Why gun control laws do not work – A personal opinion again. | Eastern NC Now

 I could be breaking my own rule about making comments without benefit of facts, but this article is not about the recent Dallas Shooting. It was prompted by that shooting but it is a deeper passion that causes me to once again offer an opinion. If for no other reason, I write these opinion pieces so I can help clarify my own thinking.  I would appreciate any alternate points of view.  Also, please excuse the redundant repeat of multiple points posted before.(Bobby Tony)

I do not own an AR15 rifle, Assault Weapon(?), or any large capacity magazine rifle. 

   I am not an avid shooter or hunter.  I have not fired a gun since 2008 when I regularly went to a firing range to train because of work related necessity. I do not currently have and have never had a concealed carry permit. I have purchased guns and passed a FBI background check on numerous occasions.  I currently do not have a loaded gun in my car or home at ready access in case of need.  All the firearms I own are kept in a gun safe unloaded.

   My interest in guns is based on design, investment quality, and historical significance first and self defense secondly.  I do not see a boogie man behind every tree or next to lurking around every ATM machine.  I believe one of the best ways to avoid being shot is to stay out of areas where there is a high likelihood of criminals. Beyond that, I am playing the odds like a lottery.  My experience has taught me that in the case of a national emergency or internal civil strife and there is a need for having a weapon of high capacity, there will be plenty of them lying around to pick up. If I am wrong, I am sure my possession of a musket  or single shot rifle will be of little use for self-protection from highly armed criminals or an abusive government that has chosen to arm the IRS, Homeland security, and almost every other regulatory agency in our government with the very same weapons they want to prevent me from owning. 

   I am open to the possibility that I may be the problem and not the solution, but the realist in me suggest that while I would agree that some people should not have access to guns, I know that the Utopian dream will never exist on this earth.  Disarming the general public only leaves us open to the lawless criminal element that apparently does not believe in following laws. I would suggest that if we armed all the people in Heaven and Hell with AR15, AR16 fully automatic and whatever the hell an Assault Weapon is, there would be no shootings in Heaven and plenty in Hell. I could be wrong, but hopefully I will find out when I die.

   Since I  have probably already  irritated the liberals among us, I might as well offer this bit of blasphemy. I think I could support a more extensive background check for people applying to buy an AR15 or similar type of weapon. Perhaps a level 2 type of background check beyond the instant check now in place similar to a security check for for Top Secret clearance access. I would need absolute assurance that the no registration list of the weapons and owners would be kept and a severe penalties law for anyone leaking or using the information for any purpose other than suitability of ownership of the weapon. Currently the law states that the FBI destroy the background check after a short period of time and it not be included in any government database. At the very least, it is a subject that may be worthy of discussion and through deliberation. Nevertheless, I do not think that would have prevented the shooter in Dallas.  I better quit now, the keyboard is getting hot.

   I have previously posted on the subject so this article is a rehash of old arguments by me. I would expect my and your President to provide consolation in times of trouble and not resort to the government database's Organizational Philosophy of agitating open wounds. I never thought I would be so passionate about the current political environment since I have always had a 'Live and Let live' mentality.  In these times, I am in fear of the continued existence of the 'Let Live' part of the equation. Somewhere in a group or groups there are people saying, "Let's kill them all and let God sort it out".  The sad paradox is that the simple-minded purveyors of this thought process exist in both sides of the spectrum. This is not a time for simplistic solutions to a complicated issue that have proven not to work.  It is also not a time to use the emotional fervor of the moment to advance an agenda that has proven not to work in some of our major cities.  The last thing we need now are uniformed voters jumping lock-step in to a movement. The world has been there and done that with disastrous results (1933-1945).

   Below are the previous posts.

This post has everything to do with Gun Control - Updated..

Why I don't Carry a Gun anymore.