Guns...again

I fired off this to S. Stumpf in response to this ill informed piece

Dear, S. Stumpf

I recently wrote, and the JG published, a letter stating that the reason that there can be no “reasonable” debate on gun control is that anti-gunners are so unreasonable and uninformed (willfully so I’m afraid). Your statement - “How can any reasonable person argue that there shouldn’t be some limits placed on a product that has only one purpose – to kill?” is a perfect case in point. I suppose in your world swimming pools exist for the sole purpose to drown little children.

It might surprise you to learn that there are millions upon millions of weapons in this country owned by responsible Americans for the express purpose of sport shooting. I own several. None has been used by me to kill anyone or anything. Collector and historic weapons are two other categories whose purpose is other than killing. I own several weapons in these categories. They have never been fired by me and probably never will. I own no ammunition for them. But they do provide an excellent point of conversation and enjoyment for law abiding citizens interested in such things. Also, I recently met the Ohio women’s black powder champion for pistol, rifle and shotgun. This requires her to buy her own replica pieces at great expense, load her own shells and fire a target sequence that holds an informed audience in awe. She has never killed anyone.

With regard to what newspapers and governments in England and around the world think about America: As a guy who has been around the world in both directions, who cares? It’s our constitution. Most people I encountered in my travels around the world fall into one of three categories

1) Love America - or at least the opportunity and individual rights America offers, far and away most of the people I met on my travels fall into this category.

2) Envy America and/or are jealous of America - these are some of the nationalistic, overeducated, overtaxed, under served Europeans who can’t understand how a country without a single 12th century cathedral can lead the world economically, militarily, industrially, creatively, innovatively, athletically and morally. These are the people at the BBC and the Times of London who look down their noses at America and take a certain delight when things like the VA Tech shootings happen. They feel perfectly at ease taking pot shots at the USA but don’t offer one word on their own rampant violent crime since they denied their citizens the right to defend themselves with a “common sense” gun ban.

3) Hate America - there are a whole raft of people that fall into this category from jihaids to socialists who just can’t stand other people living their lives freely without religious or government zealots dictating every aspect of that life.

”While the entire country is racked with fear and sadness…” The entire country? I doubt it, sadness yes, fear never. I was afraid that my basement might flood so I installed a battery back up sump pump. I’m not afraid of that anymore. I was afraid that my son might not do well on his spelling test so I went over his words with him and then over them again. I’m not afraid of things I have little or no control over. I confront and take action on the things that I can. I do not live in fear.

If you are afraid of people with guns harming you, buy a gun and learn to use it. I know this probably runs counter to everything you believe, but statistics prove the more law abiding citizens that are armed the less crime occurs. Remember the VA Tech campus was supposedly under the “common sense” law of being a gun free zone. That worked out well didn’t it? That law only insured that the only one with a gun would be the lunatic Cho.

I of course I do not know you, but I’d guess you’re a twenty or thirty something year old raised in the I’m OK, You’re OK, can’t we all just get along school of multiculturalism where every aberrant behavior, no matter how self or socially destructive is celebrated in the name of diversity. I’m a fifty something year old and never lived in fear of someone shooting up my classroom. I knew that if a couple of pathetic losers like Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris ever showed up at my High School wearing black trench coats and spouting Mein Kampf in the halls, Mr. McCann would have snatched them up and led them to his office by the ear. He'd have called their parents and come to quick understanding about what constituted acceptable behavior in his High School. If an anti-social train wreck of human being like Cho showed up on campus stalking women and taking pictures under their skirts, at a minimum he’d have been ordered off campus. Instead of living in fear of creeps like Klebold, Harris and Cho or celebrating their diversity, responsible people used to confront them.

Last, this has gone on a bit longer than intended, Cho reportedly used 15 round magazines in the Glock during his shooting spree. Reportedly, by the end his second attack, Cho had fired about 170 rounds in about nine minutes (and had plenty of unused ammo still on his person). That would be 12 magazines. Given a generous five seconds to load a new magazine, do you really believe using 17 instead of 12 magazines adding a mere 25 seconds to the shooting spree would have made a hoot of difference? What would have made the VA Tech classrooms safer, Cho with a gun and 17, 10 round magazines or one responsible person with a gun and one 15 round magazine?