Guns....Hell, Yeah!

“Foolish liberals who are trying to read the Second Amendment out of the Constitution by claiming it's not an individual right, or that it's too much of a public safety hazard, don't see the danger in the big picture. They're courting disaster by encouraging others to use the same means to eliminate portions of the Constitution they don't like…” ― Alan Dershowitz. Except for abortion, few, if any issues can raise blood pressure quicker than gun control. The problem to having a reasonable discussion is, there is no discussion, only a heated argument. It’s further complicated by lumping a diverse issue into a single broad category—Guns, are they good or bad? Today, I’m going to give you thoughts from the gun owner’s perspective, and in the next article I’m going to tackle the violence firearms create in our society. Personal ownership of firearms generally falls under four broad categories— (1) Hunting & Trap and Skeet shooting. The US Department of Fish & Wildlife Services report that about 14.4 million Americans (6% of the population) over the age of sixteen are hunters, or Trap & Skeet shoot, and contributed 15.9 million dollars to the economy. In the same period, there were approximately 1,000 hunting accidents reported (.0000714%) approximately 100 were fatal. Excluding personal opinions about “blood sports” it’s obvious recreational shooters are not a public menace and are simply engaging in a time-honored American tradition. (2) “Weekend Shooters” regularly get together with friends and spend time at a gun range shooting paper targets and steel plates, loser buys lunch. They own firearms, often expensive firearms and keep their firearms maintained and securely stored. They legally purchased their firearms, are not a menace to society, and are simply enjoying their hobby. (3) Collectors have a passion for firearms, never miss a chance to add an interesting piece to their gun safe. They study, research and communicate with other collectors, not unlike model railroaders, or stamp collectors. (4) Self-defense is by far the trickiest category. It’s easy to be judgmental when a person buys a firearm (usually a handgun) because they’re scared. It looks like a drastic measure, there must be a less lethal and final solution; but generally, there’s a pretty good reason that person is scared. The law is clear, “…a person has a right to use deadly force to prevent death, or great bodily harm to themselves, or another person…” Justifiable homicide, and your right to self-defense, are firmly entrenched in the law for a reason. Firearms are the most effective means to commit a crime, take a life, or defend yourself, or your family. The gun itself has no conscience, bears no evil, and has no political ideology. It’s simply a tool, a piece of machinery built to do a job. So, from the viewpoint of millions of legal gun owners, before you consider restricting, or eliminating, their hobby and outdoor sports, direct your zeal towards the violent, the mentally unstable, and the twisted personalities who commit the violent acts….