I am a gun owner, sportsman and hunter. I was an early member of the NRA. The NRA was a sportsman’s organization dedicated to gun safety, sportsmanship and preservation of our pristine wilderness. No more. It is now a lobby for special interest. Gun manufacturers, ammunition manufacturers and now those people that believe the second amendment’s right to bear arms includes the right to ownership of assault weapons and multi round clips. The only purpose for such weapons in civilized society is entertainment. Americans are paying a very high price for those people that possess those devices to be entertained. Congress may ban bumpers and resume background checks but that won’t solve the problem. Anyone with a working knowledge of firearms can make a semi-automatic weapon fully automatic in a very short period of time. There is absolutely no valid reason for ten, twenty or thirty round clips. A semi-automatic weapon can fire as fast as its user can pull the trigger, with a measure of accuracy. These weapons, such as the AR-15 and AK-47, are military designed to take human life.
There are those that would argue the necessity for such weapons is protection against tyranny. They will not protect American citizens from tyranny. Only the ballot box will do that.
We do not live in a wilderness. We supposedly live in a civilized society. Why then are we at such risks in our schools, our social gatherings and sports events? As long as these weapons are available, the killing will continue. More guns and more people carrying guns will lead to more bloodshed, more terror, more heartache and a denial of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, an inalienable right.
Congress should immediately ban assault weapons and multi-round clips. Our young people are too precious to put at risk of harm.
