The more you look around, the more you see that our country is not as safe as it could be. Terrible things are happening and somehow we are simply not able to successfully tackle them.
After the recent shooting that took place on 1st of October, 2015 at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, which left 10 people dead and at least seven wounded, President Obama delivered a powerful speech, saying that: „We collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction.”
But if you think about it, in recent years, many states have passed laws that make firearms easier to procure, carry and use. For example, Georgia passed the so-called „guns everywhere” bill last year. This allows people to carry firearms in restaurant and bars, airports and even in churches, with pastors’ approval.
Moreover, less than a month after the massive biker brawl in Waco which happened in May 2015, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed open-carry and campus-carry laws that allow licensed handguns in university buildings. Furthermore, 23 states have adopted “stand your ground” laws which give citizens the freedom to use their firearms on the street if they feel even the smallest threat of bodily harm.
Things started to move in 2012, when a shooting took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School, taking the lives of 20 students (ages 6 and 7) and six adults. Since then, many schools installed armed guards and supplemented them with armed and trained teachers and staff.
Some states have passed legislation that strengthen gun regulation. This is highly necessary, given the fact that there are many individuals who own a gun, and not for self-defense reasons. In the year after the Sandy Hook shooting, 21 states and D.C. passed laws making it „harder for people to own guns, carry them in public, and enhanced the government’s ability to track guns.” Mother Jones reported. However, these laws have a low effect without federal action to answer the nationwide expansion of guns.
And there’s the thing: at the federal level, our dear elected leaders do not heed the will of the majority. Instead, they surrender to a vocal minority of Americans who speak angrily and intimidatingly in favor of an absolute right of gun ownership. There is a need of exceptional passion in order to force federal legislators to act on gun control in the face of the well-funded and organized NRA. The silent majority must prioritize gun control at the polls and elect leaders who truly commit to gun control legislation. Moreover, those who surrender to the NRA in order to earn the gun lobby’s coveted A+ rating must be removed.
The NRA states that, by resisting gun-control measures, it defends freedom. How so? The proliferation of campus-carry, “stand your ground” and “guns everywhere” laws is a threat to our freedom. It implies feeling less secure in public and less free to approach, negotiate or simply coexist with strangers.
How do you trust someone who has a gun and who you know nothing about?
“We live in an age when preparing to survive whatever comes our way is simply a fact of life or death. Arming yourself is simply the most prudent way to survive” NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre declared in a letter to members last year
Historically, sheriffs have been very pro-gun rights, too. In Oklahoma, Garvin County Sheriff Larry Rhodes and Creek County Sheriff John Davis have each recently reduced costs associated with getting a gun license. Davis is also keeping administrative offices open longer on weekends to allow more people to apply.
As a result of the ever-increasing violence being committed upon the American citizen and the current state of our country, I encourage each citizen of Creek County who is legally able to fully utilize their Second Amendment right ‘to keep and bear arms,’ as legally prescribed by the Oklahoma Defense Act,” Davis said in a statement
In addition to this, here comes the subject of what is currently happening regarding ISIS. Senator Marco Rubio tells Iowans that „If, God forbid, Isis pays a visit to you … the last thing between them and our families may be the ability to protect ourselves with guns.”
Speaking before a crowd of 600 people in Sioux Center on Saturday evening, Rubio warned everyone about the fact that Obama and his administration are conspiring to confiscate guns. The senator added that, as a president, he would uphold US constitution and ensure that gun rights were protected.
My attorney general is not going to be someone that comes to my office to conspire about how to take away your guns. My attorney general is going to be someone that defends your second amendment right to protect your family, your homes, your business and your property.” Rubio said
We live hard days in which anything could happen. Mass shootings happen more often than they should, terrorism knocks at our doors and everything is pretty much two-faced. It is hard to say which is the right thing to do, but one thing we know for sure: people want to be able to defend themselves and feel safe at all times.
Should it get easier for U.S. citizens to get a gun or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
This administration is based on communist socialism. If we give up our 2nd Amendment rights, will be just like Nazi Germany in WWII. This is the first step taken by communists to take over a country. We should not have to get licenses to be able to carry weapons. There is nothing in the 2nd Amendment that states that any kind of registration is required.
The 1938 German arms law guaranteed Germans more gun rights than we now have in this country.
WE, THE USA took these rights from the Germans and they now have nothing to defend their families from the so called “refugees”.
If all people are armed the outcome is quite simple. There are a lot more good people than bad! Our court system would not be overloaded, our jails would not be over crowed and everyone would be a lot safer! Quite elementary! So why don’t our political assholes give us our freedom back? They have a bad agenda for us? Does not take a genius to see that!
