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Think about what would happen
to the cowboy rifle you use if a nationwide ban on firearms with a
maximum magazine capacity for nine rounds should be put in place.
In my youth I could walk down the highway with a .22 rifle on
my shoulder and not get a stare of consternation, concern, or a call
to the local police. It
is certainly clear that in today's culture of terror that security
must be maintained, BUT not at the expense of our personal freedoms,
including the right to privacy and personal protection.
The idea that a local sheriff in a non "shall-issue" state can turn down a concealed weapons permit
application for any reason does not set well with me. Nor does the fact that many actors, politicians, and even
judges are against an individual owning firearms but own one
themselves, or have hired an armed body guard for protection, even
to the point where the body guard can get a Concealed Carry permit
easier than I can in vastly liberal and generally anti-gun states
such as California, New York, and Massachusetts.
Remember, the police cannot usually get
to your location in time to protect you.
I have many friends in both police and sheriff's
departments and know they would be there when I needed them if they
could. However, the
odds of them arriving in time to stop someone committing a criminal
act against me and my family are not high.
Gun laws are obeyed by the law abiding citizen, not by the
criminal element in our society.
Of course the anti-gun crowd will say guns (an inanimate
object) are dangerous. I say the unsafe and criminal use of guns is dangerous, just
as the unsafe and drunken driver is dangerous.
Let's carry this a little further.
Can you see a country where your guns are kept under lock and
key at the club range and the only time you can use them is at the
club range? I hope we
never come to that! Can
you imagine having your home invaded and being beaten and your
family terrorized, and then using a firearm the next time you are
attacked - naturally this would be an illegal weapon since it
isn't at the club - to defend your family from bodily harm.
Naturally, since it would be illegal to protect oneself with
a firearm, you could be convicted of murder and sentenced to jail,
or worse? It seems that
is the way it is in England today, where crime has seen a tremendous
increase since the law-abiding citizen has lost the right to protect
himself with a firearm.
You might think I am going overboard?
Believe me, I am not. Our
society is continually moving toward a culture that no longer
recognizes the culture of the farmer, rancher, small towns and
cities, but rather that of more liberal ideology that fundamentally
believes that firearms are bad (until they need one) and that the
government can more readily protect you, the individual.
Remember this the next time you decide not to support the NRA
and other pro-gun organizations because you don't like some of
their policies, or you say this politician supports hunting but not "assault rifles."
Remember
that some politicians interpret an assault rifle as any
semi-automatic firearm that holds more than 10 rounds and has some
military external modifications. Many politicians see such laws as a
stepping stone to removing all firearms from the hands of law
abiding citizens. Remember
that if you want to see your children and grandchildren enjoy this
sport in the future.
You
need to support organizations that fight for your right to own
firearms and to participate in Western-shooting, including such
organizations as: the National Rifle Association (NRA), The 2nd
Amendment Foundation, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Send your comments or letters to the
editor to editor@shootmagazine.com.
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