TOO MANY GUNS OR TOO FEW???

Because of the shooting in southern Florida last week, the anti-gun forces are out in force. One should expect that response. These are people who believe that the passing of stricter gun laws would have stopped the nut case who killed those innocent youngsters and teachers.

Of course no law of any kind would have stopped this event or others like it in the past or in the future. Let’s face it. It is already illegal to bring a gun into a school. It is already illegal to commit murder. So, obviously this particular murderer broke existing laws and would most certainly break any new law if it got in the way of his intent.

The gun control people would have you believe there are too many guns. I contend there are too few guns. Consider how last week’s event might have been different had that coach been armed. What if any other teachers or administrators had been armed and trained in the use of firearms? Maybe this little punk killer might have thought hard before launching his attack had he known that teachers were armed rather than the school being a “gun free” zone. Here’s a pure fact. The only way to stop a gun is with a gun. Why is that so hard for some people to understand?

Let me share a few more interesting little tidbits with you. Across this country there are probably more guns than people. No law intended to get those guns out of their owners’ hands would ever be effective. Gun owners are never going to give up their weapons, period. The Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees Americans the absolute right to keep and bear arms. Guns are used for hunting, target practice, and general defense. The vast majority of guns in this country are owned by the good guys. A very small minority use guns for illegal purposes. Trying to stop the good guys who would never commit a crime from owning weapons of self-defense would do nothing to stop the very few bad guys from getting guns. Just like drug laws have had very little effect on illegal drug use or drinking while driving laws have had similar failure in stemming drunk drivers, these prohibition laws are basically feel good legislation and nothing more.

So, what are we to do. First let me just say that my heart aches for the victims and the family members of the massacre in Florida. Like all of you I hurt when these situations happen. I hurt when storms come and kill innocent people. I hurt when lightning strikes some victim under a tree. I hurt when a drunk driver kills some innocent family just out for a drive. But, these things happen and they are going to happen. In reality last week on Valentine’s Day, 329,399, 950 people in this country were not killed by a nutcase in a school shooting. To the people involved, this was the worst day of their lives, no doubt, but it needs to be put in perspective.

We will not change that result by emotionally reacting and trying to change laws which have been in effect for over three hundred years.  

We are now learning a lot more about this particular killer. He was reported to authorities many times and nothing was done. He was crying out for someone to stop him and those in authority failed. We are absolutely going to have to be more attentive to individuals who need our intervention. Parents are going to have to know what their children are doing and with whom they are communicating. This kid had an AR 15 rifle in his room and tons of ammunition. Who knew about that? He was practicing shooting. Who knew about that?

We live in a free society. We cannot arrest someone for having bad thoughts, but we can make certain crazy people are controlled in some environment. Parents and guardians need to do their jobs.

Ron Scarbro