Recently a Gannett newspaper tried to shift the focus on gun violence to high suicide rates. We admit they account for more than half of the murder-by-gun deaths annually. But the issue is compounded by the availability of guns and the instability of the gun owner. The key here is open access. Whether an unstable person shoots himself or a concert full of people–it’s irrelevant. The point is: why are gun laws so liberal that ANYONE IN ANY STATE OF MIND WITH ANY INTENTION can acquire a gun? And, how in the name of the Almighty, do we justify access to weapons of mass destruction like AR 15’s and AK-47’s? There is simply no need for these weapons to be in any citizen’s hands. Did you ever see a deer wearing a kevlar vest? Did you ever see a skeet shooting range use machine gun type weapons? The reality is that the police are worried that even a routine traffic stop could pit them against a nut job who is better armed than they are. The police say it this way “It’s better to be judged by 12 than to be carried by 6”. This is a real concern and one that certainly plays a role in all the questionable officer-involved shootings. Until this country grows up and recognizes that society should depend on proper police protection we will continue down the road to destruction. We are miles away from the intelligent policy on gun access, background checks, elimination of weapons of mass destruction and common sense applications.
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