GEORGE CARL | Outdoors
Thursday, July 17, 2003
If you want to get into a spirited debate in this country today, address the topic of guns. This is definitely a controversial issue with no easy solution. Let's face it; guns kill. People who don't own a gun fear them. We have seen too many movies that glorify killing with guns. Death by shooting provides for a lasting memory, and if we have had the experience of losing a loved one or a friend by the use of a gun, it is a haunting and terrible memory. A gun becomes an evil weapon.
But let's take a look at the cause for the use of that weapon. There is an inherent desire on the parts of many men to hunt and gather. Watch young boys when they get together. They often play pretend shooting games. I am a hunter, yet I, too, fear guns when they are in the hands of people I do not know. Hunters or sport shooters have probably been trained in firearm safety. Trained and licensed hunters are responsible for very few gun-related accidents in California. Unfortunately, we have more guns in the hands of the wrong people.
Drugs and/or alcohol and guns don't mix. Those of us who hunt or enjoy shooting sports are always made to feel guilty because we own a gun. We are a minority, and every time a handgun is used in a crime against our fellow man, I feel for all law-abiding citizens. Would registering handguns be a bad thing? Maybe it is time to compromise on that issue and try to ease the tension between gun owners and non-gun owners, but will that help? I don't know. Hunters are afraid that once their guns are registered, their personal freedom will be invaded because all guns will need to be registered. Some gun owners also cite the Bill of Rights and the right to "bear arms."
Let's look at some statistics. California is the most liberal state in the country. We have relatively few hunters but many people with guns. For every gun owner who has registered his or her gun as a law-abiding person, there are nine others who own guns that are not registered. It is hard to be a caring, conservation-minded sport shooter or hunter and know that others are using guns to kill people.
Can we compare drunk drivers to people with guns? Yes, cars don't kill people. Instead, crazy, distraught, drunk, drugged, or dangerous people kill others. People who have a bad driving record should not be on the road. Drug-related and alcohol-related driving kills people. How do we stop that? All who drink fear the DUI arrests. I think we might make those offenses even stronger. Drunk drivers kill people the same way that people with guns do. This is a fact.
But just who is the person who would kill someone else? We, as a society, have become more violent. We have less patience. I watch people in a crowd or on the road. They are often angry or in a frenzied rush. The problem may also stem from a person's upbringing. There are fewer family values today, and crazy, distraught, and drugged people are among us. At any time someone may run into me while I'm driving. At any time someone may be crazy enough to try to break into my house and harm my loved ones or me. It's a fact that even when prohibition was law, a person could still buy a drink just about anywhere. Drugs are illegal, but can drugs be found just about anywhere in America today? You bet they can. I believe that if all guns were illegal, a person would still be able to buy a gun just about anywhere on the black market. The problem is not the guns themselves, but some of the people who use them. This is why it is such a tough problem to solve.
Again, I fear guns in the hands of people I don't know. I must admit, that I feel safer when I'm in the company of my hunting and fishing buddies. Also, all of my kids have been educated in safety of firearms, and only one chooses to actively hunt. Today, if a person wishes to hunt, he or she must pass a safety course prior to receiving a license. I feel that course should be even harder and longer. Today, if a law-abiding citizen wants to buy a gun, he or she must purchase the gun and wait five days before picking it up to allow for a criminal check to take place. I feel even more can be done. For example, when a gun is purchased, it might be automatically registered with the state.
We should also return to family values. We need to spend time with our kids. Take them camping, fishing, and hunting. Let's allow them to enjoy nature and the outdoors instead of violent video games. Fewer kids involved in family fun outings get into trouble; that's a fact. Guns are a part of America, but guns in the wrong hands have created a horrible reputation in this country. I sympathize with those who advocate a policy for no guns or gun control, but how can we take guns away from the "wrong people," any more than how do we apprehend a crazed or drunk driver before he or she kills someone? I feel it should be harder to obtain guns and harder to get a license to drive. We have tough DUI laws, but make them tougher. We have tough laws regarding the use of a firearm in a crime, but we should also make those laws tougher. The administration of a nation of violence needs to create firmer policies so that we are not threatened by irresponsible members of society.
