The Mall Shooting
The tragic event last week at Trolley Square, where an 18 year old male entered the mall and gunned down five patrons and wounding several others is quite alarming. This is another reason why the Second Amendment is very valuable. In this certain case an off-duty police officer was able to respond and save countless lives. However what if the off-duty police officer was not there? My point is that concealed weapons permits are invaluable. In certain situations where life threatening events are occurring and one must defend themselves the need for a weapon is critical. An example that the CCP (Conceal Carry Permitt) has saved me was when I was purchasing gas late at night in West Valley after returning from a Kempo Lesson at a friends Dojo off of 3500 South. I had finished pumping gas and proceeded to pay for my gas and buy a drink and some other goodies. I noticed a 4 large men of polynesian descent sitting on a park bench near the entrance. As I approached the door, one of the men confronted me and asked me for my wallet. I said "no" and he said "my friends over there say yes" pointing at the other three men. They looked pretty intimidating. However, I responded if you try to take my money you will spend the night in the hospital. He looked at me strangely. I walked past him briefly displaying my Glock .45 semi automatic pistol on my right hip from under my shirt. I continued in, paid my bill, telling the clerk what had happened. I called the police and filed a report with West Valley Police. Had I not had my weapon, I probably would have been assaulted and who knows what weapons they were carrying. I could of just given my wallet and called the police and been another victim.
I believe firearms are a crucial part of a democracy not only ensuring our freedom from tyrranical governments but also for defense. The ability to defend oneself from harm is a natural freedom.
I believe firearms are a crucial part of a democracy not only ensuring our freedom from tyrranical governments but also for defense. The ability to defend oneself from harm is a natural freedom.
posted by mgreen62 at 6:26 PM
4 Comments:
Of all the criticisms of gun control, none is stronger than the fact that it just doesn't work! If we could actually keep individuals from guns, tragedies like the mall shooting might actually be avoided.
I had a gun pulled on me at work, but felt fortunate to not have a gun myself. In retrospect, I felt that adding another gun to the picture would only make the situation much more dangerous.... Individual experiences are all so diverse that we have to look at more positive criteria when judging policy.
Ultimately, gun control is not the best way to stop violent criminals.
I have had many people ask me my opinion about the second amendment, and although I am very afraid of guns and don't necessarily believe in them myself, I do believe in people's right to own them. Like Bob said all experiences are different, and in America people should have the right to choose whether they own a gun or not. Even though this is what I stand by, I still have to wonder if today's society uses guns as the founders had intended when they wrote the second amendment.
My plain text reading of the constitution finds less support for an unequivicable right to own firearms coming from the 2nd ammendment and the right to do so coming from the 9th and 10th if anywhere. What the 2nd ammendment then does is provide a discussion point of what the right to own and maintain firearms might be and the manner in which the founders considered the right. When you begin with a consideration of gun control less from the perspective of an absolute consitutional right and instead view it as a matter whereby congress might regulate it, the discussion can then take place in the realm of the real and not in some hypothetical world where a well regulated militia is necessary.
I guess where this points me is to a belief that owning firearms is probably a right in the same way owning my computer is a right, and not in some special sacrosanct category, and subject to the regualtion of congress, and the states.
Bob's point about it just not working is a whole different ball of way, but he's almost certainly right.
Finally lest I be branded as some anti gun zealot I own multiple firearms and quite honestly enjoy the them, but I also enjoy my computer.
Well, it is unusual that U.S. is the first and until now the only country that allows her people to own a gun. My understanding is that, why American people still choose to reserve the right to have a gun when they amend the Constitution is something related to the basic ideology of a caution to government power— to avoid the abuse of power, and the belief that the majority people are rational and responsible to have their lives and dignity protected from the irrational and uncontrollable.
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