One of my most-read posts the past 30 days has been what I had to say about guns in the wake of the Newtown school shootings...so I return to the topic given the news.
Today President Obama unveils the most complete set of gun control measures since the JFK/RFK/MLK assassinations in the 1960's. Many of my friends will be angry about this.
But 85% of Americans in a recent poll said they favor universal background checks.
I fully support the need to promote SAFE & RESPONSIBLE gun ownership. It's not about your 2nd Amendment rights...the Bill of Rights also contains the idea that other rights are not mentioned. One of these, certainly, is the right to not get shot.
Yes, it is a ridiculously over-the-top photo opportunity for the President to surround himself with children at the White House to announce the proposal. But it also highlights the selfish and flippant attitude many gun-rights advocates have about "the gun grab."
Because, in the end, this is about children. Gun owners, one of you failed your group in Newtown. No, I don't mean the shooter either. I mean the mom. It was possible for her son to get his hands on her gun collection and use it to unleash unspeakable horrors on innocent children. If you can't police your own, it now becomes your problem. If you aren't moved to act for greater safety and protections to keep guns away from kids, that is now your problem. Guns are not the problem. You are. And a gun culture of hoarding, anti-government, 2nd Amendment absolutism that calls any attempt at reasonable gun laws "tyranny."
As a parent, I would like my kids to have a healthy respect and reverence for guns because, in the end, it will keep them safer. If they have a realistic attitude about their usefulness and proper place, it makes them less likely to either get shot or shoot someone else. You are not helping that.
Gun owners, if you're not on board with regulating the proper place and ownership of guns in our society then you are stoking fear and promoting irresponsibility. And the only reason we're having this national conversation at the moment is because you've abused guns.
Not you, you say? You've followed the law. You're safe. Very well. Thank you. Have you also fought hard to make sure others do the same? Because you're letting your voice of rational gun ownership be drowned out by the NRA, the stockpilers, the people leaving gun shows with carts full of ammo, and the politicians who are now threatening to impeach the President over using executive order to do something that you should have been advocating for long ago.
The only reason it's come to this is because, gun owners, you are letting anti-gun advocates do the hard work that you yourselves have refused to do. It's time for gun reform.
Today President Obama unveils the most complete set of gun control measures since the JFK/RFK/MLK assassinations in the 1960's. Many of my friends will be angry about this.
But 85% of Americans in a recent poll said they favor universal background checks.
I fully support the need to promote SAFE & RESPONSIBLE gun ownership. It's not about your 2nd Amendment rights...the Bill of Rights also contains the idea that other rights are not mentioned. One of these, certainly, is the right to not get shot.
Yes, it is a ridiculously over-the-top photo opportunity for the President to surround himself with children at the White House to announce the proposal. But it also highlights the selfish and flippant attitude many gun-rights advocates have about "the gun grab."
Because, in the end, this is about children. Gun owners, one of you failed your group in Newtown. No, I don't mean the shooter either. I mean the mom. It was possible for her son to get his hands on her gun collection and use it to unleash unspeakable horrors on innocent children. If you can't police your own, it now becomes your problem. If you aren't moved to act for greater safety and protections to keep guns away from kids, that is now your problem. Guns are not the problem. You are. And a gun culture of hoarding, anti-government, 2nd Amendment absolutism that calls any attempt at reasonable gun laws "tyranny."
As a parent, I would like my kids to have a healthy respect and reverence for guns because, in the end, it will keep them safer. If they have a realistic attitude about their usefulness and proper place, it makes them less likely to either get shot or shoot someone else. You are not helping that.
Gun owners, if you're not on board with regulating the proper place and ownership of guns in our society then you are stoking fear and promoting irresponsibility. And the only reason we're having this national conversation at the moment is because you've abused guns.
Not you, you say? You've followed the law. You're safe. Very well. Thank you. Have you also fought hard to make sure others do the same? Because you're letting your voice of rational gun ownership be drowned out by the NRA, the stockpilers, the people leaving gun shows with carts full of ammo, and the politicians who are now threatening to impeach the President over using executive order to do something that you should have been advocating for long ago.
The only reason it's come to this is because, gun owners, you are letting anti-gun advocates do the hard work that you yourselves have refused to do. It's time for gun reform.