This anti-gun scum's email is not listed, but you can let his employer know: [email protected]
Here is the link.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
If you want to get into a spirited debate in this country today, address the topic of guns. This is definitely a controversial issue with no easy solution. Let's face it; guns kill. People who don't own a gun fear them. We have seen too many movies that glorify killing with guns. Death by shooting provides for a lasting memory, and if we have had the experience of losing a loved one or a friend by the use of a gun, it is a haunting and terrible memory. A gun becomes an evil weapon.
But let's take a look at the cause for the use of that weapon. There is an inherent desire on the parts of many men to hunt and gather. Watch young boys when they get together. They often play pretend shooting games. I am a hunter, yet I, too, fear guns when they are in the hands of people I do not know. Hunters or sport shooters have probably been trained in firearm safety. Trained and licensed hunters are responsible for very few gun-related accidents in California. Unfortunately, we have more guns in the hands of the wrong people.
Drugs and/or alcohol and guns don't mix. Those of us who hunt or enjoy shooting sports are always made to feel guilty because we own a gun. We are a minority, and every time a handgun is used in a crime against our fellow man, I feel for all law-abiding citizens. Would registering handguns be a bad thing? Maybe it is time to compromise on that issue and try to ease the tension between gun owners and non-gun owners, but will that help? I don't know. Hunters are afraid that once their guns are registered, their personal freedom will be invaded because all guns will need to be registered. Some gun owners also cite the Bill of Rights and the right to "bear arms."
Let's look at some statistics. California is the most liberal state in the country. We have relatively few hunters but many people with guns. For every gun owner who has registered his or her gun as a law-abiding person, there are nine others who own guns that are not registered. It is hard to be a caring, conservation-minded sport shooter or hunter and know that others are using guns to kill people.
Can we compare drunk drivers to people with guns? Yes, cars don't kill people. Instead, crazy, distraught, drunk, drugged, or dangerous people kill others. People who have a bad driving record should not be on the road. Drug-related and alcohol-related driving kills people. How do we stop that? All who drink fear the DUI arrests. I think we might make those offenses even stronger. Drunk drivers kill people the same way that people with guns do. This is a fact.
But just who is the person who would kill someone else? We, as a society, have become more violent. We have less patience. I watch people in a crowd or on the road. They are often angry or in a frenzied rush. The problem may also stem from a person's upbringing. There are fewer family values today, and crazy, distraught, and drugged people are among us. At any time someone may run into me while I'm driving. At any time someone may be crazy enough to try to break into my house and harm my loved ones or me. It's a fact that even when prohibition was law, a person could still buy a drink just about anywhere. Drugs are illegal, but can drugs be found just about anywhere in America today? You bet they can. I believe that if all guns were illegal, a person would still be able to buy a gun just about anywhere on the black market. The problem is not the guns themselves, but some of the people who use them. This is why it is such a tough problem to solve.
Again, I fear guns in the hands of people I don't know. I must admit, that I feel safer when I'm in the company of my hunting and fishing buddies. Also, all of my kids have been educated in safety of firearms, and only one chooses to actively hunt. Today, if a person wishes to hunt, he or she must pass a safety course prior to receiving a license. I feel that course should be even harder and longer. Today, if a law-abiding citizen wants to buy a gun, he or she must purchase the gun and wait five days before picking it up to allow for a criminal check to take place. I feel even more can be done. For example, when a gun is purchased, it might be automatically registered with the state.
We should also return to family values. We need to spend time with our kids. Take them camping, fishing, and hunting. Let's allow them to enjoy nature and the outdoors instead of violent video games. Fewer kids involved in family fun outings get into trouble; that's a fact. Guns are a part of America, but guns in the wrong hands have created a horrible reputation in this country. I sympathize with those who advocate a policy for no guns or gun control, but how can we take guns away from the "wrong people," any more than how do we apprehend a crazed or drunk driver before he or she kills someone? I feel it should be harder to obtain guns and harder to get a license to drive. We have tough DUI laws, but make them tougher. We have tough laws regarding the use of a firearm in a crime, but we should also make those laws tougher. The administration of a nation of violence needs to create firmer policies so that we are not threatened by irresponsible members of society.
This anti-gun scum's email is not listed, but you can let his employer know: [email protected]
Here is the link.
