#2A

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.".

There have been multiple interpretations, but I tend to focus on “…shall not be infringed.”  In the last few years there has been a lot of calls for “gun control” in various forms, ranging from complete disarming to banning specific types of firearms.  These calls get louder after an atrocity like a school shooting, church shooting, etc.  Why am I so resistant to the call for my gun rights?  For one, history shows that disarming the citizens is often a first step down a very dangerous path.  Also, the adage “if guns are illegal, only criminals will have guns” rings true.  Just look at the rate of firearm violence in Chicago, a bastion of gun control.

Some are saying we need to follow the model of New Zeeland by having gun turn ins.  We have our Constitution, and affirmation by the Supreme Court, that grants us the inalienable right to “bear arms”.

Other voices are calling to chip away at our rights, by banning specific firearms.  With the swipe of a Governor’s pen, many in New Jersey became felons for possessing magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, including off duty Law Enforcement Officers. To the uneducated, calling for magazine bans for semi-automatic firearms sounds reasonable.  However, the stock magazine for more of these guns holds more than 10 rounds.  There is a call for banning Military Style features, but they aren’t defined.  This is a move against the AR, which many call an Assault Rifle.  Actually, there is no such thing as an Assault Rifle, it is an Armalite Rifle.  It is not used by the military, it just looks scary to someone who doesn’t understand firearms.  It is also the most popular rifle for hunting and sport.

I have two specific issues with those calling for firearms restrictions or bans.  First, they are often protected by armed security guards.  Second, they don’t know what they are talking about.  The don’t understand.  They are ignorant of how guns work, or what is currently legal.  Most have never fired a gun.  Or if they did, it was with a big show of how “scary” it was.  Remember the “journalist” who was nearly knocked over shooting an AR 15?  This was contrasted with videos of young girls happily shooting Ars with their families.

Firearms allow us defense options, fun time at the range, family outings, sport and competition.  The vast majority of gun owners are law abiding citizens who use their guns for lawfully allowed purposes.  We need to continue to resist the call, and support our #2A rights!

Why Blame the NRA?

Another school shooting, a tragedy for students, parents, teachers, and first responders.  I'm a baby-boomer, when I grew up, my biggest concern was getting chased home by the school bully, not getting shot at my desk.

There is an alarming trend, people are grieving and scared.  So, they blame the NRA, call it a terrorist organization.  Never mind the thousands of people who are trained annually, from safety for children to advanced skills for Law Enforcement and everything in between.  Never mind that historically NO NRA members have been identified as the assailant in a mass shooting, although there are examples of NRA members stopping them, as in the church shooting in Texas.

The NRA was formed in 1871.  In 1966 an Engineering Student entered a tower at the University of Texas and terrorized people for 96 minutes, killing 17 and wounding 31.  For most of us, the earliest memory is Columbine High School, April 20, 1999.  They murdered 13 and injured 21.  News sources report 18 school shootings in 2018, but two of those were what we think of as school shootings, the others being 1 on 1 situations.  But two is two to many.

What does this have to do with the NRA?  Well, nothing, really.  In spite of the rantings of some traumatized teens, the NRA is not the problem.  Evidence from the school shootings from Columbine forward shine a bright light on violent video games, bullying, social outcasts, the breakdown of family norms and personal responsibility and a general lack of understanding or appreciation for the value of life.

Also note, the Gun Free Zone law went into effect in 1990.  School shooting have risen dramatically since that time.  This is a classic fish in a barrel.  There is a reason why concealed carry states have less instance of person on person crime.  Thugs don't want to risk being shot.  Hanging a Gun Free Zone sign is like ringing a dinner bell.  Some schools are arming well training volunteers and hanging up a sign warning intruders that staff may be carrying concealed weapons.  To date, we have not heard of a school shooting there.

This is not a gun culture issue, this is much more personal.  Our country was founded on a "gun culture".  We shot for defense, liberty and food!  In current day add competition and fun.

If it was the NRAs fault, this would not be a relatively new phenomenon.  Could it be the manufacturers?  The advances in the technology?  The civilian use of "military" weapons?  Well, design hadn't changed that much, pull the trigger, go bang.  As a Veteran, I can attest that the weapon I fired on active duty is not the same as the weapon in my gun safe.

I would be the first to line up to surrender my firearms if I believed it would prevent another tragedy.  It won't and I'm not handing in anything.

There are no easy answers, but there are a lot of accusations.

Blame me if you must, but know that in all the years I've been a NRA member I have not shot anyone.

I Feel a Rant Coming On…

The Politically Correct crowd is run amuck.  There, I wrote it, in plain letters.  I’m so tired of being told I can’t do something because some group will get offended, or I have to learn to express myself differently because another group might be offended.  My thoughts?  GROW A SKIN!  Yes, there are extremes and vernacular that has, rightfully, crept out of our lexicon.  But it is being replaced with so much nonsense! 

 We are a binary people, genetically.  Male and Female.  There is not a 3^rd gender.  Some people believe they are Transgendered.  Fine.  That doesn’t not make them a 3^rd gender.  They are either Male or Female, be it by birth or by choice, I’m not making that argument, but I still don’t want to share a public restroom or dressing room with a man.  That is my choice.  I was in Target recently, and wanted to try on a blouse.  I generally avoid that as they have taken a very “progressive” stance, but I was distracted and wandered in to the dressing rooms.  All the stalls were labeled “Family”, which I guess is how they get around the gender question.  Well, be true to yourself, but don’t expect me to use made up pronouns.  If I use the wrong one, tell me, and I will do my best to fix it.

I live just outside of DC.  I was across the street from the Pentagon 15 years ago.  I can say “terror attack” with a straight face.  Does that mean I think Muslims are bad?  No!  I think terrorists are bad!  Not all terrorists are Muslim and not all Muslims are terrorists.  Do I want to see my country flooded with refugees?  No, I live in a high risk area (which happens to have some of the strictest gun laws).  And, with employment and economy issues, I don’t want to shoulder the burden of even more people that can’t find work, struggling to assimilate…I am 100% in favor of providing assistance without relocation.  And, since Syria is so much in the news these days, why should the U.S. accept thousands of refugees from the other side of the world when we are already overrun with refugees from Central and South America?  According to a lot of people, this makes me a bad person, someone without a moral compass…or not PC.

 

BLM.  To me, that is Blue Lives Matter, but not to everyone.  Personally, I think all lives are important.  Regardless of age, race, profession, religion, gender or birth status.  Frankly, there are examples of “wrongs” on all sides of that one. 

The 2^nd Amendment.  Can you guess where I fall on that one?  I support national reciprocity for Concealed Carry Permits.  Each state has their own requirements for Driver’s Licenses, and issues them, but all the other states recognize them.  I don’t have to have one for Virginia, one for Maryland, and oh wait, DC won’t give me a license since I don’t live there.  Nope.  There is national reciprocity.  How many times have you seen the statistics about how many hundreds of thousands of permit holders weren’t involved in a crime or mass shooting? 

 

I’m not a bigot, I’m not a racist, not even a nationalist.  I’m a conservative gun owner who believes that everyone is important, but also that we need to get our country on track before we try to fix the world.

Thank you.  Rant over.  I now return you to your regular scheduled programming.