Voting day is quickly approaching so this probably the last in the series. I have bashed Palin enough to let it swing the other way, if I want to be a true independent. One of my brother in laws, who will remain nameless because I really have no idea who it was, left an NRA magazine in my car. Today I got home from the store, and my son wanted to play in the car, so I picked it up to read.
The NRA does not like Obama and after reading the articles, I have to say I myself was a little freaked out too. (Not that McCain gives me warm fuzzies.) Being a constitutionalists, I think the Bill of Rights (and the Constitution) is an important part of our citizenship, our government, our country, our way of life. (For the record some people could say, my husband's family brainwashed me, but that's really not true, it was my political theory professor I had before I married into my husband's family who turned me into a strict constitutionalists.) When I first started talking to my husband I was pretty neutral on the whole "firearm rights" issue, but after hearing his side of things, taking my political theory classes, reading a lot of convincing evidence that personal firearms decrease crime and not finding convincing arguments for the gun control side of things, I believe very strongly that the Second Amendment is in reference to personal rights. Based on Obama's record in the Illinois Legislature, and as a US Senator, he does not agree. He seems to think local government can take way rights given in the constitution. I don't know where he learned about the Constitution, the states have rights to regulate what the Constitution does not strictly mention, the right to keep and bear arms is stated. States and Local governments can not legally take that away. In a world that seems to be on a downhill slope I sleep better at night knowing we have the right to defend our family. According to the NRA magazine, Obama wants to ban use of firearms for home defense, pass federal laws eliminating your right to carry, ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns, along with more. That honestly makes me worried about my family and myself. I honestly could care less about all my personal property when it comes to criminals, its just stuff, but when it comes to the safety of my family's lives I care. When I think about the second amendment being taken away, I think about the stories of Hurricane Katrina, with all the raping and pillaging. As far as I can tell the right to defend my family, and my husband's right to defend our family is the only that can stop that in a state of emergency.
(Yes, I know I can be death and gloom, but well I've read the Book of Mormon and it doesn't give me much hope for humanity, if you recall it ended in apostasy, while the Book of Ether ended with everyone killed. And no one try and tell me for one minute if we had stricter gun laws something like the end of Ether could not happen. If I'm too gloomy for your taste just be grateful, I have great faith in all those little old ladies prayers in the temple.)
So do you believe there should be no laws regulating gun sales, whatsoever? I personally think there should be stricter laws regarding the sale of guns to people with mental illnesses or violent criminal histories... that would've made it harder for (and perhaps have prevented) people like the Virginia Tech Shooter to commit mass murder. (Especially since he had a known history of mental illness.)
ReplyDeleteVoting is also a constitutional right, but there are rules and laws to help regulate the system. For example, the government requires one to register to vote (and you can't vote if you're a convicted felon), so I think that requiring one to register properly before buying an assault weapon (which I think bears more responsibility than voting) isn't necessarily taking one's right to bear arms away.
ReplyDeletePS- I'm not saying I don't think people should be able to own guns (my husband is a gun owner). I just think that there should be some rules in place.
I really didn't mean to say anything pro or against the regulation, whether I think there should be regulation or not, was not the point of my post. The point was that based on the NRA Obama wants to take away all firearm rights.
ReplyDeleteSo... who are you voting for?
ReplyDeleteAh... I see.
ReplyDeleteThat last comment was me (another account) by the way.. just in case you were wondering.. although I'm pretty sure you don't know another Larissa. ha.
ReplyDeleteJust in case Lari comes back - at Virginia Tech, firearms were expressly prohibited at that school. Just a few months previous, the school administrators were bragging about how safe everyone could feel because firearms were banned. In addition, the shooter wasn't "flagged" in any way that would have prevented him from buying firearms. But the main issue wasn't that he *could* buy guns, but that everyone on campus was prohibited from being able to fight back. Is the goal of gun control to ensure that everyone is equally defenseless and at the mercy of criminals?
ReplyDeleteObama is bad news for gun owners. There was a town in Illinois where gun ownership was prohibited, and home invasions were rampant. One homeowner was at home when some criminals invaded and he defended himself with his guns, and he was prosecuted! In response, the legislature passed a law specifically to allow citizens to defend their homes, and Obama opposed it.
We wouldn't need so much gun control if violent criminals were properly prosecuted, and if the victims could shoot back to begin with.
To continue with Mike's comment. I can't remember which county it is, but there is a county in the greater Atlanta area that has a law making it mandatory for every home to own a firearm. Crime in that county is practically zero. No household break ins, no nothing. No criminal is stupid enough to rob anyone in that county.
ReplyDelete