This is one post I hope people read and respond to. It is simply about the new hot topic, gun control. I should clear a few things up from the beginning. I, personally do not own guns. I’m not a hunter or someone who likes to go to a range and shoot. I am however, someone who fully supports a persons right to own, use and collect guns. Many would agree, owning a gun or having the right to own a gun , is as American as apple pie. It is one of the many things that defines us as Americans. The entire history of this Nation is squarely rooted in the ownership and use of guns. It would be hard to imagine this country ever existing at all , had the British imposed a gun ban as they sent people to colonize this new land.
Before talking about what has sparked this latest revolt against owning guns, I’d like to point some facts out. First, there are at least 2 major cities in the country that have very strict gun laws. Chicago happens to one of them. In the city of Chicago in 2012, 500 people lost their lives to guns. Thats more than the total Americans killed in Afghanistan during the same time period. If that doesn’t amaze you, couple it with the fact that 386 criminal homicides were reported in Detroit. There’s been well over 1 homicide a day in NYC. The list just goes on and on. Thousands of American are shot and killed each and every year.
There is a point to the numbers listed above. They were all killed by people illegally in possession of the weapon, and for the most part an illegally obtained weapon. Drug dealers, gang members and criminals. Not any of the people that stricter gun laws will ever stop from obtaining a gun. And this is where the problem with stricter gun laws begin.
The approach seems a little backwards. Making something illegal for a law abiding citizen to own will not stop anyone from owning it illegally. That approach has never worked and it never will work. There are many examples of this type of misguided conduct failing. How many of you know someone or know of someone who is addicted to heroin? Here is a drug that is illegal to import, illegal to posses and illegal to use. And has been for many years. Yet all to many of us know someone who has become a victim of this drug. It’s something that is completely illegal, yet it is everywhere.
Now fill in the something in the above statement with the word gun. Do you honestly believe a stricter gun ban will take guns off the street? Do you honestly think that making it harder for someone to legally posses a gun that somehow all the bad people will stop having them? It will not. And it never has. The answer to most of this problem is not some feel good quick answer. It doesn’t rest in taking away the rights of honest Americans to purchase guns. It’s much more complicated than that. The answer is in the question you ask. Do you want to end the killing? Do you want to put an end to the violence? Do you want to be safe to walk the streets and go anywhere without the threat of bodily harm?
Taking away the 2nd Amendment rights of all Americans will not bring anyone any closer to being safe. And it will not stop the violence in this country. Having tougher laws for those who use a weapon illegally would help. Giving the police or Federal Government more latitude in going after drug dealer and gang members would help. Declaring war on those people who make an honest persons life impossible to live, would be a good place to start. Instead of trying to infringe on the rights of good decent Americans , let take some of the rights away from those who are hell bent on causing problems. Instead of wasting time and money to fight one of the things that define us as Americans, why not put that money to good use. Lets declare a war on crime. Build more prisons and make it impossible for these people to exist in a normal society. Lets stop being confused about what we want. No one really wants to stop someone from owning a gun. But everyone wants to stop anyone from using a gun to commit a crime.
Areyoustillalive's Blog 
colickyboy
January 7, 2013
Right on. The people committing the “big news” shooting sprees would not be stopped from doing what they want to do simply because of a ban on guns. These lawmakers’ logic is utterly ridiculous.
BrandonSmith203
January 29, 2013
I love how you don’t own guns but support peoples right to won them!! I always say:”I wear my seatbelt, but some people actually believe they are safer without one, so let them decide.” anyways I Agree and Love everything you said up until the last part. Yes we have to deal with criminals, but the justice system in this country is and has been failing for a long time. Building more prisons isn’t exactly the right way. I do agree something has to be done with the most violent offenders obviously. But maybe if we legalized drugs(since as you said anyone can get them anyways) take all the money spent on the drug war and put it into drug education and treatment. Take the minor drug offenders out of jail and get them help. Then we could focus on real criminals i.e. murders, rapists, etc
areyoustillalive
January 29, 2013
Don’t take the easy answer. What drugs would you legalize? If you didn’t legalize all drugs then a black market would still exist for those you didn’t. Drugs also fuel a large percentage of the violent crime we are trying to stop. However, making room in prisons for anyone who uses a gun in the commission of a crime is a start to a winning formula. If you can’t follow the law then maybe the thought of being incarcerated for 10 years would make it counter intuitive for people to use guns illegally. If it means spending money to build more prisons , then so be it. Its money well spent. If it amounts to one less innocent person killed in a drive by, one less person killed in Chicago, one less person getting mugged on the street, one less rape victim, the cost would be worth it.
