Guns and Roses

 

 

"Guns don't kill people - people kill people. Not very PC today, but very true"

Last weekend my good friend Paul and I went to an outdoor gun range by his cabin in Wisconsin. We were just getting set up when another car pulled up. A man had come there with his Father, as he was going to teach him how to shoot. The man had very, very good range training and etiquette. My friend Paul and I also have good range training from our time in the Navy, but this man was quite a bit better than we were. The range experience reminded me of two things - 1) Target practice at a range is a whole bunch of fun and 2) Guns, used improperly, can be very dangerous - and very deadly.

Reading the Drudge Report yesterday, I saw an article about a shootout on the streets of Oakland. According to the reporting done by a Oakland news channel, these middle of the day shootouts have become much, much too common. Reading that, I thought "Well, that is Oakland - it does not happen here."

Then on the news last night, there was a story of a shooting in North Minneapolis - right in broad daylight. Three people were shot - one being a 14 month old child. What is the world is going on here? Don't people realize how dangerous guns are? Bullets are "dumb projectiles" - once they are released from the barrel of a gun, there is no guidance, no retrieval button. Innocent people can be hurt, innocent people can be killed. All ages, all races, all income levels.

What has happened to our society when a family cannot sit out in their front yard without the worry of being shot? Responsible gun owners are vetted every time they buy a gun, register the gun, and they go to a range and learn how to shoot. Responsible gun owners keep their guns properly secured at home to prevent theft or tampering fingers.

For reasons unknown to me, the first thing that happens when some idiot fires an stolen gun in a urban setting, calls are made for more gun control. Lets punish the folks who are doing everything right with gun ownership and usage. Meanwhile, nary a word is said about the unsupervised youth who takes a stolen gun and uses it on innocent people. The logic continues to escape me.

Guns and roses. It was a heavy metal group from times gone by. However, it also signifies our inner city gun culture. The misuse and illegal use of stolen guns often results in roses for the coffin of an innocent. Lets fix this. Zero tolerance for thugs using guns. Minimum ten years for any crime where a gun is used. Make it hurt. If you kill someone with a gun (that is not determined to be self defense), you go away forever. No parole, no early out.

I stand with the people of North Minneapolis, as well as folks in other cities who are tired of being innocent targets in their own front yards. This is no way to live - for anyone, anywhere.