PUBLIC FORUM : BARRAGES OF WORDS FLY FROM ALL SIDES IN GUN CONTROL DEBATE.Gun control laws share fundamental characteristics. They outlaw or restrict law-abiding people and activities to prevent harm before it occurs. These laws tell law-abiding citizens that their rights and liberties depend not on their own conduct, but on the conduct of the lawless. Law-abiding citizens risk becoming criminals, not because their conduct or activity harms anyone, but solely to prevent other persons from perpetrating criminal misdeeds. A society that is outraged over crime would direct its energies against criminals and would resolve to surrender no ground and forfeit no liberties to the lawless. If we think that laws designed to prevent crime before it occurs can indeed make the world a safer place, we should ask ourselves this: How, exactly, is the world made a safer place by making self control and responsibility irrelevant? - Michael Sorensen Saugus The National Rifle Association National Rifle Association (NRA) Governing organization for the sport of shooting with rifles and pistols. It was founded in Britain in 1860. The U.S. organization, formed in 1871, has a membership of some four million. Both the British and the U.S. charges that a comprehensive background check requirement for all gun show purchasers somehow violates our Constitution's Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights: namely, a law-abiding citizen's right to bear arms The right to bear arms refers to the right that individuals have to weapons. This right is often presented in the context of military service and the broader right of self defense. . The Second Amendment and the Third Amendment reflected the colonists' hostility to large standing armies and also limited the quartering of soldiers QUARTERING OF SOLDIERS. The constitution of the United States, Amend. art. 3, provides that "no soldier shall in time of peace be quartered, in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner to be prescribed by law. in private homes. Are these concerns meaningful today or even in the last century? If so, Union troops couldn't have been quartered in Southern residences as General Sherman was marching them through Georgia, and the Civil War would have been prolonged. I wonder if the NRA NRA (National Rifle Association of America) organization that encourages sharpshooting and use of firearms for hunting. [Am. Pop. Culture: NCE, 1895] See : Hunting has similar feelings about the airlines' requirement that passengers undergo a different kind of background check, with a metal detector, before being allowed to board a plane? - Louis Robins Van Nuys The pretext for more gun control is saving lives. Balderdash bal·der·dash n. Nonsense. [Possibly alteration of Medieval Latin balductum, posset. ! The truth is that the purpose is to monitor and federally register all law-abiding gun owners so that government eventually could confiscate To expropriate private property for public use without compensating the owner under the authority of the Police Power of the government. To seize property. When property is confiscated it is transferred from private to public use, usually for reasons such as their firearms. The same pretext was used by Hitler in Nazi Germany, gradually disarming the German people. Thus, the Nazis confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. any protection the citizens had against a runaway government's lawlessness. While this hoax prevails, drug addicts and assorted criminals have no problem acquiring guns, ammunition and bomb-making materials of any kind on the flourishing black market and underground. The right to keep and bear arms is a Second Amendment right, overlooked by many in Congress and the administration. There are already thousands of laws on the books that are overlooked and ignored completely. A gun is no more responsible for killing than a pencil is for writing the wrong answer on a test. - Adelle Sternberg Sherman Oaks Re the Dave Culver letter May 9 and the Gregg Frazer letter May 13 in Public Forum: About guns and cars, I would like to observe that automobiles are not mentioned in our Constitution. Guns are. - John Pierson John Pierson can refer to:
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. Alan Matis of Sherman Oaks (Public Forum, May 4) suggests that the Constitution of the United States Constitution of the United States, document embodying the fundamental principles upon which the American republic is conducted. Drawn up at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, the Constitution was signed on Sept. is constrained in its application to the level of technology of 1789, at least in regard to weaponry. Matis would argue that the Second Amendment applies only to Kentucky long rifles and single-shot pistols of flintlock-black powder technology. The United States Supreme Court United States Supreme Court: see Supreme Court, United States. has already held in earlier decisions that the arms protected by the Second Amendment are those arms suitable for a militiaman - that is, the individual foot soldier. ``Militia'' was understood to be the ``irregulars'' - every able-bodied citizen coming to the common defense of life and liberty. Therefore, the Second Amendment does not protect the individual's possession of crew-served weapons, missile launchers, tanks, etc. It does, however, however protect the individual's right to possess rifles, pistols and shotguns. If an 18th century technology standard were applied to the rest of the Bill of Rights, then the First Amendment would not protect free speech or free press that is broadcast by radio or television, transmitted by wire, published on the Internet or even printed on automated presses. The Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure search and seizure In law enforcement, an exploratory investigation of a premises or a person and the taking into custody of property or an individual in the interest of gaining evidence of unlawful activity or guilt. would not apply to wiretaps or electronic surveillance. - Don Hagner Sun Valley Watching the different special-interest groups try to exploit the recent tragedy in Littleton, Colo. is, in and of itself, a tragedy. The secular left The secular left is a term used to describe members of the left-wing who are also secularists (they support separation of church and state, a secular state, and a secular education). The secular left is not necessarily opposed to the religious left. , most predictably, makes the point that greater gun control is needed to help stem the tide Stem The Tide An attempt to stop a prevailing trend. Sometimes referred to as "stop the bleeding." Notes: If a stock is continually falling, stemming the tide would be an attempt to halt the free fall and change its direction. See also: Reversal, Trend of violence in America. The fact that perpetrators of this horrendous crime violated 16 gun laws already on the books seems conveniently not to show up on the liberal left's intellectual radar screen. Equally inconsistent are the religious right's attempts to lay this tragedy at the doorstep of the Hollywood elite. If spiritual segregationists like Jerry Falwell This article is about Jerry Falwell, Sr. For the article about his son, see Jerry Falwell, Jr. Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. (August 11 1933 – May 15, 2007)[1] was an American fundamentalist Christian pastor and televangelist. insist on violating the constitutional rights of writers and movie producers, perhaps the first book deserving of such censorship is the Bible. After all, an awful lot of violence is graphically depicted in the Holy Scriptures. Both of these groups, as well as their closely aligned supporters, should be ashamed of themselves for trying to get government to run interference for their unconstitutional agendas. - Stephen Wagner Canyon Country In answer to those who would remove the guns from those of us who are protecting our families and our lives, Benjamin Franklin had a few words to pass on. ``They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.'' - Mary May Sunland Back in September 1994, an Ann Landers Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer, better known as Ann Landers (July 4, 1918 – June 22, 2002), was best known for writing the famous syndicated advice column "Ann Landers." For some 45 years, it was a regular feature in many newspapers across North America. column appeared locally with the headline ``Guns don't keep you from harm.'' I still have a clipping. A reader recounted a story in the Houston Chronicle of a local police officer who was shot by a gunman who simply walked off the street into a police substation. Ann's reply at that time seems tragically prophetic now in the wake of the Littleton, Colo., shooting tragedy at Columbine High School Columbine High School is a secondary school in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado. The school is located at 6201 South Pierce Street, one mile west of the Littleton city limits and half a mile south of the Denver city/county line. - especially her last two paragraphs. ``To get an idea of how brazen gun merchants have become,'' she wrote, ``listen to this: Several months ago, a pawnshop placed an ad in the Rocky Mountain News The Rocky Mountain News is a daily morning tabloid-format newspaper published in Denver, Colorado. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. (Despite Scripps still running the paper, it's the only newspaper in the Scripps family not to have the corporate lighthouse logo on in Denver, promoting `back-to-school bargains on handguns.' I am not making this up. A reader sent it to me. ``The proliferation of handguns in this country has created a major health hazard health hazard Occupational safety Any agent or activity posing a potential hazard to health. Cf Physical hazard. . I never thought I would live to see the day when high schools would be installing metal detectors at the front door. Well, folks, that day is here. Wake up, America.'' Apparently, we didn't. In Colorado, it's still legal for minors to own shotguns and rifles. From manufacturers and wholesalers to gun shops and gun shows, our nation is swimming in lethal weapons. And some people, displaying belligerent denial bordering on psychotic idiocy IDIOCY, med. jur. That condition of mind, in which the reflective, or all or a part of the affective powers, are either entirely wanting, or are manifested to the least possible extent. 2. Idiocy generally depends upon organic defects. , defend this condition and want even more of them. Ann and others are right, America. Wake up, indeed. - Jay Goldsworthy North Hollywood I wonder if most readers could imagine themselves in a situation similar to what happened in Littleton, Colo. When an intruder bursts into their classroom or office, would they prefer to have a gun to defend themselves or would they prefer to have a cell phone to call 911. In Littleton, several people called 911 and a strategic weapons and tactics team arrived. The SWAT team entered the building three hours after the shooting was over. I am a high school teacher, and I know what I would prefer. I would prefer being able to defend myself and the students in my care. Society is better off when criminals don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. who is armed. An intruder may think twice about his actions if unsure about who among his potential victims may be armed. - Ken Coulson Tujunga A reader asks, ``Could it be the availability of weapons?'' If that were true, then you could expect to see bodies piled up like cordwood cord·wood n. 1. Wood cut and piled in cords. 2. Wood sold by the cord. Noun 1. cordwood - firewood cut and stacked in cords; wood sold by the cord in Switzerland and Israel, where the number of weapons per household is much higher than that in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . In Switzerland, every male is in the army until he reaches retirement age, and the citizen soldiers Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany to Citizen Soldiers is a non-fiction novel about World War II written by Stephen E. Ambrose and published in 1998. take their service weapons and ammunition home, keeping them there until retirement. Obsolete weapons are removed from service and then made available for commercial sale. India and China have centuries of Buddhism, Hinduism and the teachings of Confucius. One does not do anything that would bring dishonor To refuse to accept or pay a draft or to pay a promissory note when duly presented. An instrument is dishonored when a necessary or optional presentment is made and due acceptance or payment is refused, or cannot be obtained within the prescribed time, or in case of bank collections, to the family, which, in itself, is a very strong and respectful unit. Ironically, India has had warring factions of religious zealots Zealots (zĕl`əts), Jewish faction traced back to the revolt of the Maccabees (2d cent. B.C.). The name was first recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus as a designation for the Jewish resistance fighters of the war of A.D. 66–73. . Civil liberties are nonexistent non·ex·is·tence n. 1. The condition of not existing. 