Do we dare get to go to OB and guns? I forgot about this conversation and very much like the OB position at this point in his Presidency; his discussing what sounds like non-ban resolves to help reduce U.S. gun violence death rate – 96 per day, presently . During his tenure he typically reacted by saying “gotta ban the assault weapons”. I disagreed with OB on this, not because I want guns; rather, because going after just a few brands or a specific label (AR-15 or AK-47). This will accomplish nothing! Why, because there are so many other firearms that can do exactly the same thing, including most semi-auto handguns. Anyway, I feel that OB modified his approach to more like what I (realistically) believe. So what is my point?
If it were possible, I would say let’s not have guns anymore, period. (that notion that is being stated, that Australia did); however, in our real U.S. that is never going to happen and our 2nd Amendment has locked that in so
— now comes my realistic point of view —
I respect the right of responsible gun owners to have their firearms – for sport, for hunting, for defense. That is like it or not, the U.S. as I have always known but there are costs of our living and (staying alive), in this gun-world nation or ours! The “opportunity costs” as it were, will be accepting that there will be “accidents” and loss of life, from guns. The number of U.S. gun deaths is 96 per day at current.This number includes a significant number of danger to themselves – suicides. Then there are the safeguards; meaning our attempts to reduce injury and death in U.S. The cost of continuing (helping) to make our We the People chosen, gun-world U.S. of A., more safe/secure. This last and the cost to accomplish calls under the category of “you can’t have your cake and eat it too”.
Therefore comes the need to find those resolves, the ones we can agree on, that keep firearms safely a
way from those who should not have hands on. Kids, the mentally impaired, temper-types, abusers, etc. We can agree that criminals (none of them) should have firearms but unfortunately, they will get their killing machines no matter what laws we put in place. For these we must find ways to keep them away from our most precious and from ourselves whenever possible.
There is the need to deter persons from just walking into our schools, theaters, etc., unimpaired, with guns, to slaughter We the People and our kids!
The need to identify those who are a danger to themselves or We, and help them while making SURE they don’t gain a killing machine.
Some of these safeguards are in place (at least in Calif), some need to be implemented and the cost of that implementation would be cost of making things safer (such as metal detectors at schools), while allowing people to own firearms. And finally for me the need to tweak, beef up, and make more all encompassing – allowing only the able, responsible, trained firearm owner to own or acquire firearms (background checks and required training/test).
