My opinion piece to the paper

[SubHntr]

This is my opinion piece that i"m submitting to our local paper. I would appreciate any chop and suggestions.
Jim

Make Your Decision

Gun-free zones supposedly provide a safe haven for the public good. Places where we can shop, eat, learn and live. What exactly is provided in modern day American gun-free zones?
To answer this question we must look at our society and reflect upon the harder questions of what are our values, morals, and ethics? How do we, as a whole, shape our environment?
American society has been in downward spiral for the last 50 years. Ever since we moved from a belief in what can America accomplish, working together, towards a better nation to the’s-in-it-for-me ideology. With the coming of the 60’s, American’s decided, it is better to be isolationist in our dealings on the world stage and not worry about what is happening outside our borders and that we should get what we want. We became a greedy, I want what I want and I want it now so give it to me. Thanks to conspiracy theories and out-right paranoia the government owes me, you, and everyone so they should pay for it now! This is a great example of how a few people can influence our society if left unopposed.
We see this same ideology today in our young people, exacerbated by the fact that the young and disgruntled of the 60’s are now in power within our government. This shows that we as whole refuse to try to change the status quo because we have not been affected the welts raised on the backs of decent, law-abiding people. It is festering into a great boil on our Nation.
American’s are no longer raising their children. We are relying on the public education system to do this for us. Without this parental interjection, our children are spiraling out of control. How can I say this? Just sit down and listen to your local news you will hear about this teenage gun or that teenage rapist or the gang warfare that kills our most precious National Asset. How does this play into the gun debate? What happens when a toddler finds a gun or a 16-year-old shoots a classmate? People start blaming the gun manufacturers and gun shop owners. Why are we not blaming ourselves? Because it is too easy to point the finger, it is too hard conduct introspection on our selves because we think we are perfect. If we do blame ourselves then we will be outcasts. After all, you have to be accepted by your friends in order to survive, right? We have to be right all the time. You let your child run in the street and you get what you get. This is how we have destroyed our own morals and ethics, by not passing on what we learned, by not teaching our children right from wrong. By allowing their friends to raise them. Bottom line: TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR WHAT YOU DO, MAKE, AND/OR BRING TO THIS PLACE!!!
Enough of my soapbox, I want to look at gun control from the perspective.
The Campus at Virginia Tech prevented law-abiding citizens and security guards from carrying firearms on campus. A “Gun-Free Zone”. Supposedly safe, right? Unfortunately, for the anti-gun lobbyists, using this to advance your cause goes against ordinary common sense. It defeats their argument by actually stating that gun control is a complete failure. He smuggled the gun onto campus and used it. These guns were banned from campus. In addition, Columbine is where another mass shooting occurred and guns were not allowed on campus there either. Well logic tells me that mass shootings in the US can occur where law-abiding citizens are disarmed. Gun Control can only mean one thing: More mass shootings. Virginia Tech has rigorously enforced its gun-free zone policy and suspended students with concealed handgun permits who have tried to bring handguns on to school property. Virginia Tech probably does not know how well it has conditioned its faculty to believe it is a gun-free zone because it did not have any means to detect person going into two buildings armed with guns and ammunition. This mentally disturbed person was able to legally get a gun and then use it thanks to our society of child-privacy-first –even-from-parents! Had someone reported his mental illness, Cho would never have been allowed to own a pistol. That failure was the direct cause of the misery inflicted upon America. Had a citizen with a right to carry permit killed the mentally ill gunman the headlines would have be different.

What gets me about this situation is that instantly it becomes a gun debate. Not a debate about mental illness and response to warning signs and not about what the hell is going on in our societies, but down to either tougher or softer gun laws.
Why do we always take the easy way out, the black or white decisions seem to be the ones we go to first: Should we ban guns? Should we not?
I would rather see some focus on the other issues that led to this incident, not simply a focus on what may have been a gun-law that easily facilitated the final act.
There will always be murderers in any society. The weapon of choice may be a gun, a knife, a vehicle, a stick, ad infinitum.
Am I insensitive? No, I feel bad for any victim. I am upset at the knee-jerk reaction to bad situations.
By allowing people to protect themselves, instead of the typical view of “If I ignore the problem long enough, things will get better”. We often hear the cry’s of “more laws, ban guns, more police, and longer jail terms for offenders”. How about addressing the root cause of the problem. In a society where everyone has the right to self-defense, the statistics clearly show how the crime rates drop.
The facts of life in our society are clear. The police cannot protect you, the individual. Their mandate stipulates protecting and serving the society as a whole. The bad guys already have all the guns they need. That leaves the law-abiding public in quandary.
So far, it has been a one-way massacre. Perhaps it is time for the U.S. to rethink their gun laws. If we were all armed, maybe the scumbags who do home invasions, carjacking, muggings, etc. would be a little less sure of themselves. I would not mind at all if the odds were a little more even.
As for “Gun-Free Zones”, I have yet to find an anti-gun advocate who would let me put a “Gun-Free Zone” or “This residence is unarmed” sign out for them
As for me, I carry a weapon and I do not plan to be a passive victim at all

[DrDavidM]

Very nice and well written. I did find one error.

We often hear the cry’s of “more laws, ban guns, more police, and longer jail terms for offenders”. How about addressing the root cause of the problem. In a society where everyone has the right to self-defense,

I believe cry's should be cries.

Thanks for taking time to write this.

[Scarecrow]

nice job. I really hope you will get some good responses from it.. let us know.

[HK4U]

Sounds good to me. Let's see what kind of reaction it gets.

[Sgt. SIG]

Very well written! :icon_great:

[kwo51]

If it's like here they will let go in one ear and out the other. Here (Gainesville FL.) home of the all in one bathroom.

[SubHntr]

Thank you all for the vote of confidence and thanks to Dr david for catching my error! It went over better than I expected. I wil be posting some of the responses.