On Gun Control

Just to clarify, personally I hate guns. They are used to kill, maim, injure. But I worry more about those behind the guns who are mentally ill, criminal, or just plain evil and those who commit mass murders such as terrorists. So you want to take the guns away, or restrict them? What will they then use? Knives, axes, hammers, poison, gas, chemical weapons, fire, other?

There are over 350 million guns in the United States. Many of those who commit crimes and murder buy guns legally, many do not. The black market on guns is huge. Guns are like drugs, they are all over the place. If you legally restrict guns it is a guarantee that criminals and murderers will still get guns, almost at will. Do some research, you can make your own guns. One guy shows how you can build a hand gun in an hour. Another shows how you can even build an AK-47 automatic weapon! The world wide arms and gun market is immense. The United States is as guilty as anyone out there in providing arms worldwide...it is a huge lucrative market. So please, please, don't think that by passing restrictive gun laws that those who are mentally ill and intent on killing, those who are criminals, those that are evil...and terrorists aren't going to have access to guns. That is nothing more than a "feel good" illusion.

Let's take a look at the exact wording, the following text from the first ten amendments to the Constitution in its original form ratified December 15, 1791, known as the "Bill of Rights". Specific to this issue, Amendment II : A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Note that this Amendment was written by our Founders only 15 years after our own quest for freedom as a nation. Thus we should look at this issue, not only in regard to what it meant at that time, but with regard to what history has taught us about "bearing arms" throughout, up to even more modern times.

If you take away or restrict guns from law abiding citizens...then who has them? The answer is the criminals, murderers and the government. Note what Thomas Jefferson said specific to this (Commonplace Book quoting 18th century criminologist, Cesare Beccaria):

"The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailments; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

Other than criminals and murderers, let's look at the other body that retains full capability with guns...our government! Let's stay away from partisan politics, but include both major political parties of our federal government. Do you trust them? Have you noticed more and more control over our personal lives? The loss of freedoms? The heavy taxation and then the massive waste and outright corruption with the use of our money? Our massive debt that will soon be over $20 trillion? A country divided and in chaos? Again, do you trust them?

In a letter to James Madison, December 20, 1787 Thomas Jefferson said: "What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms."

Throughout history, one of the first things that brutal, dictatorial regimes did was take guns away from their people. In 1938 Communist Chinese dictator, Moa Tze Tung said "All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party." In Nazi Germany, in the 1930's and early 40's, they took guns away from the people. In 1942 Adolf Hitler said " The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to carry arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by doing so." In dictator Josef Stalin's Russia, 1924 - 1954, he said: "If the opposition disarms, well and good. If it refuses to disarm, we shall disarm it ourselves". As a result of these dictatorships, millions upon millions of people were slaughtered at the hands of their own governments.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. As a result 300,000 Christians unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. Pol Pot, in Cambodia, was responsible for killing over 1 million of his people who were disarmed. Need we go on?

I again ask you: Do you trust our federal government? Please keep in mind that in each of the nations mentioned above the people did not believe it could happen to them. It happened in, at first gradual, then accelerated steps. And then it was too late.

Our Founders did a masterful job in forming these United States. They were wise to call upon the failures of nations of the past. This 2nd Amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed...exists to keep our country free, and for the individual protection of the people.

When you take away or restrict guns from law abiding citizens...that leaves those who want to commit crimes and murder who surely will still have access to weapons...a guarantee...and it leaves our government. For very good reason this was not the intent of our Founders.