In the past I was a big supporter of gun control. The problem with that was two-fold.
1. I'm a big believer in the right to self defense. You can talk about the 2nd Amendment all you want, but even without the Constitution and the Bill of Rights I still believe it is a fundamental right to be able to defend yourself and your property. The only people who do not have a right to self defense are property and I'm pretty sure slavery was outlawed in this country.
2. Over the years every piece of gun control that I thought was a good idea has been debunked. I won't go into detail here but what I believed did not align with the facts. I am a rational person but sometimes I hold strong opinions without all the facts. That just makes me human. As I uncover facts I find that my reasons for holding an opinion are no longer valid, so I re-evaluate and possibly change my opinion. I am now to the point that I can't think of any existing gun control laws that accomplish anything constructive or worthwhile.
I do believe that no right is absolute. We have laws on the books around free speech, voting, searches, etc. Some of those laws are untenable but some of them are important to a functioning society.
Here is my challenge to anyone proposing any new gun control.
Show me how it makes us better. Quantify it. How does it make us safer and/or reduce violence? I don't want to hear about how it makes you feel, I don't want abstractions, I don't want anything that starts with "I think that...".
Argue with facts, real facts and not made up or disproven numbers. Reality or it doesn't matter. If you can't argue with real numbers, real data, and without misrepresentation then your cause is not noble. If you have to lie, use emotional appeals, or resort to name-calling then you do not have the moral high ground.
I am willing to give up part of my individuality for the greater good. I am not a selfish person. Well, I AM selfish but not so self-absorbed that I will put my own well being before the good of society.
I am not comfortable with just anyone owning or carrying a gun. That's alright, the Bill of Rights doesn't say I have a right to be comfortable. The facts show that more guns equal less crime. If there are facts from current studies that counter this I'd like to see them. I will go with the facts even though they run counter to how I feel.
I know some will flame me for ever having a pro-gun control stance and I know some will argue that under no circumstances should we have gun control. We don't live in a world of absolutes. I think the gun control agenda as it exists today has no basis in crime control. I believe it is about control but not in a way this country was founded on. I am not interested in telling people how they should defend themselves, I just believe they have the right and should be able to procure the means.
Here's the point. I am willing to have a conversation on gun control with those that want it. Bring me the facts. If you can't do that, your cause is not just. It is that simple. If this were anything else, the right to free speech, the right to worship, your property, and someone was trying to take it away and they did so by providing lies and false information you would feel deceived. You would think the other party is in the wrong. If the gun control crowd wants us to listen, then quit trying to deceive us. The real reason why Everytown for Gun Safety and their ilk are run by upfront public relations professionals is that they have to spin the story. The next time someone who is a gun grabber wants to have a "conversation" with you, insist on them providing facts. Don't let them argue with emotion and if they use an outdated and debunked study, call them on it. Force them to argue with reason. Not so that they will change your mind but because it might actually change theirs if they bother to find out the real story.
1. I'm a big believer in the right to self defense. You can talk about the 2nd Amendment all you want, but even without the Constitution and the Bill of Rights I still believe it is a fundamental right to be able to defend yourself and your property. The only people who do not have a right to self defense are property and I'm pretty sure slavery was outlawed in this country.
2. Over the years every piece of gun control that I thought was a good idea has been debunked. I won't go into detail here but what I believed did not align with the facts. I am a rational person but sometimes I hold strong opinions without all the facts. That just makes me human. As I uncover facts I find that my reasons for holding an opinion are no longer valid, so I re-evaluate and possibly change my opinion. I am now to the point that I can't think of any existing gun control laws that accomplish anything constructive or worthwhile.
I do believe that no right is absolute. We have laws on the books around free speech, voting, searches, etc. Some of those laws are untenable but some of them are important to a functioning society.
Here is my challenge to anyone proposing any new gun control.
Show me how it makes us better. Quantify it. How does it make us safer and/or reduce violence? I don't want to hear about how it makes you feel, I don't want abstractions, I don't want anything that starts with "I think that...".
Argue with facts, real facts and not made up or disproven numbers. Reality or it doesn't matter. If you can't argue with real numbers, real data, and without misrepresentation then your cause is not noble. If you have to lie, use emotional appeals, or resort to name-calling then you do not have the moral high ground.
I am willing to give up part of my individuality for the greater good. I am not a selfish person. Well, I AM selfish but not so self-absorbed that I will put my own well being before the good of society.
I am not comfortable with just anyone owning or carrying a gun. That's alright, the Bill of Rights doesn't say I have a right to be comfortable. The facts show that more guns equal less crime. If there are facts from current studies that counter this I'd like to see them. I will go with the facts even though they run counter to how I feel.
I know some will flame me for ever having a pro-gun control stance and I know some will argue that under no circumstances should we have gun control. We don't live in a world of absolutes. I think the gun control agenda as it exists today has no basis in crime control. I believe it is about control but not in a way this country was founded on. I am not interested in telling people how they should defend themselves, I just believe they have the right and should be able to procure the means.
Here's the point. I am willing to have a conversation on gun control with those that want it. Bring me the facts. If you can't do that, your cause is not just. It is that simple. If this were anything else, the right to free speech, the right to worship, your property, and someone was trying to take it away and they did so by providing lies and false information you would feel deceived. You would think the other party is in the wrong. If the gun control crowd wants us to listen, then quit trying to deceive us. The real reason why Everytown for Gun Safety and their ilk are run by upfront public relations professionals is that they have to spin the story. The next time someone who is a gun grabber wants to have a "conversation" with you, insist on them providing facts. Don't let them argue with emotion and if they use an outdated and debunked study, call them on it. Force them to argue with reason. Not so that they will change your mind but because it might actually change theirs if they bother to find out the real story.
I don't remember my Dad, God rest his soul, ever mentioning it. He was a D.I. at Parris Island and MCRD San Diego.