A Concerned US Citizen
January 29, 2013
The solution is easy: total, complete legalization of all drugs while keeping gun laws as they are now. The problem is that we far too often try to punish behaviors that merit no punishment. If somebody wants to do heroin, let him or her do it! Now if they do it and nod out while at the wheel of a car and kill someone, sentence him or her to death! It’s all about responsibility – drinking alcohol is legal, but drunk driving is not. That’s how the laws should be! That way people who shouldn’t be in prison don’t end up there, and those that truly deserve it do. After legalizing all drugs, mandate free treatment – the cost to society to rehabilitate someone is far less than letting them continue as an addict – speaking of, by making them legal, addicts will lead far better lives, not having to worry about overdosing and quality and all of that nonsense. As for guns, keep them legal – but if someone shoots someone else, they deserve the death penalty! Punish the bad people, not the good…
areyoustillalive
January 29, 2013
A question. How does your heroin addict pay for his heroin? Or is the thought here to make it legal and free? Because right now, they steal and rob from everyone. And a pretty popular myth is that they want to get help. I hear what you’re saying but I’m not following.
A Concerned US Citizen
January 30, 2013
He or she pays for his heroin by working or begging, of course. With it being legal, the prices will be driven way down, and the quality up, eliminating most of the need to steal. With less time being needed to find money and less time needed to obtain quality product, more addicts will become functional members of society and be able to hold down at least part-time jobs, and the ones who can’t or won’t will be able to fund their addicts by begging. People who have never met with or personally known many heroin addicts will not understand this reasoning – but many addicts would be able to function fine and hold down a job if they were not considered criminals and also were not constantly yo-yo’ing between sick and high. In addition, we should setup free clinics a la Zurich, Switzerland – that will have doctors and nurses on staff to give heroin addicts free heroin in a controlled manner until such time as the addict desires help. As a result of doing this, Zurich has already decreased their crime rate by over 50%. Not to mention, by legalizing drugs gangs will lose almost all of their sources of income, further reducing crime.
A Concerned US Citizen
January 30, 2013
And as for how we pay for this – tax the newly legalized drugs, and use the proceeds to fund the mandated treatment if you commit a crime while high and also to fund the free clinics that provide drugs to those who can’t afford it and are addicted. Perhaps make it a requirement that any addict seeking free drugs must go through at least outpatient rehab…
areyoustillalive
January 30, 2013
Every solution to a problem comes about with ideas. Discussing all of them leaves no stone unturned and avoids hidden problems later. I’m not arguing that your idea has no merit. Some of it rings very true. Taking the illegal drugs out of the hands of drug cartels and dealers would make sense on many levels. In many ways crime would be reduced. But being honest, the money and the power is a very strong intoxicant. They will find new ways to make their money.
You also have to understand that the heroin you’re talking about comes for a select few countries. Most of that drug trade is controlled by terrorist groups and or corrupt governments. What you are asking for is to have the Federal Government to become business partners with such groups. The same groups we would be sending money to would be the same groups we are fighting, in lets say, Afghanistan. How would you supply this new Government program with cocaine? We spend billions of dollars trying to help clean up South American countries of a drug problem that is literally destroying them, and then seek the same people out to purchase the cocaine? The point is that every country in the world would have to make all drugs legal just so you could supply your project with the low cost drugs.
Again, not trying to put an end to the discussion. Just trying to understand step 2 in this process.
colickyboy
February 4, 2013
Legalizing drugs would be one of the worst ideas in the history of laws.
areyoustillalive
February 4, 2013
It’s an idea that always comes up and sounds good until you start to think it through. I was hoping the other writer would have answered. So far he has not. But you are right, it’s not a good idea.