FanStory.com - Who Knows?by prettybluebirds
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Will it ever end?
Who Knows? by prettybluebirds
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Artwork by seshadri_sreenivasan at FanArtReview.com

Gun violence is a leading cause of premature death in our country, claiming 30,000 lives yearly. Every time I watch the news, I hear of another shooting. It's become an everyday occurrence, like the weather. Then, following the latest shooting, comes all the speeches outlining plans to control guns and violence. While some ideas might sound plausible, most of it is political stupidity. Nothing will stop an individual determined to harm himself or others.

If someone decides to go on a killing spree, obtaining a gun is not difficult. Almost every home in the United States possesses at least one gun, and some have several. They are everywhere, even assault firearms. I own two guns myself, a twenty-two and a single-shot shotgun. The shotgun is older than I am, which means it is ancient.

I am, however, in total agreement with the banning of assault gun sales and semiautomatic weapons with high-capacity magazines. Why does a person need an assault weapon anyway? I find it hard to understand why they were made available to the general public in the first place. They are weapons of war. You don't need a high-capacity semiautomatic gun to hunt deer. If it takes several rounds for a hunter to kill an animal, then maybe he shouldn't be hunting in the first place. Perhaps turkey hunters feel a need for this type of firearm in case they are attacked by a gang of turkeys. (Sarcasm) No, I see no reason on God's green earth why anyone should need or own a weapon of this nature.

Riots will tear the country apart if the government ever tries confiscating privately owned guns, and thousands will hide their weapons rather than give them up. I don't think the politicians will be foolish enough to resort to such a thing, but who knows, they do a lot of dumb things. It wouldn't solve the problem anyway. The black market would happily sell guns at an exorbitant price to anyone who desired one. 

I see no way for our country to resolve this problem. Gun registration and gun owner licensing won't prevent or solve crimes. Most mass shooters acquired guns by theft, on the black market, or from acquaintances. All authorities can do is increase security for schools and other public places, which is a shame. We should be able to live in our homes, send our kids to school, shop in our local mall, and walk down the street without being shot.

The cliche, people kill people not guns, is true. Evil limits our freedom and creates fear where there should be none. However, we are wrong to blame guns. A gun is an inanimate object, the same as a car. In 2021, approximately 42,915 people died in automobile accidents. Did you hear anyone say we should ban cars? No? So why should guns be different?

As for me, I will never part with my firearms. I keep my shotgun loaded and it sits by my bed at night. In the chaos of these present days, one never knows when they may need a gun for protection. Who knows when things will get better, if ever? 


Well, this is just my opinion, and  I know some will agree and some won't. At least I got it off my chest. "Now I feel better." 

Recognized

Author Notes
The country is so different now. I grew up in the fifties and we walked to school and roamed the countryside without fear. My best friend and I often slept outdoors only a few feet from the road. Today, two little girls would not be safe doing the things we did.

     

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