After the horrific Connecticut shooting, my phone began to ring from friends and family, as it always does after a tragedy involving firearms. Some were gloating and asking me “how do you defend your guns now?” and others wanted to know if they should buy an AR-15 this week in case they’re soon banned.
Well, I never have a problem “defending” my guns. Any person with common sense knows that evil people, since the beginning of time, have been murdering others. If it’s not a gun, the person might use a sword, or a pipe bomb, or a rock, or any number of devices to kill others.
We also know, as proven by history, that anytime guns are taken from the good guys, the only people with guns end up being the bad guys. After all, the bad guys never follow the rules, or go through background checks, so getting a gun is much easier for them than it is for law-abiding citizens.
With that being said…
I only believe in one simple type of gun control to keep guns out of the hands of those that shouldn’t have them. What I’m referring to is simply a (quick access) gun safe that only you and your spouse have the combination to.
But even as I say that, the Connecticut shooter was 20 years old, and I image when I have a 20 year old they will probably have their own guns and I will trust them with firearms in the house if I feel they are responsible enough to handle them.
And that’s one of the major questions about this shooting. Many news outlets have said the shooter was mentally ill and if his mother knew he was mentally ill, and showing signs of trouble then obviously she should not have allowed her son to have access to her guns.
Of course, as a parent, you probably don’t want to admit your child is mentally ill. I’ve never been in that position, but if I ever am, I hope I will see clearly enough to realize they shouldn’t have access to any guns.
Now…
I’m pretty sure Diane Feinstein and her fellow Democrats won’t think my measure of gun control is strong enough and I know she and others will put on a good show for their constituents espousing the evils of guns. But I don’t think AR-15s are getting banned and I don’t believe any tougher gun controls will result from the Connecticut shooting.
The reason being is because the gun culture in America is now too strong. In other words, there are now too many Americans who have the common sense that guns are needed to protect us in our homes (since the police will be there 9 minutes later, if we’re lucky) and that guns are needed to keep our government honest and to protect ourselves from other evils in this world.
By the way, as far as I know, Utah is the only state that allows concealed carry in schools. Obviously, I think that’s great because when concealed carry isn’t allowed in schools then there’s zero chance of a legally armed citizen stopping a madman with a gun in a school. But if concealed carry is allowed in schools, we have that chance.
My prayers go out to the family members of the victims and even as a parent I can’t begin to image the pain and suffering they are going through now. God bless them and stay safe.
Photo by Console Vault
Hope you’re right, but the backlash is understandably huge, and people who are frightened don’t think straight…so people with an agenda will bend it to their purpose and claim to know the answer, and scared people will follow…even if it’s off a cliff.
Just saw one poll asking if armed security should be placed in schools considering recent events. “Well duh,” I thought, “I can’t believe there isn’t already!” The results so far? Most are against it (and impressively a large number of people selected ‘I’m too scared right now to think straight’ which shows more self-insight than I believed many people to have).
So reactive people, and those with an agenda, are all for banning everything under the sun if someone tells them it would have stopped this event. Others are more rational, actually digging up some actual facts.
They seem to think it un-imaginable to have all adult staff, faculty, maintenance/food service people educated and armed, yet see no problems with metal detectors which have to be manned, maintained, and are totally useless until you pass through one, meaning them completely ineffective, if you want to stand three feet outside blasting away. I dont see that scenario happening whether the metal detector is plugged in or not…………..if all the adult staff around the school is known to be armed.
Well your article can be sumed up in just a few words . . . “Lock up your guns”. Folks, that’s all fine and good, but that same simple message has been around for decades. At some point WE in our own sport need to come to grips with the fact that we have far too many irresponsible people gaining access to firearms. Merely saying “lock ’em up” ain’t gettin’ it anymore. The real problem is way deeper folks.
We have way too much irresponsible parenting. Far too many young people are immersed in a culture of graphically violent video games, violent music videos and lyrics with the parents totally absent. Mental health has been woefully ignored in this nation and needs to be course corrected and addressed again. Perhaps a few changes in our industry need to be made, but a ton of changes need to be made to the fabric of our society!
Finally, I’m totally upset at our own NRA who ONCE AGAIN has pulled their disappearing “Ostritch Act” by remaining totally silent and even shutting down their own Facebook page in the wake of this tragedy. The only entity talking now are the firearm opponents and bad things happen to our sport when that happens. I expect the NRA and our industry leaders to get out in FRONT of this issue, get visible / vocal and fast! I’m sick of them constantly taking our cash, but then when the red flag goes up and we need them the most . . . they’re cowardly absent.
too many replies and bitchin can shut there systems down and after something like that they blame everyone but the one that did it, the one that took the guns, loaded them,pointed and pulled the trigger. With the sick person behind it , a gun is nothing but an object, if not loaded it can not kill. It takes a killer to load, point and shoot. It makes me want to throw up when stuff happens like that, but its been said take my gun and I die by the hand of the bad guy with no way to defend anyone , myself included.
