My RIGHT to bear arms
I am a retired female US Army combat veteran and gun owner. I demand the right to own military grade weapons including assault rifles, machineguns, and pistols along with their high capacity magazines. I also believe that US citizenship should be required and that the weapon should be registered and the owner be licensed. Motor vehicles kill far more people than guns, but few people call for the abolition of individual vehicle ownership or to ban the sale of vehicles that go faster than the maximum speed limit. I am a LIBERAL and strongly support responsible gun ownership and death by public hanging of all those convicted of using or attempting to use guns to commit crimes or terrorist acts.
Guns in the wrong hands are a problem, but less of a problem than motor vehicles in the wrong hands. Every year, cars kill as many people as 5 years of the Vietnam War. If foolish liberal leaders allow the gun issue to have priority, then we stand a very good chance of loosing out on liberal issues of far greater importance like ending US involvement in the Afghanistan War, mitigating Global Warming, implementing High Speed passenger rail throughout our nation, expanding mass transit in all our cities, halting sub-urban sprawl, protecting our environment, getting a GLBT-friendly ENDA law passed, reversing DOMA, protecting internet neutrality, holding the financial institutions accountable for the continuing recession that began under Bush II, getting election finance reform, halting the mountaintop removal method of coal mining, getting immigration reform passed, and preserving our social/financial safety net.
Switzerland is a country a lot more liberal than the US, but every able-bodied male is required to have a registered assault rifle at home, and that country has far less crime than the US. The weapons I am refering to are originally government issued since Switzerland relies on a home based, highly trained citizen's militia instead of a full-time army; however, Swiss soildiers are encourged to buy their service assault rifle after they retire, keep it at home, continue practicing with it, and to train their family members. All those military grade weapons in the hands of responsible citizens also helps keep their government free and honest.
I am sick and tired of the liberal establishment using the crimes of sick people as an excuse to take away the guns of responsible citizens. Do I hear a cry to take away cars from all drivers just because 30,000 Americans are killed by cars on our highways every year? Is there a call to ban gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oil, fertilizer, matches, and cell phones (as detonators) because a few people make bombs out of them? Are ski masks or panyhose going to be banned because some robbers wear them to hide their faces during bank robberies?
The gun ownership issue could kill progress on all liberal causes. To my liberal sisters and brothers in the United States: don't be stupid and blow our whole liberal agenda just because of one divisive issue!
My RIGHT to bear arms
I am a retired female US Army combat veteran and gun owner. I demand the right to own military grade weapons including assault rifles, machineguns, and pistols along with their high capacity magazines. I also believe that US citizenship should be required and that the weapon should be registered and the owner be licensed. Motor vehicles kill far more people than guns, but few people call for the abolition of individual vehicle ownership or to ban the sale of vehicles that go faster than the maximum speed limit. I am a LIBERAL and strongly support responsible gun ownership and death by public hanging of all those convicted of using or attempting to use guns to commit crimes or terrorist acts.
Guns in the wrong hands are a problem, but less of a problem than motor vehicles in the wrong hands. Every year, cars kill as many people as 5 years of the Vietnam War. If foolish liberal leaders allow the gun issue to have priority, then we stand a very good chance of loosing out on liberal issues of far greater importance like ending US involvement in the Afghanistan War, mitigating Global Warming, implementing High Speed passenger rail throughout our nation, expanding mass transit in all our cities, halting sub-urban sprawl, protecting our environment, getting a GLBT-friendly ENDA law passed, reversing DOMA, protecting internet neutrality, holding the financial institutions accountable for the continuing recession that began under Bush II, getting election finance reform, halting the mountaintop removal method of coal mining, getting immigration reform passed, and preserving our social/financial safety net.
Switzerland is a country a lot more liberal than the US, but every able-bodied male is required to have a registered assault rifle at home, and that country has far less crime than the US. The weapons I am refering to are originally government issued since Switzerland relies on a home based, highly trained citizen's militia instead of a full-time army; however, Swiss soildiers are encourged to buy their service assault rifle after they retire, keep it at home, continue practicing with it, and to train their family members. All those military grade weapons in the hands of responsible citizens also helps keep their government free and honest.
I am sick and tired of the liberal establishment using the crimes of sick people as an excuse to take away the guns of responsible citizens. Do I hear a cry to take away cars from all drivers just because 30,000 Americans are killed by cars on our highways every year? Is there a call to ban gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oil, fertilizer, matches, and cell phones (as detonators) because a few people make bombs out of them? Are ski masks or panyhose going to be banned because some robbers wear them to hide their faces during bank robberies?
The gun ownership issue could kill progress on all liberal causes. To my liberal sisters and brothers in the United States: don't be stupid and blow our whole liberal agenda just because of one divisive issue!