Your starting to sound just like the left. “You can’t have everyone carrying a gun, who knows what they’ll do!”
There’s people carrying guns around who shouldn’t, there’s people who should, and there’s people who can’t because they were considered mental/illegal/etc.
To strip everyone of the right to protect themselves, you have already condemned them to being “not responsible” , “a hazard to the public”, whatever.
Even back in the days of the old west when a person finished their sentence for some crime, they were given their gun, knife back when leaving prison.
The problem is NOT that people have guns, the problem is that society has fostered a spirit of criminality through movies, music, welfare, govt sponsored programs (e.g. Acorn). Where folks use to have some type of morality, there’s nothing now.
People that want to kill will use any and everything. Hey using a writing pencil, pen, screw driver, etc – it just depends on how bent they are at doing what they’re going to do. If someone walked into a room of people (sheep) unarmed, they could do a staggering amount of carnage with a knife, baseball bat, chain, or the total evil gun.
Do you think that they would even try it if everyone in that room were armed? Or how about everyone being a police officer? Ok then, were starting to see stories about the police abuse, killing unarmed citizens. Lets disarm the cops, and give them the old billy stick like in jolley ol England. The bobby’s didn’t need guns, but the criminals would, and did.
Today the cops won’t even go into area’s of cities because the criminals are better armed than they are. So the gun control laws are working exactly as they should. Block certain classes of people, so that they have to become criminals to protect themselves. The criminals will always have guns so we don’t have to check them, and we’ll have the cops destroy the fabric of the nation enforcing laws that can never work.
It’s a wild place this world, and if you don’t take responsibility for your own protection, then how can you decide how to protect me or anyone else. When you have a armed society, it is a very “polite society” because you won’t just be terrorizing anyone without consequences.
In a perfect world everyone would love and care for their fellow bro/sister. Follow the creators laws, (the lion will lay down with the lamb and live in harmony) —- but……..until that time, you better arm yourselves and treat everyone like their armed and be polite.
Criminals won’t last long, they won’t have to live off the people on death row for years because the armed population will take care of it. This is where the responsibility for one’s self kicks in. People need to get back to being responsible for themselves, their families. The welfare state has destroyed more lives then can be counted, the schools are giant daycare centers that condition instead of educating. The family has been destroyed by TV, mass media lies, movies promoting every kind of promiscuity targeted at children, marriage, normal healthy lives as the creator had intended.
If you leave guidance to criminals for your children, if your only hounding after the neighbors husband/wife, or wanting to get welfare so you can stay home doping and watching porn. Then you get exactly what we have today, and this is not by chance. The only way to take over a well armed country like the USA, is to destroy it from the inside out. Once the people are so divided about everything, no one can agree on anything, except that we should get rid of guns, pay more taxes, let politicians rule from on high, and that everyone is equal (but some are just born to be “more” equal). Wake up America, you have the wolves outside the door and their attacking from every vector, blog, articles, and sources that you think are above board and concerned about you. Everyone has a agenda, (like Agenda 21)
If you don’t know that term ‘Agenda 21’, maybe your not so knowledgeable after all. Start opening your eyes, look at the world – do you want to live in Mexico, a 3rd world country in South America, maybe it’s some backward country in Africa that does it for you. Because that’s the path we’re on, if we can destroy the voting bloc, import people who are use to living under dictators, and feed the masses the BS that keeps them from revolting….. The NWO / UN / Nato – their going to ram that right down your throats and your going to LIKE IT.
So just keep talking about how we need more gun laws, and disarm everyone, because were almost at the point of no return.
I’m going to arm my daughters against the hoards that are raping and overrunning Europe. And my sons so that they can protect themselves and families, and if you see me or my wife out at the movies and you decide that you want to pull a gun or knife (hey you name the implement) – only God will save you.
I fully agree with you. When President Obama has taken away the guns from the people guarding him and his family then I might consider it would be fair to give mine up. He is a hypocrite and other words that I won’t say here.
Is our government causing these shootings to further their gun control? Sure looks like it! There should not be any gun laws! This is supposed to be a free country, right? How and when did gun control start?
I wish New Jersey and that fat Governor would stand up for the 2nd amendment, because I own a gun and will use it. I’m a wheelchair para. vet and I don’t give a dame who don’t like it.
