In the wake of the extremely tragic events across the country, there have been political pushes to ban specific guns and increase gun regulations. Let me start by saying I understand the desperate push to change things. I know we all want to do everything we can to avoid these situations from happening in the future.
We all agree that these types of tragedies should not be happening. We can also agree that people who carry out these acts are evil and mentally deranged individuals. The part we can’t seem to agree on is the solution. So, here are my two cents on the situation and its possible solutions.
Should We Ban Assault Weapons?
This is the question being asked. Now, this type of question is very, very vague. What is considered an assault weapon? Is it any weapon used in any kind of assault? This vague description encompasses a very broad spectrum. In other words, any firearm, knife, hammer, sword, ax, etc. could be considered an assault weapon. There will be no end to that ban if they pursued it. (Which they will try anything, I am sure).
Should we ban high-capacity magazines? Again, what is considered high capacity? 5, 10, 20, 30, or 100 rounds? Specifics are not being said. There are sometimes needs for higher compacity magazines. These needs range from personal protection to hunting.
For example, let’s say I go on an archery elk hunt in grizzly country. I’m going to want something more than my bow in case I get charged by a huge bear, right? How about a pistol, 10mm or .44 caliber? Either of those will stop a grizzly bear. The .44 is a little bigger and is only available as a 6 shooter. This means fewer bullets and slower follow-up shots.
The 10mm will hold 15 rounds and is semi-automatic with more rounds and faster shots. To be honest, I would prefer to have more ammo and a quicker shooting ability if I’m in that kind of scenario.
The same applies to nonhunting situations. For example, what if you’re out running errands and get approached by four individuals who plan to rob, hurt, and possibly kill you? You’re going to want a pistol that holds more than six rounds, right? I know I would. So why would we want to limit law-abiding citizens the right to have extra protection? Not sure, but that seems to be what some lawmakers and anti-gun activists are wanting to do.
Now, AR15 magazines can hold anywhere from 10 to 100 rounds. Do you need a 100-round drum to hunt with? Probably not. For one reason that’s going to be heavy as hell. Should hunters have a 30-round magazine? I think, yes.
These come in very handy if you’re packing into a deer camp because you can have them loaded and ready to go. You don’t have to bring extra ammo. These are also helpful for ranchers and farmers who do predator control. The more ammo you have in your gun, the more pests you can clear out.
Lastly, should law-abiding citizens be able to purchase high-round magazines for their pistols and rifles if they just want one but don’t need one? In my opinion, yes! Yes, they should.
Now let’s talk about ghost guns. I’m all for getting rid of 3D printer guns and 3D gun-making instructions. Let’s be serious with this, though. What they are calling ghost guns are not ghost guns. They’ve mentioned 3D printers, but they are primarily focusing on build kits that you can buy online. What they don’t tell you is that these kits all have serial numbers, and you can’t purchase the lower receiver (the item that holds the trigger) without having it sent to an FFL dealer and having a background check done.
I know because I’ve done this. The issue that I have with these pushes for new gun regulations and bans is that they aren’t providing all the information. Many loopholes that can be used against the people are being created.
It’s Time for Solutions
One of the main things we need to do is start focusing on the actual causes of these evil actions. We need to start blaming the individuals responsible for these evil acts instead of blaming the objects used.
Evil people will find ways to do evil 100% of the time. It doesn’t matter what laws are in place. Guns themselves are not the issue. Some of the issues I see are:
- The country’s overall mental health
- Lack of consequences
- Over coddling
- High acceptance of mediocrity
- Fatherless homes & broken families
- Increased digital presence
- Lack of personal identity
- Less social interactions between kids & adults
- Lack of competitiveness (which decreases kids’ self-worth because they don’t have to work for anything)
- Increasing division being pushed by our political leaders
- The American diet
This overconsumption of chemicals and GMO-style foods probably has something to do with our mental health. We’re not meant to eat such junk. I could continue to go on with this list, but I think you get the point.
We need to investigate the deeper issues and find out why these individuals feel the need to carry out such unspeakable acts.
One way we can do this is by having a psychological evaluation of anyone wanting to obtain a firearm license. I know I’m going to get a lot of shit for saying that, but this could be one way of stopping an unstable person from obtaining a firearm. If you’re a sane and rational person, this should not be an issue for you.
Secondly, we should raise the age to purchase any sort of handgun or semi-automatic rifle to 21 years of age. I feel pump shotguns and bolt action rifles should still be able to purchase by 18-year-olds for hunting purposes and home protection.
I’m sure someone is saying, “Oh, they can’t buy a gun until 21 but we can send them into the military at 18?”That is a great point. The age for military recruitment should be 21 as well. I don’t think 18-, 19-, or 20-year-olds have the full understanding of what they’re getting themselves into at those ages. Save the recruiting until they are 21 as well.
How to Protect Our Schools
We have so many veterans, retired police officers, and well-trained law-abiding citizens in this country who would love nothing more than to protect our children daily. All schools should have just one entryway. Each entryway should have a metal detector in the doorway, and we should have at least two armed guards at the door. (When I say armed, I don’t mean having ARs or AKs visible. They should have pistols concealed with extra clips in case a threat is presented.) Along with the armed guards and single school entrance, I feel that a metal detector at each entrance is necessary.
We do this at our government buildings so why can’t we do this at our schools? Before you say, “This will make our children uncomfortable, and it will feel like a prison,” just think about it for a second. It will be weird starting off, but after a little while, it will just become routine. Our children, parents, and staff will have that extra sense of security knowing they are safe while inside those walls.
All in all, we’ll never be able to eliminate the threat. There will always be a risk to you and your family when you step out of your door every morning. We all need to understand that. We also need to understand that there are things we can do to minimize those risks.
We must be observant of our surroundings. We need to inform and prepare ourselves and our children for disasters before they happen. Prepare yourself with proper self-defense training and firearms training, and simply have a plan that you and your family are prepared to take if things get crazy.
Even though the risk of you or your family becoming a victim of a crime described above is very low, it’s better to be prepared but not need to use your training than to need your training and not be prepared.
Again, guns are not the issue. We have a huge mental health issue in this country that needs a lot of attention and research to figure out why it’s happening and how we can fix it. Until we look at the real issues, nothing will change.
This is a very divisive topic in this county. My recommendation to anyone scared or unsure of how to use a gun: Go get some training with one. Become familiar with a gun and learn to respect its power.
You don’t have to buy one. Honestly, I don’t recommend purchasing one until you have practiced with one in a controlled environment, instructed by someone who knows what they’re doing. Get familiar with the tool just in case you ever need to use one. Guns are not scary if you have knowledge about them and understand what they can do. If you’re unsure who to call for firearms training, feel free to email me at paul@sizzlinarrow.com,and we can set up one on one classes for you.
If you are looking for a new firearm, please visit my friends at Palmetto State Armory and Echo 3 Ordnance with the links below.