It's All About Perspective...

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Some have argued that this statement refers only to “well-regulated Militia,” while others believe the “the right of the people to keep and bear arms” gives every Tom, Dick, and Harriet the constitutional and unequivocal right to own guns, regardless of their design. Or perhaps, to put that in perspective, every Stephen Paddock (Las Vegas – 59 killed), Omar Mateen (Pulse – 49 killed), Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech – 32 killed), Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook Elementary – 27 killed), George Hennard (Killeen, TX – 23 killed), James Huberty (McDonald’s in San Ysidro, CA – 21 killed), Joseph Whitman (University of Texas – 18 killed) …and the list, unfortunately, goes on.

In 1791, when the Second Amendment was adopted into our Constitution, the gun of choice was a musket. It was a single-shot. It was loaded through the muzzle, and it was primarily used for hunting and protection.

The weapons used in Las Vegas were not muskets. They were semi-automatic rifles modified with a technology known as “bump-stock” which turns a semi-automatic rifle into a machine gun.

The weapons used at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida on the night of June 12, 2016 were the semi-automatic Sig Sauer MCX .223-caliber rifle with a capacity of 30 rounds and a Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a magazine capacity of 17 rounds.

I believe in our Constitution. I believe in the protection that it gives, and if some feel the need to have guns, as long as they go through the proper licensing and training required, that is their right, but there is no reason on earth why anyone needs to own a semi-automatic or automatic rifle. NONE. It is not a weapon for hunting – it is an assault weapon, built to do only one thing – annihilate.

How many innocents will have to die before these weapons are banned? How many parents will have to bury their children? How many children will have to bury their parents? How many times must this happen before those in bed with the NRA wake up and realize that they are the ones truly responsible for killing our loved ones…and they’re doing it for only one thing – votes.

Think about that.

There’s a saying that’s bandied about and it goes like this: “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people” and I say to those who spout that absurdity, tell that to the people of Las Vegas. Tell that to the families of those lost at Pulse or at Virginia Tech or Sandy Hook Elementary or the University of Texas or Columbine…and I doubt they’d agree.