2. Something that does not exist. non . Punishment is harsh and swift with no plea bargains or intervention by a civil-liberties union. The press is controlled by the government - no First Amendment rights. The police and military are everywhere. Children raised in these countries are not showered with every new toy and gadget and left on their own to grow up like weeds. And, furthermore, parents don't consider it the school's responsibility to raise their children. So, let me ask this, if availability of something were a criterion for its misuse, then wouldn't all teen-agers in Europe be drunkards since there are no age restrictions on drinking? - Eric E. Dresser Burbank Thomas Sowell Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930), is an American economist, political writer, and commentator. While often described as a "black conservative", he prefers not to be labeled, and considers himself more libertarian than conservative. is the wisest pundit An expert or knowledgeable person. From "pandit" in Hindi. See guru. ever to push a pen. Since Sowell claims that John Lott of the University of Chicago proved that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens deter crime (``Media so one-sided on guns,'' Opinions, April 30), the answer is suddenly crystal clear! Every morning at all schools in the country, each student is issued a complimentary firearm. At the end of the day, all the guns are turned in, and every student reports on how many times he or she brandished a complimentary weapon to scare another student out of using one. No one has a competitive advantage anymore, thanks to the singular genius of Thomas Sowell. - Jeff Everson Woodland Hills Re John and Jean Halvorson's ``It could happen here'' (Public Forum, April 9): I agree with their opinion: Americans better wake up and see what these United Nations Americans are doing to our country taking away our guns through bogus laws, telling us it's for our own good, knowing full well they are trying to disarm us. We must remember that, in the past, countries have been conquered because their citizens didn't have the right to own guns. Don't let this happen to us. In my opinion, no army in the world will try to conquer a nation that's armed. - S. Vilardo Van Nuys Re David Holland's letter ``Well-regulated militia,'' (Public Forum, May 16): Somehow, I can't believe any modern-day militia member letting the federal government organize, arm and discipline him. But, according to Holland and the Federalist fed·er·al·ist n. 1. An advocate of federalism. 2. Federalist A member or supporter of the Federalist Party. adj. 1. Of or relating to federalism or its advocates. 2. Alexander Hamilton, that is exactly what our Founding Fathers had in mind as being necessary to secure a free state. The militia is the National Guard, as it is known today. Probably Mark Twain said it best: ``There is nothing in the world like a persuasive speech (or letter) to fuddle the mental apparatus (or the NRA).'' Kudos to David Holland for enlightening us about the true meaning of the Second Amendment. - Bob Ginn Arcadia David Holland, quoting Federalist paper No. 29, suggests that the Second Amendment means that the federal government will discipline and supply guns to the militia. 'T ain't so. That's what the United States established much later for the National Guard in accordance with the authority of Congress to raise and support armies (Article I, Section 8, Clause 12). It is true that U.S. vs. Miller specifically recognizes that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to provide a pool of armed citizens from which individuals can be selected to form the organized militia. Nonetheless, it also specifically recognizes that it is the people, not the states and not the federal government, who have the right to keep and bear arms. In every other place in the Constitution, ``people'' refers to individual action. For example, the people, voting as individuals, elect the House of Representatives. ``Well regulated'' in the vernacular of the time meant straight-shooting, accurate and combat-ready. That meaning survives today in references to double-barreled shotguns. A shotgun is well regulated when both barrels shoot to the same point. The justices sent U.S. vs. Miller back to the trial court to determine if a sawed-off shotgun was a military weapon (it was) but they did not question the right of a citizen who was neither a member of the National Guard nor a member of the organized militia (Miller was neither) to possess such a weapon. Finally, Hamilton presents the case in Federalist No. 28 where citizens must take up arms Verb 1. take up arms - commence hostilities go to war, take arms war - make or wage war to defend against usurpation Usurpation Adonijah presumptuously assumed David’s throne before Solomon’s investiture. [O.T.: I Kings 1:5–10] Anschluss Nazi takeover of Austria (1938). [Eur. Hist. of their rights by a state. - William O. Felsman Woodland Hills Like all others who twist the words of the framers of the Constitution to advance their own views, Roger McGrath in ``An armed populace intended by framers'' (Viewpoint, May 2) focuses on an amendment to the Constitution declaring that the ``right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,'' but ignores the very essential constitutional basis for it: ``A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state.'' Therefore, McGrath's arguments that citizens have the right to bear arms for self-defense and that gun laws have done little to stem the rise of arms-related crime, although arguments on legitimate issues, go beyond the wording in the Second Amendment. - Ignacio DeCarrillo Encino I see our astute state Assembly has passed yet another gun control bill, which is the latest in what seems to be a never-ending list of gun control bills. I can't help but wonder when our lawmakers will realize that all of these laws will not stop the unlawful from obtaining guns. Will they now start telling us we can only buy one tank of propane for barbecues or that a plumber can only buy a limited amount of pipe, or a carpenter a limited amount of nails? After all, these items were used by the two students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. I am neither a gun nut nor a member of the National Rifle Association. - Jack Shaw Harbor City |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion