is required a more permanent solution. But for this to be effective, we must have laws that do not fool us into thinking that security is guaranteed. It is not, it is simply what we demand and if we do not have security then we must create laws that are a true deterrent.

Florida passed a “Stand Your Ground Law”. But politics allowed someone to kill a young man and claim it was self defense. When you follow someone who is trying to get away from you, that is not standing your ground. It is in fact stalking.

The use of deadly force in our country is one that is a heated topic today. I personally do not believe that shooting an unarmed suspect is the only option available. I believe rather that those instances where shooting an unarmed suspect are viable are a very small percentage.

Again laws do not protect us. Our entire criminal justice system is in melt down and politicians are throwing gas on the flames.

LOL For those who had the idea that I was a Liberal, surprise. Of course conservatives should not be tagging me with that vile label either.

I believe in the constitution and the viability of it. I do not believe in political parties nor do I believe that politicians will ever present us with viable options regardless of their party affiliations.