CRIMINALS do not get their guns at gun stores or at gun shows,but on the street by other criminals drug dealers,and scum of that type,DEMACRATE AND LIBERLS WANT TO CONTROL AND CREATE CHOUS SO THE GOVERNMENT LOOKS GOOD ,AND SAVES THE DAY!!! WHAT EVER HAPPENRD TO FOR THE PEPOLE BY THE PEPOLE?CRIMINALS ARE CANSER ON SOSITY WHAT DOES A DOCTOR DO TO CANCER HE KILLS IT RIGHT . DEMERCATES PROTECT THE CRIMINAL AND NOT THE THE ONES WORKING HARD TO DO FOR THEIR FAMILES,ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS RULE OVER US AND CONTOLL US IF THEY TAKE AWAY OUR GUNS WE CAN STOP THEM !!! WITHOUT OUR GUNS WE ARE UP A CRAP CREEK!!!! IF YOU WANT MY OPINOIN ISIS IS THE LEAST OF OUR WORRIES LET THE DEMERCATES RULE OVER US AND THIS WILL NO LONGERBE A FREE COUNTRY BUT A JEUDIS ONE AND WE ALL AMERICANS AND OUR CHILDREN WILL BE DEAD!!!!!!
This article confuses me. Do we have/should we demand the right to gun ownership or should we legislate for more restrictive gun laws?
Jason seems to favor gun ownership on the one hand and yet maintains that the “majority” in the country want gun control legislation. There are 80,000,000 registered gun owners in a population of approximately 300,000,000. It would be safe to assume that, on average, at least one other adult in the each gun owner’s home favors the “absolute right” to own a gun raising the total “pro gun” population to at least 160,000,000. Therefore, it seems unlikely that such a large group could be referred to as “a vocal minority”.
Jason’s concluding paragraph seems to put him squarely in the pro-gun camp, but the preceding paragraphs seem to have been written by someone else.
Jason, can you clarify your stance?
Phil Majors
If I interpret your opinion correctly, you believe that the more guns our public has and carries, the LESS safe citizens are.
I believe that you are 180 degrees off target, as crime levels have declined as gun ownership increased.
Therefore, I believe it should be easier for (law-abiding) citizens to get a gun, and gun registration where not already required, should not be increased, nor should it be applied to ammunition. In short, whatever Obama and his gun-grabbers want should be denied.
Read through your message several times and could not tell if the article was pro gun or against guns. Take a stance. Either you are for the 2nd amendment or against it.
Not so sure I want to waste my time with this website until I know your position.
Well this is a tuff, thing the shootings,at schools,never should happen,just as armed police shot and killed students at Kent state,,,wonder how many would have lived if they the students had been armed?? Never know,but I can say we have tuff gun control laws now,no criminal or mentally ill can legally buy or rent sell a firearm in the state of Oregon or Washington,,or California,,or anywhere in the west!! So Don’t see more controls stopping the mass shootings at all,,and if we need to take back this corrupt gov.from the career politicians how with sticks and stones??? You tell me,,and if a terrorists is knocking at the door and the shit gas it the fan ,so to speak,what then?? Negotiate with the killers,,no thank you. You go do that,,we wait right here,,,armed safe ad sound,,protected from harm,weather local or from foreign invaders,,I’m ready so are my friends and neighbors!! Thank god for smith and Wesson!!! Nra,,lives forever!!
I sincerely believe that our so-called President is dis-arming the the United States population so that his people Isis, Taliban and other radical Muslim groups can invade and take over the United States of America for their own people.
First let me say just because a law is on the books it’ll reduce the mayhem of firearm use. Evidently it won’t. I live in CA. one of the most restrictive states in the Union. I understand that the ARs used in San Bernardino terrorist killings were purchased legally, although if they were the person purchasing them lied on the forms he had to fill out verifying the rifles were for his own use. He passed muster on the background check and of course by lying he was able to take possession of the rifles. I also heard but can’t verify that after the terrorists received the rifles they either attempted to make them fully automatic or were able to do so? Altering the mechanism to make the rifle fully automatic is also against the law.
Chicago also heavily restricted but it has been reported that in Chicago there have already been 120 shootings so far this year?
Didn’t the boy who did the killing at Sandy Hook kill his mother and steal her guns which were legally purchased?
New laws and more restrictions will not keep the gangbangers, thugs and criminals or anyone else that is hell bent on killing from obtaining firearms.
The thugs will always have guns—stealing is their way of life so being vetted for a license is impossible for them because most have criminal records in the first place. So a responsible, law abiding citizen has the opportunity to be “licensed to carry” to PROTECT HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY AND OTHERS IF NECCESSARY BECAUSE SELF PRESERVATION IS THE FIRST LAW OF NATURE!!
Right now it is far easier for a criminal to obtain a weapon than a law abiding citizen.They just steal them or buy them underground. And they are not limited to 10 rounds. Sure, we need reasonable controls. But disarming the citizenry is the first step to a dictatorship. Gun control = people control. Read history.