Gun Control

I would like to start out by saying this isn’t by any means going to be just another paper written on gun control, one that depicts the Republican’s on the right side and the Democrat’s on the left side or how they are more often described as conservatives and liberals, pointing their boney fingers at one another expelling a lot of hot air about how the other is wrong and they are right. At a time in our country where shootings of innocent children at the Shady Brook Elementary School in New Haven, CT, a group of high school students at Columbine High School in Columbine, CO, or even college students on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, are becoming what seems to be a daily occurrence, we need solid solutions not the same old story wrapped in different paper. With each event, each side almost immediately starts blaming the other side for the world we all live in today, neither giving time for the dust to settle let alone for those that lost love ones to grieve. So let’s take a look at what each believe. (Poole)

            Let’s take a moment to look at what’s on the Democrat and Republican agendas, their wish list for lack of better terms. In order to do this I have spent many hours reading multiple articles and have found a starting point provided by SirRobin at MMO-Champion.com in their discussion board. Below is that list.

Democrat agenda representing people who are in favor of gun control.

1. Most violent crimes are committed with guns; thus, restricting gun ownership will likely reduce the number of such crimes.
2. Lunatics, bullied school kids, disgruntled workers, and others can inflict mass casualties with guns that otherwise wouldn't be possible.
3. A crime victim who has a gun may be in more danger than an unarmed person since the criminal may kill in perceived self-defense.
4. Suicides and crimes of passion are higher with gun availability, as it's much easier to act immediately on your impulses when a gun is available.
5. The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution was targeted towards militia, e.g. the National Guard, rather than individuals.
6. Crimes that may have been less harmful can be made more dangerous by adding a gun.
7. Legalized gun ownership means guns have a greater chance of falling into the hands of kids, potentially resulting in some deadly accidents.
8. Terrorism, school shootings, and other modern circumstances make guns more dangerous nowadays.

Republican agenda representing people who are not in favor of gun control.

1. Criminals will always find a way to obtain their guns, leaving law-abiding citizens without any weapons to use in defense.
2. Crimes are often prevented by the deterrent effect of the possibility of victim gun possession.
3. The 2nd Amendment to the Constitution protects the individual's right to gun ownership.
4. Woman and weaker individuals may have no means of self-defense from rape or other crimes, especially in the inner city.
5. Guns in the possession of citizens are an added protection against government tyranny.
6. Police are often too overwhelmed to protect all citizens from violent crime.
7. Banning guns will create another potentially large source of organized criminal revenue, as a black market for guns will surely develop.
8. Banning guns will take away yet another piece of our liberty, which is one more step to socialism and totalitarianism.
9. Reasonable gun control & education steps can be put in place, so an outright ban is unnecessary.

As you can easily see, like in other areas of our country we are truly a house divided, so it is very easy to get caught up in the same old way of thinking. But, if this isn’t enough let’s look at some more facts.  “In 1982 a survey of male felons in 11 state prisons dispersed across the U.S. found that 34% had been scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by an armed victim; 40% had decided not to commit a crime because they knew or believed the victim had a gun; and 69% personally knew other criminals who had been scared off, shot at, wounded, or captured by the armed victim” (Agresti). So in this instance it appears that armed home owners are the way to go.

Let’s look at what happened in Washington, D.C. between September 24, 1976 and June 26, 2008 while they had a law in place that generally prohibited residents from owning firearms and required firearms in private homes to be kept unloaded, un-assembled or have a trigger guard installed. During this time the murder average rate in Washington, D.C. was 73% higher than when the law took effect, while the U.S. murder rate averaged 11% (Agresti).

In 1982, Chicago instituted a ban on handguns with the only exception being those handguns that were previously registered. They were required to re-register the handgun every year. The law stayed in effect until June 2010 when the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. Since the ban was lifted the murder rate average has decreased to 17% (Agresti). This would lead me to believe regardless of the laws in place, if someone wants to commit a crime they are going to regardless of easy availability or access to a firearm.

            We could continue showing facts and data about gun control and some would support that gun control was the correct way to proceed and others would provide proof as previously referenced that gun control is not the solution. No matter how many statics we dig up, create or make up, we will never replace the life that was lost from these violent crimes and that should at all cost be our focus and the center of the debate. After all I, like you, I am sure you have never seen or heard of a gun, in and of itself,  that killed someone, it was the person in possession of the gun, with little to no regard to human value or worth, that killed the person.

            Before I go any further I have to tell you who I am, in hopes that you too will come to this understanding, the belief that human life is much too precious to be at odds on the matter of gun control. Who am I? I am a Patriot through and through to this United States of America. I served my country for twenty years in the US Navy and was onboard the USS Cole on that horrible day in October 2000 when 17 of my comrades paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. I am a father to 5 children and the husband to one woman, their mother for the last 25 years. I am a Southerner who strongly believes in his right to bear arms and a Christian who strongly believes in the value of human life. So where does this leave a man like me?

