Protecting the Second

"How are we going to fix all these shootings? Some say more gun control, and others say more open carry..."

These are interesting times in our country. Scary as well. I fear we are racing towards a great divide in our country. A divide in which there can be no compromise. Abortion? No. We already have that divide, and it is not getting any better. The new divide will be guns. And the gun grabbers are now out in full force.

Before some think that I am a troglodyte or a Neanderthal, let me first say this - I am deeply troubled by many of the mass shootings that have happened recently in our country. I have no answer as to why they are happening. I do know this however - the gun is only the instrument of the killing. It is the heart of the person doing the killing that concerns me.

I am also concerned with the enormous number of people who are killed in some of our large cities. Cities such as Chicago. Many of these killings are done by individuals who are not legal owners of the firearms. And the body count is staggering. But again, here is the bottom line. It is the heart of man (or woman) that I am concerned with. The gun is only a handy thing to use. 

It has been reported on the news that every time the President starts to rant about violating our Second Amendment rights, gun sales soar. So the divide deepens. Freedom loving people continue to amass more fire power, and the gun grabbers try harder to take that right away.

The other day someone said (tongue in cheek), we don't need to ban guns, we just need to make killing illegal. Never mind - it already is. So what we need to do is simply enforce the laws on the books. And maybe toughen some up. For example, if you are caught with a firearm which is not legally yours, one year in prison. If you commit any crime using a firearm, a minimum of ten years in prison. Shooting at someone (which is not self-defense), minimum 20 years in prison. Wounding someone, (again, not self-defense), 25 years. Killing someone (not self-defense), life without parole.

Legal gun owners would have no problem with enforcing existing laws. Why? 99.9% of them obey the law. They are responsible. They are also going to be the victims of gun grabbing legislation. The OUTLAWS who live outside the law, will still commit heinous crimes with illegally obtained handguns. Legal, law abiding gun owners would be disarmed. And that cannot happen.

Anyone who is still unclear on how deep this issue runs is encouraged to read up on why we have the Second Amendment to start with. It is for the protection of everyone. It protects the citizen, and believe it or not, it also protects the government. It protects the government by affording checks and balances against tyranny. It keeps the citizens as master and the government as the servant. 

My hope for the President is simply this - you took an oath to protect and defend our Constitution. Do it. Leave our rights alone. Once your term is up, go home to Chicago and fix those neighborhoods which have become nothing more than killing fields. If you really want to effect change sir, that is the place to do it.