ancient-one
US Veteran
Below is a copy of my newspaper article published in the Oklahoman not long after the Aurora movie shooting.
*Immediately after a very sad situation as happened in Aurora, Colo., firearms got the blame. There, as in the shootings in Arizona and Blacksburg, no attention is given to the real problems. First, we have too few outlets where mental illness can be properly treated. Even worse is the fact that in many cases, doctors are not allowed to report to the proper authorities an individual that they feel can be a danger to society.This should be a requirement. Next, we see few movies, TV programs or video games that don't contain violence, some very extreme.
Unless parents are very watchful, children's minds soon see this as normal.
Before there were so-called assualt rifles and high-capacity magazines, we had Howard Metzenbaum, Peter Rodino and others trying to disarm the citizens of their revolvers, shotguns and rifles. Michael Bloomberg, Charles Schumer and others have the same end goal, no matter how it's presented, and if that happens the word "citizen" changes to "subject" or "slave". This can't be allowed to happen.
Each person responsible for one of these acts is a product of a society that values ones person's privacy more than it does the lives of it's citizens. Until that is reversed, we'll have more catastrophes, no matter how many firearm laws are passed.*
Some of you younger ones will not be familiar with Metzenbaum, Rodino and others who in the late 50's ,the 60's and 70's did everything possible to disarm the civilian population. They were not after black rifles or high cap mags, they were after all firearms and ammo. It took every effort possible to defeat them. The anti-firearms people are no different today and the final result they wish to obtain is the same.
I have noticed a few posts suggesting that we should bend a little. Bending a little will not appease those whose sole ambition in life is to disarm us, it will only increase their efforts. I feel that my article applies today just as it did a few months ago. We need to go after the real problems, not firearms.
*Immediately after a very sad situation as happened in Aurora, Colo., firearms got the blame. There, as in the shootings in Arizona and Blacksburg, no attention is given to the real problems. First, we have too few outlets where mental illness can be properly treated. Even worse is the fact that in many cases, doctors are not allowed to report to the proper authorities an individual that they feel can be a danger to society.This should be a requirement. Next, we see few movies, TV programs or video games that don't contain violence, some very extreme.
Unless parents are very watchful, children's minds soon see this as normal.
Before there were so-called assualt rifles and high-capacity magazines, we had Howard Metzenbaum, Peter Rodino and others trying to disarm the citizens of their revolvers, shotguns and rifles. Michael Bloomberg, Charles Schumer and others have the same end goal, no matter how it's presented, and if that happens the word "citizen" changes to "subject" or "slave". This can't be allowed to happen.
Each person responsible for one of these acts is a product of a society that values ones person's privacy more than it does the lives of it's citizens. Until that is reversed, we'll have more catastrophes, no matter how many firearm laws are passed.*
Some of you younger ones will not be familiar with Metzenbaum, Rodino and others who in the late 50's ,the 60's and 70's did everything possible to disarm the civilian population. They were not after black rifles or high cap mags, they were after all firearms and ammo. It took every effort possible to defeat them. The anti-firearms people are no different today and the final result they wish to obtain is the same.
I have noticed a few posts suggesting that we should bend a little. Bending a little will not appease those whose sole ambition in life is to disarm us, it will only increase their efforts. I feel that my article applies today just as it did a few months ago. We need to go after the real problems, not firearms.