You’re exactly right John. When the shooting happened at Sandy Hook, I texted and e-mailed all my friends who hunt or shoot that something bad was about to happen, that we should all max out a card or two, to obtain the guns/mags, and any evil, scary looking accessories we’ve been wanting, while we still can aquire them. My friends all said I was worrying needlessly, that Obama can’t do anything, that we have the second ammendment. Then, all the media coverage, all the journalists going on about how semi-automatic guns like the military doesn’t use, don’t belong in our hands. Then, Wayne Lapierre went on Meet The Press, and said what I would have;…except I would have said every adult staff, faculty, custodial, maintenance, and food service person, not just a guard should be armed. I’ll be sixty Saturday, and have hunted, and tinkered in some manor with guns most of my life, but never was in the NRA. Two days after that interview, I joined. Now, two days ago, I was telling those same friendsthat it’s been awfully quiet the last few days, that there’s been nothing in the news, and I just feel something’s about to happen. Today, MSNBC is talking all about the Vice-President and Eric Holder, and all the rest of those scared of semi-auto guns are gearing up to have a big to-do about it, so Obama can do something by the end of this month. Biden keeps mentioning Executive Action a lot too. They do throw in violent movies, video games, and mental health, or a lack there-of. I don’t think those last three will have highly funded lobbies, therefore won’t pose much opposition, so maybe, just maybe, if shit rolls downhill, it’ll mean substantial results imposed against social behavior contributing toward mis-use of firearms by irresponsible, irrational people. We obviously need more education about guns, because it infuriates me to hear people on the news etc, talking aboutsemi-autos being assault weapons, what the military uses. Who was it here awhile back, Obama that said AK-47s belonged in the hands of our soldiers? Today, I heard people on MSNBC saying we law abiding citizens had no business with any guns that could be fired quickly. These people are about to sit down and carve out(whittle down) a law!!! By the way, my name is only half true. I am from Boomhower, but my name is really William, I never liked it, so I cose Bill. Thanks for your service both in the Military, and the Police. I work with the local Citizens On Patrol, because I’d rather duke it out with them in the neighborhood, than on my 5 acres. God, bless us all, we’ll see what happens huh?
Just an aside, there is one school district in Texas (Harrold) that allows teachers to carry concealed. Governor Perry has proposed that all districts in the state permit concealed carry by teachers and staff. He has gone so far as to suggest that any person having a valid concealed handgun license should be allowed to carry anywhere in the state.
I would love a coast-to-coast concealed weapon permit. In fact, I’d make a deal with Obama to give him back my AR15 for THAT permit! Though I doubt he’d go for it. I figure if all honest citizens had that, the odds of us ever getting to the day when we needed the AR15 would drastically be reduced.
I had this conversation with a buddy of mine. His suggestion was to give up ARs and get a national carry permit….. I told him it was a terrible idea, and here is why.
The anti gun groups are never going to willing give you national carry. And if they did, it will only be as a method to restrict carry with next to impossible license requirements or insurance requirements. Think the old poll taxes used against blacks after the civil war.
When you offer to give something up…. They advertise that you are willing to give it up. Then never mention that it would be for something else. They already advertise that gun owners are willing to give up ARs and they use posts like yours as proof.
They will never be happy. We could surrender all our semi auto firearms and go back to the technology of the late 1800’s with just revolvers and level action rifles. Then a few years later, they will claim that side load pistols are too easy to reload with “assault speed clips”. And lever action rifles with ammo tubes that hold 15 rounds are assault rifles.
Well first I’m glad to hear I’m NOT the only one with this idea. If I’m crazy, I’ve got company LOL. Second, I’ve learned in my many years of life 60+ that you never say NEVER to anything. You seem to believe we should not work with the other side because it’s never worked before . . . so why try huh? Well, there are always possibilities and opportunities on both sides. Finally, your position is exactly what infests Congress today . . . the position that no one is going to play well in the sandbox with one another so don’t even try!
I completely reject FEAR OF FAILURE! My proposal absolutely involes us possibly giving up something in RETURN for something else. Conversely, that absolutely means the OTHER side gives up something in return as well. It’s called mutual compromise and yes there are positives and negatives to it. That is always the case.
