It’s obvious to even the most pedestrian of
political observers that 2013 and the years to follow will be fraught with
lengthy debates over gun rights, from state houses to Washington DC. Such is to
be expected when a classroom of innocent youth are executed by an unhinged,
evil soul flaunting an assault rifle.
That debate really began the day of the shooting,
playing itself out in volume at workplace water coolers, family dinner tables,
and on broadcast news and talk shows. Unlike past events, everyone had an
opinion – there wasn’t a person who didn’t – because of the pure horror of what
happened in Newtown and the belief, no matter how remote, that their children
could be gunned down at anytime.
As with past debates, this one showed extreme views
from both sides. Both sides have their loons. Thing is, this time around, the
loons on my side (staunchly pro-Second Amendment) are the loudest. Thanks to
the wonders of social media, the most insane theories, arguments, and
counterclaims made their way around the world and were spouted and re-spouted ad
naseum. Facebook and Twitter – and ultimately real-life conversation – became
saddled with ideas that leave me shaking my head and saying to myself, “there
go our rights,” because it’s obvious not very many people have the ability to
intellectually defend our natural right to self-defense.
Through their foolishness, they are digging a grave
for legal gun ownership.
Case in point: The theory posed that had one of the
teachers or principal been carrying a gun, the massacre would never have
happened. Let’s look at that in a logical fashion, distancing ourselves from
the emotion of Newtown. Handgun owners (some 6 million strong) represent a
minority of gun owners, who in themselves represent a minority of Americans (44
million out of 312 million). That’s 1.9% of the population. Now, let’s assume
that percentage is duplicated amongst the ranks of teachers (which is highly
unlikely due to their predominantly-liberal worldviews). That would mean that
there are 137,000 teachers with pistol permits. Most pistol permit owners
rarely carry their weapon into public and people working in an environment full
of children and teens would be less likely to carry. So, let’s suppose that
only 2% of the licensed teachers actually carry…that would mean that only 2,740
teachers are armed on any given day. There are 133,000 schools in the United
States. That means only 2% of all schools would be defended by an armed teacher.
It’s easy to identify holes in such a theory --
even for those who count themselves as diehard gun lovers. And, that’s what
makes it utterly frustrating when such ideas become not only mainstream, but
the leading answer to correcting what ails our mentally and morally corrupt
society. I believe in carrying – and I do carry - a firearm to neutralize
dangers posed to me, my family or the public in general. Guns are as equally
important to me for putting food on the table. I don’t want anyone, any
government, taking my rights away from me, but loudmouthed gun owners who share
bad ideas make it way too easy for the other side to win.
So, my challenge to gun owners is this: Don’t be
stupid. Don’t get caught up in the emotion of the Newtown tragedy and the emotion
and illogic of those who want to limit – even prohibit – our ability to protect
ourselves. Take a breather and come back to the debate after the initial smoke
has cleared. You – we – need to present to the public at large, as well as elected
officials, a reasonable and logical defense for self-defense and offer
respectable assessments of what’s wrong with society and how we can fix it.
The right to keep and bear arms is at a crossroads,
and it could go down the path we don’t want if we continue to allow our
gun-toting brethren to carry themselves in unprofessional and unreasonable
ways. Let’s not lose this chance (our last chance?) to save the Second Amendment.
Gasport resident Bob Confer also writes for the New American at TheNewAmerican.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobconfer
This column originally appeared in the 24 December 2012 Lockport Union Sun & Journal
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