Gun Rights V Gun Control

Immediately most people choose a side. This is the second amendment debate,

Second Amendment

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.

That’s it. That’s all there is. We will not let any foreign nations come on our shores ever again and the United States, or a state, not be ready to fight back. Where we are now is an interpretation by courts and of congress and state legislatures of what it means. We are all over the map in interpretations. My take is the words security of a free state. I also fall in the category of gun safety.

I’ve been a hunter/fisherman for most of my early life. Once our kids came into the picture then guns didn’t have a high priority. But with the news of all the things that are happening with mass shootings and gun violence in our country, I advocate for gun safety. Where and what that looks like is a year’s long argument.

Why can we get guns out of the hands of criminals? Most gun owners are not and will probably never be criminals. Gun owners fall in the area of security and safety of their homes and families.

We have hunters, which is another topic entirely, but almost always safe. We have ex-military personnel that are trained in the use of many kinds of weapons. We have a well regulated militia in both our nation and our states. But what does the security of a free state mean to you?

More police, again another topic, more laws, enforcement from all around us. Gun laws on the books now don’t seem to be able to take the guns out of the hands of criminals. Gun lobbyists certainly are doing what they are hired to do and eliminate, or curtail, any laws that would put a dent in their bottom line.

I can see a point in open carry and stand your ground laws being allowed in certain states. It doesn’t bother me when I see someone in a restaurant with a 9 mil strapped on. I do think training and registration are necessary. If you’re carrying for safety, then let us know.

How do we stop illegal guns? How do we keep guns out of the hands of criminals? Track them, make laws with enhancement? If you’re robbing a convenience store, then I think you’re a terrorist. Certainly, the clerk behind the counter thinks you are. We have a mental health crisis in our country that says if I can’t deal with my problems then I’m gonna take it out on others. Domestic abuse, school and store shootings says we have an education problem in this country that is creating circumstances that translate into being a criminal is better than having a legal job or being a better domestic partner.

How about improving the ATF (alcohol tobacco and firearms)? The budget for 5000 agents is 1.5 billion. The budget for the USDA is 469 billion to keep our food safe. We could at least make a major dent in criminal access to guns with just this improvement. Maybe split into the AT and the F separate.  I think gun safety may be better served with more money than moonshiners and people trafficking illegal cigarette sales.

I understand the viewpoint of, give them an inch and they will take a mile. This is the frightening thing to people who want to uphold gun rights, reproductive rights, gender rights or immigration. It is a valid fear. We need to have compromise in law, not in some executive action that can be changed by the next party in power.

If we could have a discussion in congress, and by people, about safety and close the gap between the two extremes, then we might have a chance to improve the lives of our citizens. Let’s move forward, even if it’s at a snail’s pace. There is ground, whether middle or not, that we can find to realize the security of a free State. And as always, this is just one man’s opinion.

Sincerely and God bless