I Apologize for Offending You About Guns

I apologize.

I do not like the gun. I rail on it much. So much, it takes away from those who want to read my posts. Just another rant against guns, they probably say. I don't have use or time for that. Doesn't he know guns are guarded by the Constitution, they are guaranteed.

I know what the Constitution says, and, no, I don't agree they are protected by that great document. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

The whole of the Second Amendment is maybe a little hard to remember, so the part that gets rememebered and quoted is, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

But, the first part provides context. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state." They did not have standing armies back then. When war broke out, the soldiers had to bring their own muskets.

Today, there is a standing army, one with tanks and fighter jets and missiles and bombs. When the soldier marches off to war, he doesn't have to bring his own weapon along. So, the Second Amendment is saying, because we need you soldiers to bring your own weapons, that is why we are going to establish that you have the right to keep and bear arms.

I simply believe there are too many guns. I believe they are an instrument of death. Man might have been created that he should have joy, but the gun was created to kill. That's why it was invented. That is its purpose.

Societies with fewer guns have fewer murders, generally. And, I read a 2001 online story that says, "About one-third of the gun-homicide decline since 1993 is explained by the fall in gun ownership."

Please, no, do not think I'm calling for banning guns. First, there would be a major uproar is we banned them. Second, I'm not sure even if there were no uproar coming that I would want to ban guns. But, I am not a fool. I am not blind. I do not turn my back on the facts. I know guns are harmful.

Let us put restrictions on their use to take them out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them. Let us license and regulate and do more background checking. Let us realize we do have a problem and do something about it.

I apologize for offending you. People have turned their back on me and walked away in anger when they've found out I do not like guns. I've been taught that doing the right thing is not always popular. I think this is one of those times.