Gun Safety?

                                                     

The Village Idiot

 Gun Safety

When it comes to Gun Safety I must be an idiot. I thought I understood what the United States Constitution said about guns and safety. But I must be totally confused because so many people think guns are unsafe. 

      My grandpa had a double barreled shot gun he kept in the closet.  The postman delivered mail everyday, kids would sit on the porch and listen to my grandpa tell them stories. I can't count how many times neighbors and friends would stop by to chat with Grampa. During all that time the shotgun never shot anyone. It just stood in the back of the closet and didn't bother anyone.  I never thought it was an unsafe gun. 

      So I get confused when I see signs that say "Guns kill people".  I always thought it was people that killed people.  But the politicians who make the laws know it is people who kill people because all the laws are to control people. Otherwise they would make a law that made it illegal for a gun to go kill anyone.  Sorry, I have slipped into using common sense again. No wonder I am an Idiot.  

       I need to read the 2nd Amendment again  "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

       People who read this say things that get me confused.

1. They say the purpose of this amendment was to provide a military force and guns today should be limited to the military. 

2. The purpose of having guns was to provide a militia force to prevent anyone from threatening our national security.

3. Guns are the cause of thousands of deaths in the United States every year. 

4. If we made guns illegal that would stop the massacre of innocent people.

5. When the 2nd amendment was passed the only guns were single shot muskets that took a few minutes to reload. High capacity modern guns should be banned. 

    Most people think restrictive laws that decrease the number of guns in private hands will lead to greater safety.  The confusing part for me is that the 2nd Amendment does not give anyone the right to own a gun.  The Constitution says we already have that right. The focus of the second amendment is not about limits on guns. It is focused on limiting the government. The 2nd amendment simply says the government cannot make laws that limit, infringe, or nibble away at our already established right to own arms.  The government not only cannot make laws against gun ownership rights and use but may not do anything that would infringe on that right.  To infringe is to  "To take another's possessions or rights gradually or stealthily.".  

     The 2nd amendment says it is unconstitutional for our government to makes laws about guns. Our Constitution prohibits the government, but does not put any limits on guns.

      The confusing part for me is why so many intelligent people don't understand the 2nd amendment and want our Congress, or states, or cities to violate the Constitution and make owning a gun a crime. 

      I am also confused by the reasons people give for banning guns. In early colonial days guns were essential.  The first settlers often planted corn. The squirrels loved corn and would eat the entire crop. The solution was to shoot the squirrels. The job of shooting squirrels was often given to one of the younger children who was big enough to handle a musket but too young to do a mans work.  Good marksmanship was essential to not waste musket balls and powder.  A few years later, during the revolutionary war, these same marksmen had little trouble hitting a British soldier wearing a bright red coat and marching in an open field.  These squirrel trained marksmen were part of the reason we won our independence from Britain.

      George Washington did not use freedom of speech to defeat the British.... he just shot them!

     In Gun Safety Part 2 I will consider the multiple reasons for some people to demand unconstitutional laws about gun ownership. 

     In review, the constitution does not limit guns. It limits, the government from making any laws about guns.  "the rights of the people..." establishes it as a right.  "...to keep and bear arms.."  says we have a right to own and carry guns and "shall not be infringed" says the government is prohibited from doing anything to diminish our rights. 

     I get confused when so many people including Congress, the Supreme Court and President Biden ignore the 2nd Amendment and think the government should pass laws limiting gun ownership. Most of those people are smarter than I will ever be. Perhaps I am being confused by the simple words in the 2nd Amendment or my bad habit of relying on common sense. Maybe I would understand it better if I wasn't the village Idiot.