MoscowMike
Member
I’m happy to see us getting movement in a positive direction, but we need to remember that laws eventually reflect society’s attitudes. A century ago society decided that drinking alcohol should be banned. After a few years, society decided that was a bad idea and the laws changed back.
We are seeing less restrictive gun laws both now and on the horizon because current courts are deciding some restrictions are unconstitutional. Courts in the future may reinterpret those ideas or the Constitution could be amended again.
As long as we live in a society where we are uncomfortable letting our neighbors know we own guns, where for many it’s hard to find a shooting range nearby and where a big chunk of the population thinks of guns as something criminals use, our rights are in danger.
We can’t just depend on the courts, we need to work on society, which is much harder, and takes long term commitment.
For example, does your local Boy Scout group teach gun safety and marksmanship? Is there a local firearms club and if so do they welcome new members? Are there local laws in place to protect shooting ranges from spurious lawsuits? Does your local legal system take criminal misuse of guns seriously? When you meet someone new, do you invite them to go shooting?
There are lots of areas where we can use our influence. The more people who speak up, write letters, contribute time and money and vote, the better our odds are. Fewer restrictions mean it will be easier to work for long-term change. It won’t be time to relax.
We are seeing less restrictive gun laws both now and on the horizon because current courts are deciding some restrictions are unconstitutional. Courts in the future may reinterpret those ideas or the Constitution could be amended again.
As long as we live in a society where we are uncomfortable letting our neighbors know we own guns, where for many it’s hard to find a shooting range nearby and where a big chunk of the population thinks of guns as something criminals use, our rights are in danger.
We can’t just depend on the courts, we need to work on society, which is much harder, and takes long term commitment.
For example, does your local Boy Scout group teach gun safety and marksmanship? Is there a local firearms club and if so do they welcome new members? Are there local laws in place to protect shooting ranges from spurious lawsuits? Does your local legal system take criminal misuse of guns seriously? When you meet someone new, do you invite them to go shooting?
There are lots of areas where we can use our influence. The more people who speak up, write letters, contribute time and money and vote, the better our odds are. Fewer restrictions mean it will be easier to work for long-term change. It won’t be time to relax.