--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <rick@...> wrote: > > Any feedback on this before I submit it as a letter to the editor of the > Fairfield Ledger?: > > J. Mike McConeghey's letter, "Gun bans miss target, infringe on rights", > starts by stating that "we all have a God-given right and duty to preserve > our family and our lives with guns, if necessary." When and how did God give > us this "right and duty"? In the Bible? Guns hadn't been invented, and the > Bible says "Thou shalt not kill". In the Constitution? God didn't write > that. (He didn't write the Bible either, but that's a different debate.) > > But leaving God out of it for the moment, the Founding Fathers did not just > write "shall not be infringed", which Mike quotes out of context. They wrote > "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." This > was written at a time when there was no professional military, and farmers > and shopkeepers had to be able to form a militia quickly to defend the > "state" if the British invaded. > > But conceding that times have changed and we can't expect the army or even > the police to protect us from the criminals and loonies in our midst, had > the Founding Fathers forseen the firepower of today's weaponry, would they > have condoned its ready availability? Do you need to shoot a burgler 30 > times? For the NRA, there are no shades of grey on this issue. Any attempt > to regulate or restrict any weapon is seen as an attempt to "take all our > guns away". No sensible person thinks that is likely, possible, or even > desirable, but sensibility is in short supply in the NRA. > > The NRA could defuse the gun debate overnight if it would stop thinking in > black and white and concede that the general public do not have a right to > own guns designed for no purpose other than to kill lots of people quickly. > We are not fending off an army. If that's what we're arming ourselves to do, > may I own a flame thrower? A bazooka? A rocket-propelled grenade? A tank? > After all, a well-regulated militia would be much more effective with such > weapons. > > Where should we draw the line? I say we draw it at firepower adequate to > fend off an attack on our person or our family, as Mr. McConeghey states, > and place sensible restrictions on where and when we can carry such weapons, > and how easily we can acquire them. At the very least, gun ownership should > require as much training and registration as car ownership. No loopholes, at > gun shows or elsewhere. > > Since Tucson, about 1500 people in this country have been killed by guns, > and I don't know how many wounded. Before the year is out, the death toll > will exceed the population of Fairfield. Most of those guns were purchased > legally. Jared Loughner's was, but it wouldn't have been purchased at all if > the bar for gun ownership had been higher. > > Judging from the tone of your letter, you consider yourself a religious man, > Mr. McConeghey. Do you really think God condones this slaughter? >
Rick, you are one good writer and clear thinker. Great job, in my opinion.