            Well for starters, I am not much for shifting the blame around like a game of hot potato, the time has come we all take some ownership in this United States of America the greatest country in the world and trust me on this it is as I have seen some very ugly places. It isn’t going to come without a cost as nothing in life is ever free. My biggest concern is that once one side gives a little the other will take a lot and balance will never be achieved only extremes. For example, we have seen the right of prayer being removed from our public schools turned into what I would consider one of our biggest travesties.  Because of that ruling we are no longer able to use the term “Christmas Holidays”; it has to be a “winter celebration” in fear that we might offend someone. The sad part is the majority of those families in that school celebrate Christmas. So with gun control, I just don’t want to see the extreme happen, which is a total ban on firearms when our past has proven we have needed these weapons in order to preserve the beliefs and freedoms that we all hold very dear to us.

            I think a little common sense on this would go a long way and hope that you agree. First, I remember taking my first hunter’s safety course in middle school, where we had a gun on display in our school to educate us on how to not only handle and take care of it, but we were also instructed on its purpose. Second, we need to be educating our students today on the value of life and how precious it is. You go into any school today, middle and high school alike, and you will find blatant disrespect of one another and themselves as they do not value the life that God our Father has blessed them with. This is apparent from the sheer number of school shootings by students and the teenage suicide rate which according to the American Foundation of Suicide has rising to 12.4%. Third, like all men, I like my toys just as much as the next guy, but let’s be real, just because I have the funds to by an assault rifle doesn’t mean I really need it. After all, for what purpose other than saying I have it does it have. It isn’t like I am going to hunt with it and I sure as hell am not going shoot an intruder in my house with it so again what is the point. I would rather compromise my right to purchase an assault rifle, in order to keep my overall right of gun ownership.

In closing it is my prayer that you too will come to the realization that teaching our children to value human life, is the greatest point and that it is time we take ownership of the mess that we and our parents have made over the last 40 years, or it won’t be long until we have returned to the “Wild Wild West” and the days of stepping out on the street to settle our differences.

References

American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (2011). Retrieved from http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=04ea1254-bd31-1fa3-c549d77e6ca6aa37

Agresti, James D. and Smith, Reid K. (2012, December 28). Gun Control. Retrieved from Just Facts: http://justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp

Blanton, Dana (2013, January 18). Fox News poll: Twice as many favor more guns over banning guns to reduce crime. Retrieved from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/18/fox-news-poll-twice-as-many-favor-more-guns-over-banning-guns-to-reduce-violent/

Poole, Dan (2013, January 17). Ten facts Americans must know about the gun control debate. Retrieved from the Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/article/ten-facts-americans-must-know-about-the-gun-control-debate?cid=rss

SirRobin, The Lightbringer (2012, November 10). Should civilian possession of handguns and other non-hunting guns be banned or severely restricted? Retrieved from MMO-Champion: http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1223265-Gun-Control-Pros-and-Cons

White, Deborah (n.d.). Pros & Cons of Gun Ownership & Use Laws for Individuals. Retrieved from About.com: http://usliberals.about.com/od/patriotactcivilrights/i/ProConGunLaws_2.htm

Through the Years with Tracie - How it Began

Our story opens with the arrival of a young Navy man home from work on a brisk January afternoon in Virginia Beach, Va. The setting was their first apartment, the small "Charlie Brown" like tree still in the corner of the family room. He was quickly greeted by a beautiful young lady that to this very day still takes his breathe away and holds his heart captive. She quickly explains that there isn't much time; we have to be at the court house by 5 p.m. when it closes. The typical male response followed, "WHY"? To get our marriage license of course, she explains. I am confused the young man replies. Let me explain it to you then, you said when we moved in together that it was temporary, so today we are making it permanent. I have already purchased our rings, and we have an appointment with the Justice of the Peace at 8 p.m., so all we have left is the marriage license that cost $25.

Flashback: Just six months prior in July, our young couple had met. It was like fireworks on the 4^th only it was the 9^th. The young couple just seemed to fit from that very first moment as they had even jokingly talked about marriage that very first night, even before the young man was introduced to her retired Master Chief father, who yes he met later that same night. Every night that followed you could find the two of them together, right up to his first 3 month deployment which began in August. In the midst of these preparations to deploy our young rebel celebrated his 19^th birthday on July 16, 1987 at a private party of two where he was showered by gifts that revealed the heart of a very special young lady. Much to her surprise the young man arrived early on the morning of the 18^th, when she opened the door wearing what would later become his favorite night shirt, all she could she is our young man on bended knee with what obviously looked bigger than it was ring, as she quickly said yes. The two of them continued the fasted pace love affair through many hand written cards and letters that smelled of them when they ever so slowly arrived via what is referred to now a days as “snail mail”, a young sailors best friend while being separated from home. The three months seemed to drag by, but at the end she was what awaited him on the pier. His eyes filled with tears of joy as all the horror stories form older Navy men had been proven wrong in the instance that his eyes caught just a glimpse of her on the pier, he knew then he had a keeper. Our couple picks up where they left off prior to his departure, making plans for a May to June time frame wedding, with family in disagreement every step of the way, the couple moved in together in November.

The couple begins to frantically search their small apartment for any loose change they could find, as between them they may have had $15 dollars cash. With every usual spot searched, both in the cars and apartment, they found exactly enough change to make up the difference. He quickly changed into his military working blue uniform at her request and they headed out to get their marriage license. Arriving just in time to get in line, they filled out the application, answered a few simple questions, paid the clerk their money and they were off again with a license to be married in the state of Virginia.