It’s Not the Guns!

Every time there is a mass shooting incident in this country I brace myself. I know what is coming and I know I am going to get upset. I try to prepare myself but all the preparations I make do not seem to help. In the end, I am still upset. I know the conversations will immediately turn to gun control, whatever that means. When we should be talking about the horror of the event, when we should be talking about ways to avoid future incidents, instead we talk about something called “gun control”. At that point the conversation becomes inane as we are no longer discussing the event but are instead discussing what is high on some people’s political agenda.

Let me be very clear. I am not a “gun nut”. I do not have a large collection of guns. The guns I do have are had for a very clear purpose, protection of myself, my family, my home. I am also a law-abiding citizen. That means, if it was against the law for me to own a gun, then I would obey the law and not own a gun. I am not unlike most other law-abiding citizens who would also obey the law. In fact, I believe the majority of good citizens would obey the law and that is where it gets scary.  Once all the law-abiding citizens are in compliance, there is no longer a threat to the criminal element, who still have their guns, and no threat to the power government can assume.

Gun control arguments are not new. We have discussed gun control as long as we have been discussing mass killings and what can be done to stop them. I am not sure there is an answer. We are the land of the free. The “free” comes from our freedoms that are guaranteed by the bill of rights. All the talk in the world about gun control by gun abolitionists will not change that we have a right to own guns, and we have a duty to use those guns when it is right and proper to do so. As I said, I own a few guns, and I often carry a gun. I have carried a gun for most of my adult life. I have never shot anyone and I hope I never do. I think I am representative of the mindset of the majority who are legally armed.

Guns are not the problem, gun ownership is not the problem, and the 2nd Amendment is not the problem. guns in the wrong hands is the conundrum. I will admit, it is not a small problem with a simple solution. It is a very prig problem and I am not certain there is an answer. Sane people go crazy and calm people get uncontrollably angry, sometimes. That is just the human condition. The thought processes need to turn to alleviating the causes of crazy and angry. The hard fact is this, there may not be an answer. There have been countless debates over the years by some very intelligent people, and as yet, no solution has been found. Maybe we need to accept the fact that horror happens. Maybe that is just the way it is.

I think the concept of gun control is an exercise in futility. I think the idea of gun free zones contributes to the problem. It is my understanding that in most cases of mass shootings, the assailants go unopposed because all the law abiding citizens are obeying the law and not carrying a gun into a gun free zone. I think is some had been armed in the night club in Orlando, the outcome may have been significantly altered. I think it is time we all started talking sensibly about these issues, leaving the emotions and rhetoric at home. But, in the meantime, I will continue to be prepared to protect myself, my family, and my home. God Bless America!

Feel free to comment, like, share, agree or disagree with this post. Please consider a free subscription. Options to like and subscribe can be found elsewhere on the page. Thank you for reading the Townehouse Blog.

This material may be published, broadcast, or redistributed. In fact, I encourage it.