https://www2.blogger.com/comment.g?
blogID=31420020&postID=4072669776502897780

http://tinyurl.com/yvrxgy

Is it right to bear arms?
from Jonathan in NYC by Jonathan Morales

***Begin Quote***

CNN”s Jim Cafferty was just speaking to Wolf Blitzer about the Virginia Tech shooting. He said that he’s noticed that this seems to be a genuinely American phenomenon (mass shootings) and can’t recall many times it is happened in other countries. He then said he couldn’t figure out what that was.

Really, Jim? Maybe it’s because we’re one of the only Western countries to still allow ordinary citizens to carry weapons, and the NRA and Republicans continue to block any legislation to prevent semi-automatic and automatic weapons from being obtained by people who plan to go out and kill 32 people in one morning.

***End Quote***

Well, of course, I had to put my two cents in.

*** begin quote ***

Perhaps you might wonder why no one on the VT campus had an appropriate tool to stop the situation. I know it is easy to blame the tool. Shooter has his; victims didn’t. And, we all wish that peace and happiness would reign. But, it’s a dangerous world out there and wishing it wasn’t won’t make it so. The dead old white guys recognized the RIGHT of every individual to defend themselves. Except the VT-ers wanted to live in a fairy tale land. One of their admins the year before vigorously opposed recognizing that right on the VT campus. He won. And this is the result. Anyone interviewing him today? One concealed carry permit holder — a student, a faculty member, a custodian — could have probably ended this in seconds. One shooter can’t watch all 31 people simultaneously. It’s a tragedy. But, not unexpected. And, unfortunately not the last.

*** end quote ***

I didn’t pick up on the tired old “automatic” weapon argument. Automatic weapons are for the most part effectively outlawed. Besides which they are what I call “movie weapons”. They come from the misimpression fostered by the movies that you “spray and pray”.

I’d suggest that you have to be more afraid of someone with a long gun than a pistol. Most people can’t hit what they aim at with a pistol unless they are practiced marksmen. The joke around the range is “if you can’t spit on it, then most can’t hit it”. Look at the infamous police shootings 50 shots to get one or two hits.

You have an ABSOLUTE right to your life. That translates to an absolute right to defend yourself.

The police are nice long after the action. They are for the most part report writers, traffic directors, and on rare occasions actual catch a bad guy.

No fault of theirs. They can possibly be at the scene unless there is an incredible coincidence.

Each of us has to defend each other. An armed society is a polite society. We all have to be allowed to have our “pocket knives”. If we choose to pack “heat”. Sprinkle a few Conceal Carry Permits around on that campus and you would have had a completely different outcome. Even a madman, who wants to “get” certain people, has to fear that some non-descript girl or janitor or teacher or nerd will prevent it.

When will we wake up to life as it is. Not as we want it to be.