Springfield, Missouri

On the first of November the Springfield News Leader printed an article about gun theft in the city, revealing that of the ten most recent cases of a stolen firearm, only three were forced entry. One incident reported that the person simply did not lock their vehicle with the gun inside while parking downtown.

This outrages me. I hope it outrages you too. You should be outraged.

I don't even own a gun, and if I ever left my car unlocked in the downtown area I would almost certainly return to find my car ransacked, if not stolen. I say this because it has happened to me and plenty of other individuals.

In fact just last year, I accidentally left my back window open maybe a little more than an inch and returned to find someone had gotten into my car and stolen my purse from that small mistake.

My purse being in the hands of the wrong purse is a MAJOR difference than a gun being in the hands of a wrong person.

On Halloween night two individuals were found shot dead.

Two days later, another person was found shot dead in their home. Within the past 48 hours, the police have been able to arrest and identify the suspect as well as those claimed to be an accomplice, and the story that unfolded with these arrests is horrifying.

The shooter allegedly gave an individual some tattoos in trade for a gun they had stolen from a car. The shooter then proceeded to kill his former roommates, and later kill the person who gave him the gun in the first place.

A stolen gun has now left three people dead and there are gun owners out there who don't see the importance in locking their car even though their firearm is inside.

How much protection can you get from owning a gun if you can't even prevent it from being stolen by something as simple and necessary as locking your car?

I'm not advocating to take gun rights away or even making any type of statement on gun rights at all.

I'm simply pointing out the fact you are an absolute idiot if you make the decision to have a gun, then proceed to leave it up for grabs in an unlocked vehicle while being parked in an area with common car thefts.

The only thing valuable in my car is my phone charger, and I still triple check my doors to make sure they're locked before leaving. I lock my doors because it's COMMON SENSE.

If I did own a gun and kept it in my car I would still lock my doors because it's COMMON SENSE and DEADLY.

If you are not going to lock your car, take your damn gun with you.

Be responsible. Use your common sense. Stop giving easy access to individuals who absolutely should not have possession of a gun.