Guns, Taxes and Living in the USA

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Examples of 'assault rifles'

Assault rifles photo by Photobucket

OK….I’m mad, and I’m not going to take it any more….

I am just about sick and tired of hearing all about how awful guns are and how ‘assault riffles’ should be banned. A few months ago I received an email from someone in AUSTRALIA who felt that they should send around a petition for people to sign and email to the US government about how awful guns in the US are.

My question to these people is: “What right do you have to meddle with the fundamental laws of another country?

If you don’t like the laws in other countries then STAY HOME!

I recently saw a facebook posting from a friend who lives in another country regarding this issue, and my facebook friend wanted to know why I’m worried about this law. Following is my response to her question. Since facebook only allows a limited number of characters, I am posting it here:

Hell Yes, I am ‘worried’ about this law.

I have lived in both Canada and the Republic of the United States of America. I enjoy living in both countries, and both have advantages and disadvantages that I won’t go into here. They also have similarities and differences.

One of the similarities is that there are many places in both countries where you can live in peace, leave your doors unlocked, and friends in the community look after you. You and I both live in places like that.

One of the differences is the Constitution, and with that comes the difference of attitude toward guns. The Constitution of the Republic of the United States of America states that the citizens have the right to own and bear arms. This is the CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. This law dates back to the founding of the country and has helped shape its people.

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of the law is not to provide entertainment or food for the people, and it is not to defend the country from invaders. It is a law that was put in place to insure that the people do not become slaves to the government. This reason is as valid today as it was then, and probably even more so. AND, it does not limit the KIND of guns you can own or the NUMBER of rounds you can shoot without reloading.

For those who use the argument that ‘assault riffles’ are dangerous and should be banned, keep this in mind: Smoking is the number one killer of people in the country but I don’t see anyone trying to outlaw tobacco. In fact, I still see cigarettes for sale in stores everywhere.

Automobiles kill far more people than guns but I don’t see them being banned from the roads or locked up in garages and hidden from sight when not in use. Instead we advertise automobiles for sale and teach our offspring the laws of the road and how to drive. They are left prominently and proudly displayed in our driveways. When I was growing up guns were treated the same way. People got drunk and stupid and killed innocent families with their cars then and they still do it now. People got drunk and stupid and shot themselves in the foot with their guns.

Statistically speaking, guns are very low on the ‘killer’ list. A gun, like a car, is only a tool. It doesn’t pull its own trigger. People are killed by tire irons, kitchen knives, baseball bats, poisons, and fists and NONE of these things are even considered for banning. Perhaps, instead of banning guns we should ban the criminally insane people, the drug dealers, and the gang members who use them to hurt the innocent. The truth is that more people commit suicide with guns than shoot others. Do you think taking guns away from them will prevent their death? No, it just means that more of them will land on others when they jump from skyscrapers.

Banning guns will not stop people from using them to feel power over another any more than banning drugs has got meth, coke and heroin off the street. The only thing it will do is insure that only the criminally insane have them, that underground gun dealers become wealthy, and that the rest of the population become sitting ducks. In fact, most mass shootings are committed by people on psychotropic meds, the kind prescribed by a doctor, but by law that can’t be reported because we wouldn’t want to malign the name of the shooter, now would we?

If I’m not mistaken, New York City and Chicago have some of the toughest anti-gun laws in the country, and they have the highest crime rate and the highest incidents of shootings.

That tells me two things:

1) gun laws will not stop criminals from having guns;
2) gun laws give criminals the knowledge that they have free rein. They have no fear because NO ONE will shoot back.

Banning guns will not make them all disappear, any more than outlawing drugs has stopped the sale of crack and meth to high school kids. Telling people guns are bad will not discourage criminals from using them. You can not wipe out the knowledge of guns any more than you can wipe out the knowledge of atomic bombs.

In 1773 Americans destroyed three shiploads of Brittish tea because of taxes. The Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania in 1791 was sparked by a proposed tax on alcohol, but in 1797 the government finally got in place an estate tax. Over time this has expanded to include sales taxes, inheritance taxes, income taxes, luxury taxes, gas taxes, capital gains taxes, investment taxes…I think you get the idea.

Do you really think that if the government bans one kind of firearm it will stop at that?

So…..Hell yes, I’m worried.

Category : Rant, Uncategorized, Writing
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