I always cringe when the liberals propose more laws prohibiting this and that, ‘to protect us,’ of course. Look at U.S. history, and you will find that anti-gun legislation, hasn’t slowed gun violence at all. Why not? Because guns have never killed anyone. People die from guns, baseball bats, strangulation, drowning, drug overdoses, skiing accidents, falling off of mountains, cliffs or even in bathtubs. Hundreds of millions of people in America, die from disease, old age, or foolishness.
Most football players, even in high schools, get concussions and brain injuries, because football is the sport Americans love best. Football is the only sport where players have to dress in full body armor to play, and the whole idea is to crush, tackle and destroy opponents. How often are players carried off field in a gurney? I cannot understand the love of football. The football didn’t cause he injuries. The players who threw and tackled, caused the injuries.
Runners, mountain climbers, and participants in sports of all kinds, can kill themselves by participating in dangerous actions. They know their actions are dangerous, but they hope to ‘beat the odds.’ Drug takers are doing the same, hoping to ‘beat the odds.’ They’ve all done it to themselves, not the sport or the drugs. Drugs and footballs remain there, not doing anything. They’re inert.
No gun has ever gotten out of someone’s hand and shot anything. It was the shooter who is to blame, not the inanimate piece of machinery, known as a gun. If a drunk driver killed an innocent person, the drunk did it, not his car. Hundreds of millions of people live peacefully every day without getting angry or drunk and killing an innocent person.
Foolish school kids, smoke, do drugs, and drive recklessly, killing themselves or others, usually because of poor parenting maybe, but it is not the car, cigarettes or drugs that was responsible for any fatality. It was the foolish kids, who tried to ‘beat the odds.’
My Dad started smoking Camels at a young age, and died of lung cancer at age 63. The Camels weren’t guilty. My Dad was foolish, and kept on smoking them long after the lung cancer cause was common knowledge. Millions die from overweight, because they ate too much, and hadn’t enough sense or love for themselves, wives, or friends, to diet and save their lives. I’ve never been drunk, done drugs or smoked, and will be 92 pretty soon. A few years ago, I decided that I was too heavy, lost 55 pounds, and have kept it off. It wasn’t the food which made me overweight, but my consumption of it. It’s still there in all of its deliciousness. I chose to ignore much of it, since it wasn’t to blame, but me.
The common myth, is that Switzerland requires every family to own a gun, which is not true. However most Swiss families have them, and there have been but two mass shootings in Switzerland in the last 20 years. Suppose everyone in America had a gun. Would there be many robberies and all sorts or crime, if thieves and criminals decided to ‘beat the odds,’ knowing that everyone could be armed? Cigarettes are not illegal, and neither is marijuana in most places, but most don’t do either, thanks to good sense. Taking drugs and smoking, is purely voluntary, and no one is forced to do either. Doing any kind of sports, is taking a chance, just like smoking and doing drugs. The participants know they are taking a chance, but figuring they will survive, and enjoy doing them, trying to ‘beat the odds.’
Making something illegal, is the surest way to make it popular. Prohibition made drinking popular, and far more alcohol was consumed during prohibition, than before or after. All prohibition did, was make Canadian alcohol popular, and smuggling necessary to do what everyone has done since Biblical times. It became fun to drink and get drunk! It was illegal, and everyone enjoyed breaking that foolish law. If smoking were made illegal, far more would have smoked. Instead, medical proof of the danger of smoking, dropped the smoking rate from probably 85%, now down to 18% and still dropping. If you are a fan of Turner Classic Movies, as I am, all the pre 1965 films had everyone smoking. Smoking was expected! Why not post pictures of drugs, have assemblies showing the danger to kids, and cease the war on drugs, which makes them ever so popular, due to their illegality.
Remember the 55 MPH speed limits? How often did you violate that silly law, hoping not to get caught? Just about everyone. It was fun to have a radar detector, and try to ‘beat the odds’ of getting caught. Radar detectors were unknown before the 55 MPH speed limit.
Let’s get rid of the drug and gun laws. Illegal drugs, are making criminals rich, and are probably killing morons who try to ‘beat the odds.’ If drugs weren’t illegal, far fewer overdoses would happen, and criminals wouldn’t get rich. If everyone had a gun, the decrease in crime would be unbelievable. Will either happen? Prohibition got us speakeasies, drunks, and the FBI.
The recent freeing of Penny, who was to me, a hero, should never have been charged with anything. Just given a hand by saved passengers. I’ve got guns, and am a life member of the NRA, but I have never shot anyone, and I am sure that no NRA member has either, other than for self-defense, and I am certain they had one when the need arrived. If the cops were allowed to shoot to kill, rather than having to make out a report every time they removed their gun from its holster, we have less crime and all feel safer. Everyone who uses a gun should shoot to kill. Saves a lot of court time!
-Don Stott don@coloradogold.com. 970-249-4646