In conclussion I’ll say this . . . both sides had better learn to work WITH one another at some point or we will be doomed to a never ending struggle and in case you haven’t been keeping score . . . our side hasn’t been doing so well. There are bound to be more espisodes like this last one and the public tide is starting to turn on us. Yes, we must continue to stand strong, but our plan of attack may need some “rethinking”. ALL OR NOTHING positions rarely prove successful. Have a Merry Christmas and safe Holidays. Nice exchanging thoughts with you! Peace.
I really like that idea.
“guns are needed to keep our government honest” well that is just completely unrealistic. There are no honest politicians.
You are right o that aspect. But I would rather have a chance at getting away from their assissans
You forgot one thing Jason……Bad guys blow up Federal buildings with on site day care with a delivery truck full of fertilizer. NO AR15,,,,,,NO GLOCK 10mm………
Poor parenting is what I’m sticking to, it’s not ok to leave a firearm where any of your kids or any adult regardless of age has access to it other than the registered owner period. I have children, I also own firearms and neither my kids or wife has access to my SAFE, when I got my firearm then next step I took was to apply for CC and my third was to get my wife to buy her OWN registered firearm with her OWN SAFE and I keep my riffles separate from my CCW. What I’m also saying here is , irresponsible gun owners as well.
My condolences to all of those that lost a loved one in CT. , but guns are not the problem, close to where I live there was an incident back in May 2012,this school has guards and metal detectors on all entrances, a student got caught threatening another student, school councilor did not report it to authorities, the kid got suspended for 1 week when he retuned to school, during lunch he came across the student he had threatened a week ago and with his #2 pencil stab the student in the neck several times and when one of the school guards came to the rescue found out the kid had also stabbed 3 other in the neck with a #2 pencil, 2 of the 3 died in the hospital later that day including the first one he stabbed, total of 3 died. This pencil stabbing thing happens all year round in schools around the world look it up, it just that most of the time the stabbing is in the hands or arm so there not deadly wounds, my point is anything can be used as a deadly weapon.
Registered owner?!? There’s no registration and I hope there won’t be. I will NOT comply. Registration is the 1st step to confiscation and then extermination.
Handgun registration is mandatory in New York. Big Gulps are illegal in NYC.
Bloomberg has outlawed guns in NY. Thats why their crime rate is off the charts. And the cops there apparently can’t hit the broadside of a barn with their guns.
You need only three things to own a gun in NYC: must be rich, must well connected or must be a criminal.
CCW could be authorized in Conn., it is up to the school officals. Here is part of the ccw law for conn. as found on their web site “It is unlawful to possess a firearm on public or private
elementary or secondary school property. This prohibition shall not
apply to a person with a firearm carrying permit, with permission from
school officials” So school officials could have authorized concealed carry with a permit.
I disagree with Mr. Hanson on two points. First of all, we don’t know that the shooter’s mother didn’t have her firearms locked up. For all we know at this point she may well have, and maybe that is why she was killed – so that her deranged son could get access to her secured weapons. So, locking up the guns doesn’t stop crazies from getting access to them, anymore than locking your house prevents burglaries.
Second, after all other recent gun related mass murders I, like Mr. Hanson, never thought any changes to our firearms laws would result. However, this one feels different. I am not as confident as Mr. Hanson that no changes will flow. I think that as a minimum the gun shows are history – a move that will probably be supported by licensed dealers. The 10-round limit MAY be back, and I think that there is going to be some national mental health data base entries similar to the criminal ones now available in the NICS. Don’t know the parameters, but I would not be surprised if anyone with an alcohol or illegal substance conviction may become disqualified from buying.
This is true. So the rest of us shouldn’t be restricted simply because there are a few crazies out there. Before the Clinton administration, we used to lock up the nuts so they couldn’t hurt anyone. Now they can do things like shoot people, run for president, etc…
I think that this time there will be changes made (smaller mags, no ARs, stuff like that).
Couple of misc points:
1) Dude in a car can wipe out a pile of kids waiting on a school bus… they going to outlaw cars?
2) The gov’t is doing such a great job policing the drugs… they’re bound to be as pathetic w/ guns (only the law abiding citizen is harmed)
3) Alcohol prohibition worked great
4) parenting is pathetic
How many children have been killed or hurt in a school, or for that matter been run down waiting for a school bus. Lets, compare in the….last ten years. I fear that you will not have to worry about cars.
Since the Newtown shooter broke several laws, many on multiple occasions (i.e. it’s illegal to kill someone), perhaps the easiest way to stop this kind of thing is for Sen. Feinstein to try passing a law making it illegal to ignore an existing law! THAT should stop them all, huh?
