The noise is going to get louder and louder. They will scream, “We need more gun control laws to make us safe.” “Something has to be done.” I offer here two quotes from one of our most respected Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Here’s another one. “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.”
This is an irrefutable fact: the only way to stop a gun is with a gun. When a nutcase is armed whether with a gun or a tire iron, he is going to do harm regardless. To deal with this nutcase you don’t outlaw his gun or his tire iron, you outlaw the nutcase. Gun-control legislation is nothing more than “feel-good” legislation.
Let’s re-examine the Second Amendment to the Constitution. “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.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? First, I am all for “well regulated.” I, for example, am a military veteran and a licensed gun owner. I have a conceal-carry permit. Even after my military service, to obtain that permit I had to attend a school for gun safety and use as well as submit to an extensive background check. In other words, I am well regulated. Concerning that part about the Militia, every citizen of America is a part of that Militia. Since our beginning and to this day, we are expected by our Constitution to bear arms to defend our country.
Law breakers do not care about the law. Hence the term lawbreaker. They don’t care what laws are passed to control your right to bear arms. In fact, the fewer guns in the hands of responsible citizens, the easier it is for them to conduct their illegal activities. To those who would leave lawbreakers to the police, remember this. The police appear only after the crime has been committed. They clean up the mess caused by the lawbreaker. They have little ability to prevent it. A free society does not have preventative law enforcement.
Mental illness is another thing entirely. As a society, we are failing in our responsibility to these very sick people. Instead of trying to further regulate gun ownership for responsible citizens, we would be better served attempting to locate and treat those among us who are just too ill to function in a free society. Do you really think the shooters in Connecticut, Colorado and Arizona were sane individuals? Sane people don’t murder children and babies. The other thing that disturbs me is many people knew these people were ill well before they acted out their fantasies. I heard recently mental-health treatment should be at least as readily available as a gun. I agree.
I know there are many opinions on this issue. Most think they have the answer. This is what I know though. These acts of mass murder are rare and random. You or I will likely never have to personally deal directly with such a tragedy. That doesn’t make it any less tragic. That doesn’t do anything to heal my broken heart or the broken hearts of the parents and grandparents of the victims in Connecticut. For you, for me and especially for those affected by this latest tragedy, God willing tomorrow will be a better day for all of us.