Question: Why is it every time some psycho goes on a shooting rampage in this country and kills more than two people, the answer from many people is "more guns."
If you have a string of burglaries, no one wants more burglaries. No one wants to see more prostitutes hooking out on the streets. Nor do we want to see people dealing drugs more in parking lots and on the streets.
But, by the rationale of arming more people with guns to combat gun violence, the solution to the problem would be to allow more burglaries, rape, drug trafficking, domestic violence, etc.
Ironically, whenever someone (teens and the elderly) causes a major traffic accident resulting in fatalities, injuries and property damage, the answer is always to do something to get driver's license out of the hands of teenagers and elderly.
Some people are arguing that 16 is too young to have a driver's license and being 18 is just about the right age. It won't solve the problem. Neither will outlawing texting while driving or talking on a cellular phone. I've seen people apply make-up while driving and brushing their teeth. I was behind someone on a street of two-lane highway who was woofing down a pizza and throwing the crust out the window. It's call inattentive driving and littering, but no one is telling people you can't eat and derive.
How many accidents do you think happen because someone spilled their coffee or drink on them? But yet, you can only be charge with drinking while intoxicated.
But no, we need more guns. More guns!
And I'm not an anti-gun person. I only two shotguns, a rifle and three handguns. And I want more. More guns! MORE GUNS!! I want a rifle with a nice scope on it. I want a double-barrel shotgun, both over and under and side by side. I want a pump action. I wouldn't even mine having an AR-15 or AK-47.
Other people have these and while many respect them, others don't. My grandfather was an avid hunter and gun enthusiasts. My father got his first rifle when he was 16. But they respected the firearms. They never showed them off to people. As far as I know, they didn't name their firearms.
We live in a society that is so in love with guns, but some people don't want the responsibility attached with operating and owning them.
A few law enforcement officers I've spoken with about the matter of concealed carry or open carry say their concern is people will go out and buy a firearm and never handle it again after firing it a few times and obtaining their permit. They'll never clean it and they'll forget the impact of the gun blast.
Many people who carry clean and fire their weapons on a regular basis. But the problem you have is you never know. Someone with a gun on their hip may have an open carry permit or they may be trying to pass it off. This also means it's very easy for a person to fool someone into thinking they are a law abiding citizen just seconds before they rob them.
This is why some states with open carry have laws, just like here in Oklahoma, that prohibit guns from being allowed on school premises or at sporting events and definitely away from businesses where money is exchanged frequently. Business owners also reserve the right to tell people that no guns are allowed. This also applies to property owners.
You're renting property for a nail salon at a mini-mall and the property owner doesn't want any guns on the premises, you have to do what they say. And that's probably the case with the Chattanooga shootings. A recruitment office in a shopping center or strip mall is still renting space and even though Uncle Sam is paying, it's still a private property.
And let's face it, it's 2015! Recruitment offices next to a Best Buy or J. Crew are not needed anymore. There's all that information that can easily be placed on a website. If someone wants to speak with someone face to face, they leave their name and number on a website and someone calls them.
Anyone wanting to join the Army or the Marines pretty much has made their decision before they go into the recruitment office anyway. This isn't like going into a shoe store just on a whim and seeing they have a BOGO special.
I had recruiters calling me my 11th and 12th grade years in high school. What happened? Do they still do that? Or do they only target the kids in the alternative education classes now? When Baby Boomers got old enough to serve their country, recruiters came to their schools and talked to all the young teenage males who were of military age.
Now, some people argue that military officials should be armed on bases. I thought that was why we had military police. Maybe it's the fact that some of the people on bases are from those alt-ed classes or have psychological problems is why everyone on a military bases doesn't walk around with a .45 on their hip and a M-16 strapped across their shoulder.
Domestic abuse on military bases is a terrible problem. Prior to 9/11/ there were some concerns of spousal abuse reportedly caused by military personnel at Fort Bragg. But nothing else is said of that now.
Remember, not everyone who serves is a real American hero G.I. Joe. The military, just like every other business and organizations, has a few screw-ups and a few workers who may have looked good on paper but not so good on the job. Ever heard of a big chicken dinner? That's one of the things I've heard when someone gets a BCD (bad conduct discharge). And I've known a few people who have received BCD and let me tell you, thank God they weren't fully armed while on a military base.
And as I write this, news comes in that the Chattanooga shootings has claimed another fatal victim, Petty Officer Randall Smith of the U.S. Navy, who was first reported wounded on Thursday.
I'm sad to hear about this loss and the loss of the four Marines, one of them Skip Weeks, went to my alma matter, Georgia Southern University, which had five students killed in a traffic accident earlier this year.
I have no sympathy for the shooter, Mohammod Youssof Abdulazeez. He didn't care about people's lives. Was he a terrorist? Yes. Anyone who goes on a shooting spree is a terrorist in my opinion. Is this a cause for war? No.
And to all those people who argue more guns is the only way to go, would you allow a law-abiding citizen who prays to Allah or doesn't have any religious preference at all to carry a gun while they are in military uniform?
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