Amen, Rev. Dave.
Ponder this….The POTUS at one time came and went just like an ordinary citizen. When President McKinley was killed the solution was…armed body guards. And the Congress have armed security right outside their door. But when children and ordinary citizens are killed the solution should be…disarmament. So ask your representatives…..are children and ordinary citizens(that’s taxpayers) worth protecting?
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What has to be realized is that killers will use the most effective weapon available. The politician’s response is to limit the access of law-abiding citizens to those same “most effective
weapons”.
I agree that they will use the weapon available; bombs made with household cleaners, vehicles, box cutters, etc.. However, when they get a hold of firearms and it can be shown that they should NOT have had access, it puts all of us in a poor light. Friends of mine still in NY cannot believe I carry everywhere I go, and trained my kids to handle the weapons. Their thought process can’t handle it. When so many die at the hands of an evil, angry man, well they automatically say, “There is no reason ANYONE should be allowed an assault weapon.” Of course, it takes a long time to talk them down and explain all that is wrong with that statement. It is far better when we don’t give the anti-gun nuts ammunition to fight us; they have enough made up stuff without giving them seemingly good reasons. Just my take, best to you and yours.
These criminals usually go out of their way to find the unarmed. Ban guns and they won’t have to go to all the trouble.
quit pumping the children full of psychiatric drugs – drugs for adhd, drugs for depression, drugs for concentrating, etc. We didn’t grow up with all these drugs being pumped into us. The Drug industry needs to be regulated and parents educated – you don’t need all these drugs to grow up normal.
the second we let are guard down and say they won’t get the ban passed is when it will get passed so please keep your guard up
I agree to a point, Jason, but my only concern is; as we in the gun community will go after the shooter because HE was the one who pulled the trigger, not enough will come out against his mother for allowing him to handle and get a hold of the guns for this purpose. She was trying, according to reports I heard, to have him institutionalized; and you allow him access to guns and violent video games!! When LaPierre spoke today, I was not able to hear the entire speech, I can only hope he put some of the blame on the Mom as a gund owner who did NOT have her guns properly secured. Yes he was 20 years old, but he was known to be unstable. Did she let him drive? Where did she draw the line for his safety, or did she at all? So, I agree that we need to be responsible, but how do we get ALL members of our community to agree to said safety? Unless we are willing to police ourselves, anti-gun advocates will have their own ammunition to attempt to police us by legislation; even though that will not work either.
Thanks for all you do for our gun community and I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas. May it be safe and peaceful.
I personally believe that if the hero teacher that gave her life protecting the children had been licensed to carry and been armed that day then much if not all of this tragedy could have been avoided .
Brian – that teacher would likely be alive, as would the principal and counselor if whichever the killer met first had been armed. When the two women attacked him unarmed, they stood little chance, but if they’d both had a pistol the entire story would have ended in the office. Mom and one killer dead, nobody else. Bad guy – one, school staff – one.
Jason, great article. I agree with some of the postings, I gotta feeling we are in for a fight.
I think Colorado is now allowing Concealed firearms on their colleges, but haven’t heard about the rest of the schools.
all the discussion about limiting gun sales, but according to the NTSB 33 children die daily because the parents leave them in hot cars, 76 die because their parent drive over them, almost 2000 in auto accidents because their idiot parents don’t properly secure them. If you want to save the children start screening and licensing before people can have children, then make them attend classes before they can carry them in cars. Tragic? Yes, but we could do more for our children by using common sense.
We are in agreement on this one for the most part. I do believe that there will be some type of restrictions put in place. I think that the gun community is going to have to give them something. We many have to give up those sells at gun shows and maybe 100 round rotary magazines as a means to appease those that want to band everything. When you start banning stuff; you only make people want it more. If you band 30 rd mags and I have intent, I will just bring more 10 round mags. My buddy says that “every body digs something”. My example would be cigar smoking. Let us see how crazy we can get. How about we start charging a restriction fee of $20.00 per inch of a cigar that you smoke. We know that smoking is bad for us. Right! Makes as much sense as those wanting to charge $50.00 a bullet fired. You can not legislate a persons mentality; so why are they trying.
Don’t forget that the CT shooter’s mother was working to have a court commit him to a mental hospital. Why you would allow your kid access to guns and at the same time have him committed is beyond me.
How do you know she gave him access he could have beat her senseless and took the key to get to the weapons, NEVER ASSUME Also if you want to give something up all congress and the POTUS should give up weapons for the body gaurds they use. If banning guns is so good let us see how well it works to take guns away from secret service first see how it works then go from there.
