I HAVEN'T HAD TO KILL ANYBODY YET

I am a gun owner. In fact, I have been a gun owner for most of my life. As a young teen-ager I often went hunting with my brothers and friends. There were times when we went hunting both before and after school. For convenience we stored our guns in our school lockers. The school administration knew and didn’t care. It was just no big deal.

Now I realize times were different then but what I’m trying to understand is how did we get to where we are? In fact I never heard of a “school shooting” until well into my adulthood. Does that mean that we didn’t have crazies back then? What has changed?

I entered the Army when I was seventeen. Among the first things they did was assign me a rifle. And yes, it was a real rifle. We had extensive training in weaponry. Because of my early introduction to shooting as a youngster and the intense training provided by the Army, I became quite proficient. I earned the classification of “expert” marksman. That caused the Army to put me into a competitive shooting squad. It was great duty. Later during my enlistment, we traveled all over Europe in matches against other Armies of different countries. I was qualified on several weapons and still retain that knowledge.

Even though I am a gun owner with extensive knowledge and understanding of weaponry, I have never had occasion to shoot anybody. I have never held anybody at gunpoint or even threatened anybody. I know how. I know what to do. But, I have never had the need to kill anybody, yet.

So, the question has arisen since this last school shooting. Should someone like me, a veteran, a gun owner, a sane individual with extensive training and knowledge in weaponry, be required by some liberal politician to forego my rights as an American citizen and give up my guns? Here’s my answer. Not only no, but hell no.

I am not going to rehash all of the mistakes that occurred in Florida with that particular nut job, but it is sufficient to say they were many. He should never have been allowed near a gun let alone buy five of them. Attempting to take guns away from someone like me would never stop nut jobs like the Florida shooter from doing his ugly deeds.

Florida’s Governor has suggested that the state should put an armed police officer in every school in Florida. This would cost several hundred million dollars. My solution is much simpler and considerably less expensive. Select a few sane teachers, preferably former military members who would be willing, and train them in close combat shooting situations, buy them a serious handgun, give them a conceal carry permit, and advertise to all the crazies that schools are no longer gun free zones. I promise you this deadly carnage would be greatly reduced. It is never going to end because there will never be an end to insanity. We always have to deal with our reality.

Guns are definitely weapons of destruction. Just like an automobile in the hands of a drunk driver, or a knife being held by a homicidal maniac, or even a stick being used by someone intent on killing or maiming another. Gun control laws serve only to restrict people who obey laws. Homicidal maniacs are not usually counted among them. Just look at Chicago with all their gun control laws. It is all just nonsense.

Finally this last word. Our courts are doing no one any favors by being soft on the bad guys. Punks who use guns to commit their violence should be punished and punished harshly. No more one or two-year sentences for armed robbery or attempted murder. No. let’s have them spend twenty or thirty years in prison. Murderers should never see freedom again. While that may not rehabilitate them, at least they wouldn’t be on the street.

Ron Scarbro