Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
So, here it is; the ubiquitous gun control post. Yes, we all know of the 10yr anniversary of Columbine and the tragic, unbelievable murder-count by armed-to-the-teeth teens blastin’ unarmed people up and down the school halls. And we all know of both sides of the gun control argument. SIDE A: Columbine proves that gun control doesn’t work. SIDE B: Columbine proves we need more gun control.
We’ll I’d like to go ahead and add my flavor of political spew into the pit. Mine may seem a mix of both sides. So here it is.
First and foremost, I am not against guns, nor do I think they should be illegal. And I fine with hunting, as long as it’s under the guidelines set forth by the environment protection agency. But unlike NRA members, I do not wish for a complete regulation-free society of gun ownership.
A gun can be as deadly as car, as easy to use as a forklift, as dangerous as piloting airplanes, and as fun as teaching skydiving…. And all those things require training, licenses and for the individual to reach a certain age. And so should gun ownership. I do not trust 12 year olds driving cars, operating machinery, or drinking alcohol, so why should I trust them with a weapon? (And I don’t care that you “taught” your child how to use a weapon properly. I’ve seen kids wreck the shit out of stuff their parents taught them to use.) Bottom line: until your kid can drive, I don't trust him/her with a weapon.
Secondly, why the hell would I ever trust you with a weapon?
How do I know you ain’t gonna snap? And instead of throwing dirt in my eye, you pull out your trusty sidearm and blast me away. Or perhaps, you’re drunk at a bar and decide to make someone “dance” like they did in the cowboy days. Or perhaps you are N.Y. Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, yet it’s MY leg you accidentally shoot.
I barely trust you to operate a vehicle. I’ve been cut off by you in traffic, I’ve seen you run red lights, I’ve seen you jump curbs, drive too fast, drive too slow, take illegal u-turns, run into bicyclists, run over mailboxes. I’ve stood behind you in line at the supermarket watching you lollygag your way through the checkout. I’ve seen you block entire aisles at the supermarket, I’ve seen you pick fights, do drugs, hit women, create panic and much more “gunless” activity.
Those are the people we want carrying weapons? Without strict licensing, training and regulations? I’d rather take my chances, unarmed, against a lone gunman, than a room full of panicky, trigger-happy, untrained cowboys and cowgirls.
The lone gunman scenario, ala Columbine, happens on average about once a year, to about 30-100 unfortunately unarmed souls. But annually the United States has more than 12,000 gun related murders, not counting accidentally maimings and other secondary shootings. (I would guess that accidental gun shootings numbers per year are higher than the lone-gunman numbers.) You are more likely to get accidentally shot than shot by a lone gunman. (More chance of winning the lottery as well) And we are worried about the next Columbine? It’s purely numbers.
Now imagine if more idiots were allowed guns, those numbers would increase even more. Shit, by the numbers, I’m worried that my untrained, unlicensed, armed neighbor is gonna have a bad day, not some kid at a school.
So to sum up: I just don’t trust you with a weapon, unless the following criteria are met:
#1: Age restrictions
#2: Obtain a License
#3: Proper Training
#4: Retests and yearly evaluations
#5: Armed, highly trained officers on campuses.
With these 5 steps in place, I’d be glad to have you over for tea and target practice. Otherwise, I’m taking my chances with the lone gunman.
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We’ll I’d like to go ahead and add my flavor of political spew into the pit. Mine may seem a mix of both sides. So here it is.
First and foremost, I am not against guns, nor do I think they should be illegal. And I fine with hunting, as long as it’s under the guidelines set forth by the environment protection agency. But unlike NRA members, I do not wish for a complete regulation-free society of gun ownership.
A gun can be as deadly as car, as easy to use as a forklift, as dangerous as piloting airplanes, and as fun as teaching skydiving…. And all those things require training, licenses and for the individual to reach a certain age. And so should gun ownership. I do not trust 12 year olds driving cars, operating machinery, or drinking alcohol, so why should I trust them with a weapon? (And I don’t care that you “taught” your child how to use a weapon properly. I’ve seen kids wreck the shit out of stuff their parents taught them to use.) Bottom line: until your kid can drive, I don't trust him/her with a weapon.
Secondly, why the hell would I ever trust you with a weapon?
How do I know you ain’t gonna snap? And instead of throwing dirt in my eye, you pull out your trusty sidearm and blast me away. Or perhaps, you’re drunk at a bar and decide to make someone “dance” like they did in the cowboy days. Or perhaps you are N.Y. Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, yet it’s MY leg you accidentally shoot.
I barely trust you to operate a vehicle. I’ve been cut off by you in traffic, I’ve seen you run red lights, I’ve seen you jump curbs, drive too fast, drive too slow, take illegal u-turns, run into bicyclists, run over mailboxes. I’ve stood behind you in line at the supermarket watching you lollygag your way through the checkout. I’ve seen you block entire aisles at the supermarket, I’ve seen you pick fights, do drugs, hit women, create panic and much more “gunless” activity.
Those are the people we want carrying weapons? Without strict licensing, training and regulations? I’d rather take my chances, unarmed, against a lone gunman, than a room full of panicky, trigger-happy, untrained cowboys and cowgirls.
The lone gunman scenario, ala Columbine, happens on average about once a year, to about 30-100 unfortunately unarmed souls. But annually the United States has more than 12,000 gun related murders, not counting accidentally maimings and other secondary shootings. (I would guess that accidental gun shootings numbers per year are higher than the lone-gunman numbers.) You are more likely to get accidentally shot than shot by a lone gunman. (More chance of winning the lottery as well) And we are worried about the next Columbine? It’s purely numbers.
Now imagine if more idiots were allowed guns, those numbers would increase even more. Shit, by the numbers, I’m worried that my untrained, unlicensed, armed neighbor is gonna have a bad day, not some kid at a school.
So to sum up: I just don’t trust you with a weapon, unless the following criteria are met:
#1: Age restrictions
#2: Obtain a License
#3: Proper Training
#4: Retests and yearly evaluations
#5: Armed, highly trained officers on campuses.
With these 5 steps in place, I’d be glad to have you over for tea and target practice. Otherwise, I’m taking my chances with the lone gunman.
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ReplyDeleteThere is the theory that if every individual was armed to the teeth, and trained to use the armaments (i.e. guns), we would have peace. It would be at this point that the idiots who wish to do others harm at the point of a gun, or knife, or fist, would think twice about doing so (and I'm picturing a little old granny whiping out a .45 from her knitting bag to protect herself from some malevolent intruder). The theory of evolution takes over at that point, and the dummies who wish to do harm, are very quickly eliminated from the gene-pool.
ReplyDeleteBut really, the Constitution was written to support the bearing of arms by the common militia, as a check-and-balance, preventing the Federal Government from overtaking individual and state-based liberties and authority. So really, it is in the best interest of the Federal Government to ban gun ownership by individuals and State militias.