If it’s against the law to falsely shout “Fire!” in a crowded place for fear of causing panic, it should also be illegal to shout “Gun control!”
Gun purchases skyrocketed immediately following the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and brisk gun sales continue. Why? Following high-profile public shootings there is instant propaganda about the government preparing to take guns away from every American. Yet, in all the years I have been on the radio and through all the episodes when some Americans promoted the idea that the government was ‘coming to get your guns’, there has never been any successful government-backed initiative to take guns away from Americans.
At his news conference Monday, President Obama spoke about the fear that is perpetrated about losing Second Amendment rights and he reassured Americans that responsible gun owners have “nothing to worry about.”
The President, along with many Democrats and Republicans are now supporting serious talks about new measures that could be seen as a way to curb gun violence. Obama and others have talked about closing loopholes in purchasing guns without a background check at gun shows, restoring an assault weapons ban and limiting the size of magazines.
Why should anyone with a criminal record be allowed to go to a gun show and purchase a gun without a background check? Under the assault weapons ban that was in effect for 10 years and expired in 2009, responsible gun owners did not lose their Second Amendment rights. And if any gun owner is truly interested in owning guns for sport, protection or as collectibles, why would there be a need for a magazine that allows an individual to fire off a vast number of rounds in an instant?
Congressman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is planning to introduce legislation that would stop the granting of legal immunity for gun manufacturers and dealers. If we hold auto manufacturers and the producers of other products libel for the products they produce, then how could there be any argument opposing the same treatment for gun manufacturers and dealers?
All of the aforementioned come changes in gun ownership fall under the heading of “Gun Control,” but none of them include the idea that the government is coming to ‘get your guns’. Opposition to any change in the rules concerning responsible gun ownership discredits all those who respect the Second Amendment.
The truth is – not everyone should own a gun. In the news locally, a 48-year-old man was arrested Friday afternoon for shooting a man in his car on Terry Parkway on the West Bank following a road rage incident. I’m sure that guy would have been quick to call a radio talk show and defend his Second Amendment rights. With every right comes responsibility – and that goes for ALL gun owners in America.
Think about who benefits every time hysterical propaganda is spread about Americans losing their right to own a gun – gun manufacturers, gun retailers and the NRA. They all want your money.
When I lived in Denver and occasionally drove to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I would pass a curious site. Once off I-25 heading to Santa Fe, in the middle of total isolation on a two-lane highway, I would pass an NRA compound. Directly across the street from the compound was an airstrip and a private jet. NRA members are paying for executives to lead a lavish lifestyle. Why wouldn’t the NRA want to promote the fear that Americans are about to lose their right to own guns?
I wonder if the NRA, gun manufacturers and gun retailers care as much about the Second Amendment as they do their profits!
