by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | Dec 10, 2015

Guns

Those of us who have studied political history, are well aware of the state’s fear of an armed citizenry; and of the tyrants who first seek to register and then disarmed their subjects at every opportunity to cement their absolute power and control. Today is no different.

Here in the USA, we are fortunate that our founders gave us an unambiguous right to hold and bear arms and that this right shall not be infringed.

So on one level—overlaying all other levels— the state has a natural desire to increase its power, while the citizens have a natural desire to retain their self-determination and therefore reject the growth in the power and scope of the state at their expense. This is one level all people capable of critical thinking can agree. This contest of power can create extreme positions at either end of this battle.

But now –at a lower level—we have the practicality of arming our citizens. So what to do? Shall we allow or require that all citizens hold and bear arms? Some libertarians and anarchists would say it is none of our business and I agree with the spirit of this statement. But I have known certain people who shouldn’t own guns mostly because of a lack of training and more importantly a lack of respect. There are others who have a violent nature and should likewise not be operating a firearm.

Still here in the Good Old US of A we have people who are afraid of firearms and shudder at the sight or even the thought of their neighbor owning such a deadly weapon. It is my opinion that most of this abject fear is the result of ignorance, which can be cured by safety training and a few days at the firing range. What I have found is that most people who are afraid of firearms, tend to become the greatest supporters once they have had the opportunity to actually use a firearm properly. It feels good and is in fact addicting.

And so today we read about certain people –president of Liberty University– saying everyone should be armed; and there is a case in Georgia that supports this proposition: In 1982, the Kennesaw City Council unanimously passed a law requiring heads of households to own at least one firearm with ammunition. Crime went to zero. And certainly the historical facts prove that if someone at the San Bernardino Christmas party was allowed to carry a firearm, 11 of the 14 dead would still be alive and 13 of the 17 injured would have been unscathed.

But I am not convinced that everyone should own and/or carry a firearm though I would welcome a move in that direction.

Bottom line is that we all have the right, but I think we should all be trained in gun safety and practice shooting on a regular basis. Should the state require this? Certainly not, nor should the state seek to limit or infringe on our right to hold and bear arms.