Ignorance Abounds:Anti-gun Letters to the Editor on National Park Carry

[Winchester 73]

These are the people in the street we are dealing with folks.
Interesting after 3 days of running the NPS article the Herald has been unable to print one pro-gun letter.
Surprised?

http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/469058.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/470312.html

We're in an arms race at home
Posted on Tue, Mar. 25, 2008
Re the March 24 story More guns may enter U.S. parks: The National Rifle Association and gun-culture Republicans would have us believe that arming ourselves to the teeth is the way for citizens to feel safe.

So I have to arm my children every time they go out to feel secure? And once everyone has a gun, will the bad guys then get AK-47s? We will be in an arms race with ourselves. Where will it all stop? Will we have to drive around in tanks and wear bulletproof vests to go to the store? What about tourists? Should they be armed too?

It's not the weapon that kills you, it's the element of surprise. To save yourself from an attack you must have the gun in your hand, loaded, cocked and ready to shoot. If being armed really protected us from harm, we would not have 4,000 dead soldiers in Iraq.

We're already shooting each other. Just ask the parents of the victims at Columbine or Virginia Tech or the 'D.C. snipers' victims, or the thousands of police officers killed every year. All of the random innocent victims, many of whom were children, have died as a result of gun violence.

What we need are tough gun laws that truly keep guns out of the hands of petty criminals and disturbed kids so that we can move away from the gun culture of the lawless west of the past and move forward to a civilized society.

DOUGLAS GONZALEZ, Coral Gables

The effort to change regulations, allowing loaded weapons to be brought into the federal parks, has a potentially chilling effect on every park visitor. How long before we start to arm the bears to defend themselves against those with the right to bear arms?

TIM BRICKER, Key Largo


Guns do kill people
Posted on Wed, Mar. 26, 2008
As a middle-school counselor in Miami-Dade, it never ceases to amaze me to what extremes the National Rifle Association will go to facilitate more murders by gun.

Everglades and Biscayne national parks are most frequented by Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe county residents. Our own Sen. Mel Martinez, who never met an NRA proposal that he didn't like or approve of, voted to increase gun violence in our federal parks. Can you imagine every intoxicated boater at the Columbus Day Regatta in possession of a gun?

Now we are going to have more guns in our federal parks, where adults and children who go for recreational purposes will be at risk. The standard NRA motto: ''Guns don't kill people'' is long outdated. The honest truth is guns do kill people.

CARL STARLING, Miami

 

[Feud]

As a middle-school counselor in Miami-Dade, it never ceases to amaze me to what extremes the National Rifle Association will go to facilitate more murders by gun.

Ha! As though telling people he is a middle school consoler somehow gives him added authority on the subject of guns in national parks!

 

[crashresidue]

"Thousands of police officers killed every year" - I'd like to see THAT statistic verified!!!

cr

 

[coloradokevin]

"We're already shooting each other. Just ask the parents of the victims at Columbine or Virginia Tech or the 'D.C. snipers' victims, or the thousands of police officers killed every year. All of the random innocent victims, many of whom were children, have died as a result of gun violence."


Yeah, this jerkoff obviously didn't ask the law enforcement officers that he speaks of as victims. I AM a police officer, and I support guns. I hate when the anti-gun movement talks in terms of protecting me. Thanks, but no thanks. I know that there are evil people with guns, but they don't bother me. What bothers me is seeing innocent people become the victims of these low-lifes because they were not born big enough or strong enough to defend themselves. My wife could not likely beat a 200lb male attacker in a fist fight, but she could probably win in a gun fight.

Likewise, I am often asked why I'm not terrified of the fact that I could get shot at work. Certainly there is risk in my job, and I could always lose to an ambush.

But, I don't categorically fear the gunfight because I am prepared for it. I've been shooting since I was five years old, I train regularly, I maintain my equipment, I carry quality ammo, and constantly try to increase my skill set.

