A LearnAboutGuns.com Visitor’s Musings on Gun Rights

A visitor to this website who wishes to be known at “AMomymous” emailed me some of his thoughts on guns rights.  This was a follow-up on a previous email conversation, in which I invited him to let me know what he agreed with and disagreed with as far as my gun rights stance is concerned.  There were a couple of interesting sounding sections of his musings which were not yet complete, and which I look forward to reading in the future, but for now I’ll just quote and discuss the finished sections:

PARADE VERSUS CHARGES
Why is it that whenever a media story involving self-defense of the home or life using a weapon, legal or taken from the perpetrator, it ends with the phrase “ No charges were filed against (the homeowner )” when it should actually read ‘For their selfless and heroic act there will be a parade down Main St/5th Ave in their honor’. We have to disabuse the media of this obviously biased statement that has no meaning at all except to foster the mistaken notion that armed self defense, no matter how justified, is somehow a chargeable offense. One can well understand if the gun or actions are illegal or over the top but most times even when “ the 89 year old homeowner protecting his 85 year old wife from home invaders, wrestles the gun away from a perpetrator and shoots him” the next line is invariably “No charges were….. BS I say.

I find myself in agreement with this sentiment, as those who defend themselves make crime less attractive to criminals, stop career criminals who would otherwise go on to harm others, and protect their loved ones from emotional harm.  That said, I do often mention that a citizen will not be charged, simply to convey that fact and emphasize that even after a thorough investigation, the citizen was found to be in the right.

ELECTED OFFICIALS SUPPORTING GUN RIGHTS
We in the Gun Rights arena should feel very happy about the continuing trend of Democratic candidates and officials in many state and federal elections holding Pro-Gun views. I’m a registered Democrat (would register Libertarian but primaries would be a waste and they usually decide the elections locally) and I feel this trend and obvious learning curve is a welcome and long overdue change. The Gun Rights issue should be above partisan politics as it is too important to the well being of our nation and its citizens. ( Just read your post on Republican officials in Connecticut, but still feel we’re on the winning side of this trend).

I agree, both as a gun owner and a liberal person myself 🙂

BLACKS AND JEWS
If anyone should, there are two groups that should be at the forefront of the fight for (government) belief in the 2nd Amendment and the Right for individuals to be armed. Blacks have always had the short end of the stick when it came to voting and other rights and certainly the Right to Bear Arms. From Jim Crow laws to Saturday Night Specials to today’s government tries to make Public housing Projects ‘Gun free’ zones, it all smacks of prejudicial attempts at keeping a specific group down. As for Jews, you think they would have learned at the hands of history, specifically Hitler, who in 1938 took gun control laws that were meant to disarm the Nazis and used them later-with added restrictions- to specifically disarm the Jewish populace. The Israelis have certainly learned but American Jews still haven’t quite gotten the big picture yet. “ Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up. “ Niemoeller 1892-1984. By the way, I’m neither Jewish nor Black. Signed Sammy Davis Jr (Pun intended)

I only wish Jessie Jackson and other so-called civil rights leaders would recognize this.  Armed minorities are able to defend themselves against racist attackers, instead of being victims.

NY ROGUES
I have always wanted to start a series of locally based organizations that would represent common sense gun laws and owners. We know rogue has a negative connotation as in “Rogue elephant causing destruction in the fields” but we like the other meaning as in ‘lovable rogue’ such as someone who follows the law but has an independent and caring streak. It was a popular character type in 50’s movies. Rogues stands for Responsible Owners of Guns United to Exemplify Solidarity (or Safety).
Take your pick. At first it was tongue-in-cheek but now it doesn’t seem so.
It is still amazing to see how prolific your writing is, but more important it’s good to have a forum to express like minded ideas in a coherent manner. To explain, in my last e-mail, when I said that I agreed with you 98% of the time and you wanted to know about the 2% disagreement.. It involves joining the NRA. I know I should and you say to for good reason but I’ll explain why I don’t. I used to be a member many moons ago, but I left because I, at the time, didn’t like the representatives that the NRA used to send out to speak/represent our side at media interviews. They seemed too stodgy, uninformed, stiff and repetitive. This was over 12 years ago- they may have improved by now. Then, in repeated discussions, I found that I could use the fact that I had quit the NRA as a tool. When someone would invariably say- as they do to all Pro Gun Rights politicians and individuals- that “you’re just a lackey for the NRA” I would truthfully answer that “NO, I can speak and have my own opinion and I am not force fed those opinions by the NRA and as a matter of fact I quit that organization years ago” .
It totally befuddles the opposition, because they apparently, condescending bunch that they can be, feel that we can’t have an independent thought without some evil, all-powerful, mind manipulating organization brainwashing us. I still gladly give to the 2nd Amendment foundation, Women and Guns magazine, the Shooting Sports Council and I am a life member of the Law Enforcement Association Of America( a very Pro gun rights group). Hopefully this makes sense to you; I just don’t tell this to the general public because I do feel as you do that the NRA, bottom line, deserves our support.

Here is where our opinions part company, at least partially.  I’m very much in favor of having a variety of groups that support the Second Amendment, however I also believe that as a practical matter we should *all* join the NRA as well.  That is because the NRA is the largest pro gun group, and it is in the best position to put up a strong fight for our gun rights.   Minor disagreements about the efficiency or specific actions taken by the NRA shouldn’t be allowed to divide us, because if we are divided we will fail.  I would urge everyone to join the NRA, as well as any and all other pro gun rights goups that they like, as membership in one such pro gun group does not preclude membership in other such groups.  If, for the sake of argument, one is really dissatisfied with the NRA for some reason, then I would still argue that it is better to try and improve the NRA from within than to allow the pro gun rights community to be fragmented and defeated in detail by the rather cohesive and unified anti gun rights groups out there.

My thanks to “AMomymous” for the above quoted comments.  I look forward to reading and discussing the other sections that are still works in progress.