You Have No Right To Say I Can't
Own One More Gun
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
By Neal Ross
The
other day at work I got into a discussion with a woman about firearms.
It all began when I mentioned that I intend to buy a new pistol. This
person told me that I shouldn't buy another gun, in fact nobody should
have any guns because guns kill too many people in this country.
The
following morning there was an article in the local paper about some
idiot kid who had fired a shotgun into a car where a 2 old girl was
sitting. This woman attempted to use this article to support her claims
that nobody should own guns. I lost my cool and said some things I should
not have, but I am tired of arguing with people who just will not listen
to reason.
Samuel
Adams once said that "Mankind are governed more by their feelings
than by reason." Unfortunately, I am finding out that Adams was
right, people refuse to listen to facts and instead base their decisions
upon emotional reactions to events.
Daniel
Webster once told us that "A strong conviction that something must
be done is the parent of many bad measures." This is especially
true when it comes to gun control legislation. Every time there is a
tragic event where guns are used to kill people, an outcry is heard
about stricter gun laws.
It
seems as though some people think that everyone who owns a firearm is
going to go out and kill someone, therefore all guns should be banned
to save lives. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence,
there are approximately 192 million privately owned firearms in the
United States. If the reasoning used by these people is correct, there
would be 192 million firearm deaths per year and there would be 192
million people sitting in jails for killing someone with a firearm.
Let's do the math, 192 million deaths, plus 192 million convicted murderers
equals 384 million people. Hmmm, there are only 300 million people in
this country, so the numbers don't add up.
The
preponderance of guns does not equal firearm deaths, lack of morals
and regard for human life does. The lack of morals on some peoples part
is not legal grounds for infringing upon the rights of those who do
respect life and the law. Unfortunately, people would rather punish
everyone for the actions of a few. Personal integrity and responsibility
don't seem to enter into the equation any more.
I
wonder how many people are aware that there is a gun in every home in
Switzerland? Every man in Switzerland is required to serve in their
nations militia, and to keep their weapon on hand at home, ready for
use should the need arise. Switzerland has very liberal gun laws, meaning
that there are hardly any restrictions upon gun ownership. On top of
that, they have a strong history of shooting traditions. Yet their crime
rate is far lower than ours, where gun control laws are much stricter.
Not only that, when a Swiss male has completed his time in the militia,
he is entitled to keep his firearm for personal use. Any guess what
the weapon of choice is for the Swiss militia? It is the SIG 550 assault
rifle. So, not only are there lots of guns in Switzerland, there are
lots of assault rifles privately owned. Therefore the logic that an
abundance of guns kills people does not fly.
Allow
me, for a moment, to use the logic of those who wish to ban guns. Are
you aware that, in 1994 there were 38,505 firearm related deaths in
the United States? Sounds like a lot, doesn't it. I guess we have to
get rid of those guns. Hold on though, in that same year there were
40,719 vehicle deaths in the United States. That means there were 2200
more people killed by cars than there were guns. Why is there no push
to ban cars?
Sound
silly? I'm not done yet. What about the medical community? According
to Dr. Richard Besser of the CDC, the number of unnecessary antibiotics
prescribed annually was 20 million doses. The number of unnecessary
medical procedures is 7.5 million unneeded surgeries, and there are
8.9 people unnecessarily hospitalized per year.
But
these people don't die you say. Oh yeah? According to statistics 106,000
people die per year due to adverse drug reactions, 98,000 die per year
due to medical error, 115,00 die per year from bedsores, 88,000 from
infections they got while IN THE HOSPITAL, 108,000 from malnutrition,
37,136 from unnecessary surgeries, and a meager 32,000 die from required
surgery related causes. That is a total of 783,936 people die per year
in our nations hospitals. Why don't we ban doctors and hospitals as
well, after all I am only using your logic that if people are dying,
then we need to ban the cause of their deaths.
