Turn your TV on to the news station, open your news app on your phone, check Twitter or Facebook: “mass shooting,” “49 killed in shooting in Florida nightclub in possible act of Islamic terror,” “assault rifle,” “shooting.” These words are plastered across a screen and hit you like a smack across the face. At first, these words sent a chill down your spine, but as time goes on, you become desensitized because, well, this is the new normal.
In 2016 alone, there have been hundreds of shootings, many of which are considered mass shootings. It is undeniable that these shootings are an utter tragedy. Death, especially when it occurs earlier than it should, is always a tragedy. When you turn on the news, it is hard to escape the reality of shootings. But, it is also hard to escape seeing words like “gun reform,” “gun laws,” and “change.”
This is not about the gun.
“Why do you need an AR-15?” “Why does your family own 11 guns?” “What do you need an Assault Rifle for?” These are all common questions I have been asked, and truthfully, my response is, “Because we want to.” There’s nothing more too it, really.
I suppose there are some things to clarify when it comes to being a gun owner.
The first thing I have to say is that AR does not stand for “assault rifle.” Actually, AR stands for ArmaLite Rifle, which is a company that sold their designs of the AR-15, and less commonly known AR-10, to a gun manufacturer named Colt. To qualify as an assault rifle, the gun has to be a fully automatic weapon. In order to become the owner of a fully automatic weapon, an individual has to go through a highly extensive, expensive, and intense process.
Now, I have a few questions for those who are anti-gun.
Why are you making guns out to be something bad? For the past 12 years I have been shooting guns, and guns have been present in my home since I was born. I never once have turned a gun on someone and killed them. Members of my family and even friends of mine have owned guns for several years for hunting and recreational purposes, and they too have never walked into a school, a mall, or a nightclub and perpetrated a mass shooting.
I’m sure part of your fear comes from the media. I mean, when was the last time you turned on the news and saw something good about guns? It's probably been a while, if ever. Believe it or not, there are actually good guys with guns—millions actually—and they do prevent and stop shootings. A New York AT&T store, Clackamas Town Center, and The New Life Church are just of a few of the many examples of times that armed civilians have prevented or stopped mass shootings from occurring. Only a few days ago there was another occurrence of a civilian stopping a shooting. A man who was carrying a concealed weapon prevented a mass shooting at a South Carolina nightclub, but the media remained silent. There were no national news reports from CNN, not even a news article on the website. Another good guy with a gun went unnoticed.
What makes you think that taking away guns from citizens is going to change anything? In 1971, former President Richard Nixon declared an official War on Drugs, and since 1971, people have continued to use drugs even though they are illegal. Imagine that. Individuals who do use drugs have obtained them through an illegal source. So sure, you can take guns from law abiding citizens, but those who have malicious intentions will obtain guns illegally, or find other means of carrying out their plans. Remember, bombs are illegal but people still make and detonate them. Taking away guns from those who follow the law eliminates the potential for stopping shootings and prevents citizens from having viable means of self defense.
Lastly, why is it always the gun’s fault? When a drunk driver hits and kills another driver, you blame the driver. When someone kills someone by stabbing them, you blame the individual. When terrorists hijack two Boeing 767 aircrafts and fly them directly into the World Trade Center and kill nearly 3,000 people, you blame the terrorists; you blame the individual. But, when it comes to shootings, the gun is blamed. Blaming guns for the murder of innocent people is the same as blaming the Boeing 767 aircraft for the murder of innocent people. Guns are inanimate objects; the only way a gun works and has power is if you put a person behind it and a finger on the trigger. It is the individual's choice to kill someone; it isn’t the gun’s choice.
That all being said, I have a few final words for those who see guns as the problem.
On behalf of those of us who do own guns and who do use them in the correct manner, please don’t just listen to what you see plastered on national news; you aren’t getting the whole story.
Know that if you ever end up in a situation where you are in a shooting and there is someone who is "concealed carry," they will probably do everything in their power to save your life.
Not everyone who owns a gun has the intention to kill someone. Actually, only a tiny fraction of people have that intention. So no, not all gun owners are bad and most are actually pretty great people. They are people like your boss, your neighbor, and maybe even your best friend.
This isn’t about the gun; its about how an individual uses a gun. Those who wish to kill will kill. Those who wish to protect will protect.
It’s a heart problem, not a gun problem.
