Monday, January 7, 2013

Quote of the Week


Men fight for freedom, then they begin to accumulate laws to take it away from themselves.  - Author Unknown

There is a troubling issue facing us today.  We look around and ask, "what is the world coming to?"  What really happened?  History keeps repeating itself because we never face the real problem.  Violence, by all methods, has been around as long as humans have inhabited this planet.  

Against whom is this violence most often perpetrated?  The answer is simple - the defenseless.  They are the easiest targets, providing the would-be killers with multitudes of innocents upon which to unleash their rage.  Where is their protection?  At best, long minutes away.  For the more isolated, much longer.

For weeks, I have read the railings of those opposed to guns, ranging from the mildly uncomfortable to those who would strip away our 2nd amendment rights.  They cry for gun control and to ban certain types of weapons and accessories.  They beg for signatures on their petitions to further their agenda with our elected officials.   This is not the solution.  Taking away gun rights just means more innocent people will die needlessly.

It is time to address the real issue.  It is not the number of guns or the size of the magazine, but the people behind the guns that are the problem.   Not all people, but people who have a history of crime, drugs, psychological or mental issues, or are just plain violent people.  Only when we look at the real problem, will we begin to make a real difference. 

Remember, the bad guys will always have the guns.  I just prefer to stay on equal footing.

I know based on what I've been reading through social media that this is not a popular position with some of you.  I understand and respect that we all have different ways of looking at things, whether we agree with each other or not.  In the end, we do the research and the soul searching and hopefully come to our own conclusions. 


12 comments:

  1. Both sides have valid points (when they are being reasonable, that is) which is why it's so damn controversial and debatable and will never get resolved. That's my 2 cents any way.

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  2. Margaret, thank you for your comment. It is indeed controversial, and I suspect you are correct that it may never be resolved.

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  3. This is not a problem that is going to be solved by one answer. It will take a variety of changes in our society's way of thinking and our laws to bring about any kind of change. But as long as gun shows are allowed to sell weapons without background checks and the Internet can sell multi-round magazines to anyone with a credit card, there's no hope of keeping these weapons out of the hands of these deranged mass killers. We have to start somewhere.

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  4. You're right that there are no easy answers. I'm not opposed to guns, my dad has a couple and enjoys target and skeet shooting and I've been pestering him for years to take me with him. BUT! :-) There's always a but, right? But, I respectfully disagree with you that owning a gun puts you on equal footing with the whack jobs and criminals out there. Unless you walk around with your gun at the ready everywhere that you go - and unless you live in Texas, chances are good that you don't - you're not going to be on equal footing. You said it yourself, these bad guys target the vulnerable and they do it in places where people are more likely to have pencils, popcorn or shopping bags in their hands than guns.

    Ok, my tangent is hereby over. :-)

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  5. I know this won't shock you, Linda, but I am a bit conflicted on this issue. I tend to be straddling a fence of sorts. I am for people having the right to defend themselves and carry guns. But, I do like the idea of background checks and closing some of the loop holes with gun show sales.

    I think Margaret is right that it may never be resolved.

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  6. I totally agree with Margaret.

    Also, "Only when we look at the real problem, will we begin to make a real difference."

    EXACTLY.

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  7. Jayne- Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It is a very controversial issue with no easy answers. I do know that permits are required for all handgun purchases here in NC.


    Nicky- You are correct. We cannot carry guns everywhere, which is why attacks take place in gun-free zones. At home, it's a different story. Laws aimed at the law-abiding will never stop the bad guys.


    Cheryl- It's easy to be conflicted on serious topics. Especially when our freedoms are at stake.


    Meleah- Exactly. Thoughtful consideration of the real problems will go a long way.

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  8. I agree with YOU, Linda. Guns are only the conduit -- not the real problem. Misguided people are the problem.

    The right to bear arms should stand!

    xoxo

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  9. Jannie - A great big AMEN! I knew this would be an unpopular stand, but I just couldn't stay quiet any longer.

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  10. This is a difficult subject. I'm afraid, my friend, I have to disagree with you. I grew in a hunting family. Guns were very familiar to me. However, the guns my family used weren't semi-automatic pistols and rifles.

    The second amendment was NOT written at time when you could purchase automatic and semi-automatic weapons both online and at gun shows with cursory background checks.

    I know this because a friend recently attended one and saw lots of young people purchasing these types of weapons. He's a hunter and it shocked him.

    We always have to make adjustments in our lives and our laws to take into account changes in technology. Weapons have changed; we need make sure our laws protect citizens from the more dangerous of these.

    In addition, we need stronger back-ground checks at gun shows and a way to oversee online sale of weapons with no background checks.

    We also need to educate children and adults about the safe use of guns. Most people aren't hunters, living off the food they kill. They have no idea of the deadly things a gun can do when it’s fired.

    These are not things that require a change in the 2nd amendment. They are safety measures to protect all of us, including people who use guns appropriately.

    I respect you for putting up this post and for letting me have my say. That's the good thing about blogging; we can speak out and share our thoughts about issues, even if we disagree:~)





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  11. Here in Sweden we have quite a different apprach to guns compared to you guys in the US. It is very rare that people own a gun here and if they do it is mostly people who hunt who own hunt rifles. So it is very interesting to read the ongoing debate that goes on about guns in the US, especially now.

    Thanks for sharing your opinion, Linda.

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  12. Sara- Thank you for sharing your opinion here. I do wonder just what type of guns your family used while hunting?

    It is true that semi-automatics were not around in 1776. They weren't invented until the late 19th century. I respect your (or anyone's) right to disagree with me), but new gun laws won't keep the guns out of the hands of criminals. It will, however, limit our ability to defend against them.

    Alexandra- It is a different environment here. In the proper hands guns are used for hunting, target shooting, self defense and defense of our citizens and our country. Restrictive gun laws are ineffective against the criminal element. They always have access. I sincerely hope the new gun laws that are being put before our lawmakers are voted down. I value my freedom.

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