I
am sorry to be the one who bursts your bubble, but guns are not the
problem in this country, people are. Our nation was founded upon the
belief that people had inalienable rights, and among those rights was
the right to protect themselves and their property.
John
Adams once said that, "Arms in the hands of citizens may be used
at individual discretion...in private self-defense." George Mason,
a Virginia delegate to the Constitutional Convention, who wrote the
Virginia Declaration of Rights, and along with James Madison, is known
as a father of our nations Bill of Rights, once said, "Divine providence
has given to every individual the means of self-defense...To disarm
the people...is the best and most effective way to enslave them."
George
Washington went further, by saying, "Firearms stand next in importance
to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth
and keystone under independence. To secure peace, securely and happiness,
the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere
of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a
place of honor with all that is good."
I
am tired of people who refuse to remember the principles upon which
our nation was founded, and instead base their decisions upon emotional
impulses that are not backed by any logic or reasoning.
Much
like the Swiss, George Washington believed, "It may be laid down
as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen
who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion
of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of
it."
Our
seventeenth President, Andrew Jackson once said, "Every good citizen
makes his country's honor his own, and cherishes it not only as precious
but as sacred. He is willing to risk his life in its defense and is
conscious that he gains protection while he gives it."
Citizens
include those who are born here, and those who immigrate here to live
and enjoy the freedoms and benefits that this country offers them. I
wonder, how many of those who think that guns should be banned can claim
to have served this country by serving in this nations military? I did,
for 3 enlistments, totaling 13 years. Not only myself, but my father,
who served in World War II and the Korean Conflict, and my grandfather
as well. I can also trace my family back to brothers who fought on opposing
sides during the Civil War. How many others can make these claims, particularly
those who have immigrated to this country?
This
country was founded by immigrants, we can all trace our ancestors back
to some land other than the United States, but as George Washington
said, "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent
and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations
And Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights
and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to
merit the enjoyment."
America
was founded, by immigrants from all nations who came here to live and
seek their own place to live and practice their beliefs freely. However
it was not a place where immigrants could come to dilute, or pollute
if you will, the beliefs that made this country the very place they
were given all these opportunities.
Thomas
Jefferson once said, "Born in other countries, yet believing you
could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your
right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do,
to our established rules." Jefferson also said, "The beauty
of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try
to take it."
The
second amendment does not give me the right to own guns, it protects
that natural right from those who would infringe upon it. There is a
big difference. Since the second amendment is part and parcel of the
Constitution, which is the highest law in the land, Article 6 of the
Constitution for those who care to look, then my right to own guns is
not yours to infringe upon, no matter what you believe.
For
those who have emigrated here, you need to remember that this country
opened its arms to accept you, as long as you obey our laws and respect
our heritage. It is not your place to impose the beliefs and culture
of your native land upon us, and that includes your beliefs on whether
or not I should be allowed to own a single firearm, or a hundred.
Theodore
Roosevelt once said, "In the first place we should insist that
if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and
assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality
with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any
such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated
upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an
American."
I
don't care if you believe that guns should be outlawed because that
is the way that things were where you came from, or if it is because
you believe that guns are evil and the cause of too much suffering,
it is my Constitutionally protected right to own them. Therefore, if
you wish to live in this country, my country, you need to respect our
Constitution and the individual rights it was written to protect.
Neal Ross works for a major fruit packaging facility in CA. He is married with a 15-year-old son. He served 13 years in the U.S. Air Force and another ten as a military contractor before losing his job due to military downsizing.
He has traveled the world, living in Kuwait, Oman, Italy, Germany, Korea, the Philippines and Spain. He believes strongly in government according to the strict guidelines of the Constitution, and feels that a good portion of the fault for the problems of this country lies in the apathy of the American people.
My New Blog
http://www.zombie-slayer.com/neal/
My archives
http://www.neals-soapbox.blogspot.com/
E-mail: bonsai@syix.com.
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