Basic principles for gun owners
Let the gun debate continue. There are two basic principles I wish to explore.
First, the right to bear arms.
Secondly, the freedom to persue life, liberty and happiness.
You as a gun bearer put my happiness at risk. I always have to be on the lookout for someone with a gun who may start shooting at me. On the other hand, my pursuit of life, liberty and happiness has absolutely no impact on you. In my opinion, your impact on me and my lack of impact on you gives me the right to ask that you not bear arms.
Just as smoking impinges on me, my not smoking does not impinge on you. Therefore, I have the right to ask you to not smoke. Similarly, do not carry a gun.
A second factor to consider is storage. I know many owners who keep their guns locked in a safe place. Great. So why are these random shooters able to get the guns? Someone neglected to lock the gun in a safe place, and/or actually disable the gun.
In my opinion, it is the responsibility of gun sellers to refuse to sell a gun unless a gun safe is part of the options. Also it is the responsibility of the National Rifle Association to demand rules to mandate the safe care and storage of guns. This organization is one of the biggest defenders of the right to bear arms, but they are forgetting the safety in the bearing of arms.
How about a bit of common sense. Why does a single woman need an assault rifle? It is no good for shooting gophers, you can't shoot a deer with it and target shooting is a bit of a luxury at 50 cents a shot.
An assault rifle is useless for home security. By the time you get it out, find the ammunition, load the gun and bring it to bear, It may be a bit late to be of any use. Oh, you say you keep it loaded beside your bed. I wonder what the safety coordinator of the National Rifle Association would say about that.
Is there any wonder we have a problem?
I am sorry if my tone sounds a bit hard, but lots of times we do accept situations where guns are available and loaded.
Many places in many of our own homes we have dangerous situations. Clean up every home first.
Jim Wood
Yuma