The average low-life crackhead killer doesn't stand a chance against you, me, or my wife... He doesn't stand a chance because he isn't mentally or physically prepared to face a "victim" who will not go quietly into the night. He doesn't want a fight, he wants a slaughter... And he had better not come to me looking for one


It truly angers me when I see the rhetoric posed by civilians who claim to be protecting me from a right that I so strongly support. So, in short, they really really don't really want to ask me my opinion (even if they claim publicly that they do).

 

[mike101]

Just amazing. I don't understand why the antis are making such a big deal about guns in National Parks, though. Are they afraid we're going to accidentally shoot Yogi? Or is it just something else to propogandize about?

 

[sacp81170a]

The hilarious part is that this guy is in FL, so unless he spends all his time in National Parks or other "Gun-Free Zones" tm, he's literally surrounded by law abiding citizens carrying those scary guns. Oops, forgot, he works in a "Gun-Free Zone" tm. Well, except for the criminals carrying guns who ignore the law.

It truly angers me when I see the rhetoric posed by civilians who claim to be protecting me from a right that I so strongly support.

+1,000,000

 

[papajohn]

What do you expect from brainwashed sheeple? Every time I read one of these editorials I can hear Sarah Brady talking, making up statistics, bending others to suit her lies. There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see................

Papajohn

 

[Harvster]

Have all you gun nuts even once considered the fawns, bunnies, and duckies? Have you? I didn't think so.

 

[fletcher]

The National Rifle Association and gun-culture Republicans would have us believe that arming ourselves to the teeth is the way for citizens to feel safe.

We don't concern ourselves with feeling safe so much as being safe.

 

[ZeSpectre]

If being armed really protected us from harm, we would not have 4,000 dead soldiers in Iraq.

If they were unarmed I'm pretty sure they'd ALL be dead (at least if the opposite side had anything to do with it).

 

[ambush]

Have all you gun nuts even once considered the fawns, bunnies, and duckies? Have you? I didn't think so.

Now wait a minute, I have. Let's see....pan fried venison w/onion, deep fried rabbit and rabbit stew, crispy orange duck.....

Seriously, again this guy's arguments are all emotion based....never the facts.

 

[Titan6]

These anti's and their questions. Enough to drive you loopy I say.

The National Rifle Association and gun-culture Republicans would have us believe that arming ourselves to the teeth is the way for citizens to feel safe.

This is not true. Not "feel safe" rather "Be safer"

So I have to arm my children every time they go out to feel secure?

That is really up to you and how old they are. If you can't provide for their safety than maybe.

And once everyone has a gun, will the bad guys then get AK-47s?

Which bad guys are we talking about here? A few already have AK's. We don't worry about the bad guy's safety because they can get guns whenever they want.

We will be in an arms race with ourselves. Where will it all stop?

Once peace on Earth is acheived.

Will we have to drive around in tanks and wear bulletproof vests to go to the store?

Some people already do. Places where guns are illegal like DC or Chicago for example.

What about tourists? Should they be armed too?

Only if you think their lives are worth living.

 

[Northalius]

Do they ever consider the #1 reason why the 2nd Amendment was written?

It's so the whole people are armed for protection against criminal... GOVERNMENT! Yes... let me repeat that: It's so the whole people are armed for protection against criminal GOVERNMENT!

Do they ever consider that it's my RIGHT to be armed? Or do they so wrongly assume it's a mere privilege?

If we're going to point out private criminals having guns, and why to ban guns in light of this altogether... then let's not be too picky here, and now we must also bring up criminal governments of the not-so-distant past, that also abused their "gun rights" and slaughtered their own citizens! Let's see: Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein, and even today we have Kim Jong [Mentally] Il showing his tyranny over his [UNarmed] people.

So, if we're going to unarm the people, then why not unarm the governments of the world?

Yeah, didn't think so, anti-gun nutcase!

Do they even understand that Americans had to fight back against the King of England using HEAVILY ARMED private citizens, to gain independence, and thus the only REASON why we have our freedom and liberty we see today? The freedom and liberty which these anti-gun brainwashed morons seem to be eroding by the day?

They're so shortsighted, it's not even funny. They're concentrating on private crimes, and totally forgetting about government criminals, and what THEY can do on a WIDE scale, if the whole people are unarmed, and left defenseless.

There's an amazing REASON why the 2nd Amendment was written.

These blind sheep've got to wake up.

 

[Army]

4000 US Soldiers defended themselves against how many tens of thousands of terrorists?

The teacher is content to allow a sicko to enter his classroom and kill all his students....in the name of safety?

The mother has no interest in protecting her own children...and calls that being safer?

Why are the intoxicated boaters not in jail for drunk in public, and operating a water craft while impaired? Ooohhhh, because of the guns.

The first to go, are those unwilling to prepare to stay.

 

[Rumble]

As a middle-school counselor in Miami-Dade, it never ceases to amaze me to what extremes the National Rifle Association will go to facilitate more murders by gun.

When did the NRA become a middle-school counselor?

Okay, seriously, the sentence points out the big problem this author has with the legislation. He doesn't mind murders, he minds murders in which the weapon was a gun. I see this lurking in the core of anti-gun-ownership arguments frequently: guns are somehow more bad than other weapons.

 

[jrfoxx]

As usual, what makes these idiots think that someone willing to commit armed robbery, rape, murder, etc isnt ALREADY carrying a gn in the parks? I mean, if they're willing to ignore laws like rape and murder that can carry a life sentence or death penalty, why would they obey a gun law with a lesser penalty, or even and equally stiff one? :banghead:
I will simply never understand how these people cant get that....

 

[axeman_g]

its the same old argument... I usually counter with "so in your world, having a vagina or a penis causes STDs"

 

[Kingcreek]

The voice of Brady.
the issue of right to carry in National Parks has been pushed by the Brady Center in emails lately. they are urging action from their loyals.
so a few of them wright letters.

 

[IllHunter]

I see we think alike , almost

Quote:
If being armed really protected us from harm, we would not have 4,000 dead soldiers in Iraq.

If they were unarmed I'm pretty sure they'd ALL be dead (at least if the opposite side had anything to do with it).

My mind went to a tag line I've seen here about why if there are no guns in prisons would you feel/be safe there. I think not.

 

[Soybomb]

Does the miami herald actually print any news or is it just like the brady bunch newsletter for that region?

 

[Northalius]

Again, we need to bring this to a new level to where they cannot BS their way around the issue of citizens and gun ownership: People need these to protect themselves from tyrannical, corrupt government. We need our arms to fight back against corrupt government. This is the foundation and literal context in which the 2nd Amendment was written... and that is a fact.

We can also point out, as secondary, the private citizens' protection against private criminals, and why we own guns... but this is not the sole reason for which the 2nd Amendment was written. Protection from private tyranny goes without saying... once you have protection from governmental tyranny.

The founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson more specifically as I remember, wanted the whole people to be armed AND trained like soldiers, because this was the most effective way the citizens could fight back against tyranny in government. This is why it says "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,..." in the 2nd Amendment.

Some try and twist this to supposedly mean "Only a well-regulated militia, therefore, has a right to bear arms!" Which is totally bunk of logic and truth, when we read in the true context and rest of the 2nd Amendment, after the first half: "..., the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

It therefore speaks of the whole people having their individual RIGHT to keep and bear arms for their security against corrupt government.

You can tell them this, as well... just to clarify the point:

What if there was an Amendment that stated:

"A well-informed and vocal people, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to protest the government for grievances, shall not be infringed."

Does this mean only the well-informed and/or very vocal people have the right to protest the government for grievances? No. The whole people, collectively AND individually, have a right to protest the government, whether they're well-informed or not; whether extremely vocal, or not.

To say otherwise, is to deny honesty and truth.

Therefore, the 2nd Amendment speaks of the whole people, collectively and individually, to bear arms for their own security.

Anyone who says otherwise, is literally: uninformed / brainwashed, or a traitor to the people of the United States of America.

We must get to the root of our right to bear arms, and to the root of why the 2nd Amendment was truly written, or else the ant-gun traitors / ignorants will continually twist and turn their cow dung left and right, and we'll never get anywhere on the true foundation of the issue.

 

[230RN]

But blood will run on the trails!

Somewhere, I heard a mantra similar to that.