Big money talks loudest
The NRA (National Republican Association?) warning that the government will break into our homes and take our rifles, shotguns and self-protection handguns is nothing but pure fear mongering.
We were first granted the right to bear arms by the English common Law and Bill of Rights of 1689. The Second Constitutional Amendment mainly authorizes maintaining state militias.
Read it for yourselves.
We are further protected against unreasonable searches and seizures by the Fourth Constitutional Amendment.
I also understand a majority of the rank-and-file NRA members actually favor some kind of gun control legislation. But the arms industry lobbyist money speaks louder. The firearms and ammunition manufacturers fear that any firearms controls at all could reduce their sales. In the past rumors of pending gun-control legislation have been followed by panicky firearms and ammunition sales.
What particularly unnerves conservatives today is any comparison of U.S. social statistics with those of other developed nations. We are often deficient today in measurements such as the standard of living/quality of life index, the world happiness scale, health care quality and costs, violent crime statistics and drug traffic interdiction.
Thus, we often fail to measure up as the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nation might be expected. Our worst failure, I think, is the wholesale killing of innocent school children by uncontrolled firearms in the hands of individuals who should never have them in the first place. Statistics indicate that Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people of other developed countries. Nations with lower homicide rates probably have proportionately as many mentally deranged people as we do. The difference is that they don’t have free access to guns.
While other countries might have similarly high suicide rates, the U.S. suicideby-gun rate is many times higher. These figures come from a study published February 1, 2018, in the American Journal of Medicine. Study authors Erin Grinshteyn and David Hemenway conclude: “These results are consistent with the hypothesis that our firearms are killing us rather than protecting us as the NRA claims.”
Other statistics gathered in the study were equally alarming. But does easy access to guns also increase suicide rates? While many suicides are planned and long in coming until the life situation becomes totally intolerable, other self-killings are the result of sudden urges or impulses. Many times these urges to take one’s own life may soon go away if not immediately acted upon.
Let me say again, the firearms industry lobby is trying to convince us that any effort whatsoever at firearms registration and purchaser background checks will soon result in the government coming into our homes and taking away our guns. Where do they get this stuff?
To own and operate a car, for instance, I must obtain a driver’s license and register my car. But should I fear the government will barge into my garage and arbitrarily haul off my automobile? Rumors of gun confiscation are irresponsible fear mongering by the NRA aimed at blocking any type of gun control legislation whatsoever.
On at least two occasions before gunindustry lobbying days the NRA advised and assisted Congress in writing reasonable gun-control laws. Again, like so many other rumors, those concerning government denial of arms bearing rights and gun confiscation are totally unfounded. It’s simply not going to happen.