The
discussion of “gun control” is a non issue. I say this from the standpoint of
our Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment. The Constitution doesn't grant or create
rights; it recognizes and protects rights that inherently exist. This is why
the Founders used the word "unalienable" previously in the
Declaration of Independence; these rights cannot be created or taken away.
The Founding Fathers by way of the Federalist Papers have shown that
throughout history the manner and methods from which tyrants and dictators have
eliminated a militia. It was not by dissolving the militia, but by taking away
the people’s arms and ability to rise-up against tyranny and oppression.
During the ratification of our Constitution,
there were genuine fears stemming from past experience with England, which government
could become oppressive and/or tyrannical. And out of that fear lead to the
possibility (probability) that the federal government would disarm the people
in order to impose rule through a standing army or select militia. Much like
our current point in history with an overly oppressive federal government,
state government and city governments with overtly oppressive and draconian
laws counter to our Constitution, that are designed to make common criminals out
of ordinary citizens.
The response to that concern was to codify the
citizens' militia right to arms in our Constitution:
The Second
Amendment codifies a pre-existing right,
The Second
Amendment exists to prevent tyranny in government,
The Second Amendment
protects the individual right, not collective rights,
Every citizen is the militia,
Personal
self-defense or hunting is not the primary purpose of the Second Amendment,
like the liberal and democratic politicians would have you believe,
There is not a
give and take or interest-balancing approach to the Second Amendment, it is
what it is and is non-negotiable,
The Second
Amendment was also meant as a provision to repel a foreign army invasion, which
proved to be beneficial during WWII.
The Second Amendment
protects weapons "in common use at the time.”
The
Second Amendment exists to protect the grand American experiment in
self-government. The burden-of-proof point was central to a ruling this month
by the U.S. Court of Appeals overturning the Illinois ban on
concealed carry: “The theoretical and empirical evidence is consistent with
concluding that a right to carry firearms in public may promote self-defense.
Illinois had failed to provide more than merely a rational basis for believing
that its uniquely sweeping ban is justified by an increase in public safety. It
has failed to meet this burden.
There are approximately 300 million guns in private hands in the
United States, so, even if the government enacted a massive program to
confiscate these weapons, the feds would fail in their task, enraging millions
of Americans in the process. If the government were to manage confiscation of
legal weapons, that would still leave criminals happily armed.
In December 2007, Matthew Murray entered the New Life
Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., armed with two handguns and an assault rifle
(the same arsenal possessed by Adam Lanza). Murray had killed two people in the
parking lot before entering the church. Once inside, Murray shot another man in
the arm before being shot by Jeanne Assam, a former police officer with a
concealed-carry permit.
Potential massacres were also stopped in 1997 at a Pearl, Miss.,
school and in 1998 at a school dance in Edinboro, Pa. In both cases,
responsible citizens prevented mass bloodshed by drawing their weapons and
using them for the public good.
Forty-one states currently have safe and effective
concealed-carry permitting systems, and eight other states have more
restrictive discretionary permitting laws. Permit holders are not having
parking-lot shootouts or brandishing their weapons needlessly. In fact, in the
last 20 years, the cases of permit holders using their guns improperly are
almost non-existent a less than ½ of 1 percent. They are certainly much rarer
than when people used a concealed weapon to successfully defend themselves.
While we should do everything we can to prevent massacres like
Newtown, we should also remember what it takes to stop a New Life Church. The following is a letter
I drafted to our elected officials from the local Representative, the President
of these United States:
“I have decided to address
a topic to you that is of great importance to every American who had ever
served in the military, or have benefited from those who have served in the
military, often giving the ultimate sacrifice in the name of defending the
Constitution against all enemies, FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
With respect to those who
have recently lost their lives or loved ones from the massacre at Sandy Hook
Elementary in Newtown, Ct, Aurora and Columbine, Co, the shooting in Tucson
where Representative Gifford’s, among others were shot (as examples). There is
common denominator… Gun Free Zones, where the law-abiding citizen must not only
surrender their Constitutional Rights, but also become potential targets’ who
if armed would be able to react and possibly save the lives of the innocent and
possibly the perpetrator?
We all know that necessity
is the mother of invention, and those who have a mind to do harm have never and
will never follow the law. The unfortunate weapon of choice as reported by the
media these days is the firearm. What the media does not report is that
overall; more lives are saved annually by the use of a firearm from a
law-abiding citizen and not law enforcement, from those who are hell bent to do
harm. Law enforcement is to protect society as a whole with no mandate to
protect the individual, possibly the reason for bodyguards?
Annually there are more
homicides through vehicular manslaughter and by hammers than by firearms. In
fact FBI statistics show that violent crime is down because of citizens
applying for Concealed Weapons Permits and taking-up arms. Florida recently
reported there are now one million CWP holders. An impressive number certain to
be modeled in other states, making criminals think twice before committing a
crime against a citizen. The Firearm is an inanimate object, just like the
hammer, car or any other piece of machined tool. They all have a legitimate
purpose and were created for that purpose. They lack the ability to reason,
think, react, influence or operate without human intervention. It is the human
who takes the inanimate object and determines how to use that object.
In the January Edition of
Forbes Magazine, Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief discusses what he calls an
American Disgrace. The shutting down of most institutions that treat severe
mental illness, have left an estimated 3.5 million people who have serious
mental diseases with no capacity for treatment. Since the 1960’s 90% of the
public psychiatric beds have declined and the growth of massacres have
increased since the deinstitutionalization movement commenced.
Another item of concern is
certain politicians are using massacres as a sounding board to further their
agenda of Gun Control… and the eventual control of the citizenry. They have
become so bold to openly admitting their agenda in a public forum, agitating
further those who would wear their emotions on their wrists, go on a witch hunt
to lay blame and make death threats against the President of the National Rifle
Association and its 4 million plus members including myself as an Endowment
member.
It is high time that
elected officials are held accountable for their breech of contract to the
American people. By that I mean simply their oath of office, swearing and
affirming to uphold the Constitution to the best of their ability against all
enemies, FOREIGN and DOMESTIC. Any elected official or public servant who works
in collusion or conflict to diminish any part of our Constitution should be
removed from office and charged with treason”.
Sincerely,
Kurt E. Larson, USAF
(Ret.)
References:
Shapiro, I. (2013). Why I still support the right to bear
arms. The Star-Ledger, Retrieved from www.catoinstitute.com
Burrus, T. (2013). Face it: Guns are here to stay. New York Daily News, Retrieved
from www.catoinstitute.com
Levy, R. (2012). Homicide rate was already declining. USA Today, Retrieved from www.catoinstitute.com
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