When you say “guns are needed to keep the politicians honest”. Do you guns keep ceratin politicians from trying to survert the laws? No. Are they any defensive to our Army, Air Force, etc. thast have never done anything to take away your freedom. Just how does a AR-15 protect you from the best equiped and most humane military in the world..ever. Additionally, most paper target heroes are not capable of even defending themselves, much less thinking clearlyin a classroom of children…..get a grip,because you are the other half of the problem.
As a kid growing up in the 50’s, it seemed that every kid on the block had a father with WWII trophies tucked in closets or in the basement rafters.
Many of us had a .22 on a rack in our bedroom and we all had BB guns.
We knew that so in so had a German Mauser, or a Japanese rifle, Springfield M1’s and German Luger’s were all near by.
No one had a gun safe.
No one was walking into schools and shooting.
Did we ever pull them out and handle them? Yes.
Everyone of us got together on Sundays after our Sunday family dinners because business’es were closed, The family dinners all happened after we all got home from our respective churches.
Those are the days that the liberal left proudly proclaims as America Past, mainly due to their own “progressiveness”..
Now a gun safe is almost required due to the liberal progressiveness.
Thanks for that.
i believe we should not give up any groung to gun control. have a national concealed carry permit that allows carry in all places. however training is never a bad idea. train not only how to handle a firearm but when to use it so there is no doubt. train also how to administer first aid to the victims around you when the shooting stops. install protective laws to the good guy who is doing the right thing at that critical moment to protect him from prosecution or civil damages of any kind. arm the public in this already violent society it is the only thing left to do. changing our society and the evil in it can be done but takes a lot of effort and time. we need a solution right now,today! let us protect ourselves and the people around us right now. let us not squabble over different state rights or state lines. let us become united and then we can work with or differences over time. what will be next? a church. a parade. a hospital. any where at any time regardless of rules . be prepared without being a radical.
Texas leaves the decision of concealed carry up to the individual school district.
Indiana has a similar provision.
The most important aspect of arming teachers is that while a gunman is shooting back at teachers, he is not shooting kids. That at least saves some children from becoming targets while the police are in transit. If the teachers had been armed In Newtown there still may have been teachers killed and some kids may have been hit by faculty fire. But their odds would have been greatly improved. As for the mother, she was trying to get her son institutionalized because he was becoming uncontrollable. There was no excuse for her not taking adequate precautions to keep him from gaining access to guns. I’m talking about adequate in the context of a situationally aware response. She was in complete denial. Just like her apologists. She could have kept the guns away from him. Use a combination. Hide the key in a combination box. Store them at a relative’s house. Whatever it takes. The young man scooped up multiple weapons. An entire arsenal. No excuses for not securing those weapons. The son was emotionally unbalanced and that was no secret. With a house full of guns. That’s not responsible gun ownership. It is criminal negligence. It gives us all a bad name.
I wrote my senator Feinstein and told her how disappointed it is to see my tax dollar paying her and her staff’s wages while they work to take away my constitutional second amendment rights. I also told her to make sure to include legislation that will issue me my personal law enforcement officer, and make sure that all the Bar B Que forks are in with the gun legislation because a grandson killed his grandmother with one. She is so far out there that I wonder why I waste my time in the first place.
Ever notice that all the mass shootings happen in GUN FREE ZONES DUH
I will not go into a movie theater that will not let me conceal carry (have a Texas CHL)
also I bet the IDOITS in WASHINGTON will not give up their ARMED body guards.
Nor will Hollywood stars, or that IDIOT feinstein. I bet she has a armed body guard.
You can’t stop sick people from doing harm, They will use what ever they can find.
Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. but politicians aren’t that smart.
what do you recommend as a quick a quick access gun safe? Brand? Combination or biometric?
Plain and simple, govt. just wants to abolish the 2nd amendment, take away our right to defend ourselfs, because the only real tyrant is our govt!
perfect example that the guns arent the problem….its the people that own them!
follow the rules of gun ownership…and everything should be fine…this means dont show your child with autism how to shoot…..duuuu helllo…..the mentally unstable should be no were near a firearm!!! Parents fault, not the gun!
A perfect example of how having the ability to own or carry a firearm can improve a state….
lets all look at vermont…..state with the most leniant gun laws…
but…also the state with the least crime!
Hmmmmmm now why is that….
well duuu…if your a criminal…you think twice about robbin, raping, burglarizing, carjacking or any crime…..why you say…..
because youll be like….fu*k that sh*t…..that person may have a gun!!!!!!
yeah thats right america………
put the guns in the hands of the sane, allow carry, and we will have a safer country!!!!!!
end of story!!!