Recent shootings...

I would like to call to attention the recent shootings that have seemed to occur over the past few days, ones that quietly trouble me. Of those, I speak of the recent shooting in Tucson, another in Boston, and a 10 year old's killing of his mother with his .22 caliber rifle.

What has me worrying about these instances is the repercussions it will have on the public who legally owns a firearm. I myself am an avid fan of shooting, and I fully support hunting, though I myself don't hunt. I worry what the politician big wigs would think of these shootings, as a "light" that shows that guns in the hands of the public is an extremely bad idea. I believe that this is not the case.

For one thing, the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States specifically states that the "right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Quite frankly, could it not have been written anymore plainly? While the issue of whether or not the 2nd Amendment is an individual or a collective right, the recent Supreme Court cases of Heller v. Washington, D.C. and McDonald v. City of Chicago have ruled that the right to keep and bear arms is in fact an individual right. For as long as I have cared (early childhood), this has always been an individual right for all Americans.

What the recent shootings would come to hurt is the reputation of those who own firearms legally. There will always be individuals who wish to do ill-will to others, with guns being the easiest route to doing carnage on any level, from street drive-bys to Virginia Tech. Creating more laws that restrict the access to firearms to everyone DOES NOT solve the problem. Criminals are called criminals because they don't obey the law, so what makes a politician think they will obey a new law? 


Think about that for a moment...

Firearms to me are an important element to identifying America. No, we don't go around shooting people that we don't agree with. The first rule I learned in operating a firearm (at the age of 5) and the most important rule in handling ANY firearm is to never point it at another human being. I never have the intention of wanting to bring harm to another through the use of a gun. It is against my morals to do such things.

However, if there comes the time when an individual or individuals wish to bring ill-will and bodily harm to myself or immediate others, I will take action to protect my well-being and those I care for. If that means using a firearm in a tense situation such as that, so be it. It boils down to the basics of nature: the stronger always wins. Predator v. prey, defender v. aggressor. I never desire to be the aggressor, let me be clear on that.

There is more to this subject I wish to add, but I shall save that for another time.

I am truly sorry for the tragedies that have befallen recently in these shootings. I wish that such madness would end, but I don't believe no end will ever occur. All I can say is this: be prepared.

Peace,

The Maverick