For Our Grandchildren's Sake

by Pat Berkheim

Contributing Writer

 

I submit the following because of my concern for the country in which my grandchildren will grow up.

Guns in our country are a problem. Many other countries do not endure the gun deaths that the United States sustains because they greatly restrict ownership of guns. Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan, France, and Spain are examples of democracies in which the citizens enjoy the same freedoms as our citizens except for guns. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment allows an American to have a gun in their home. But the court has not ruled that there is a right to have any weapon, and any ammunition in any place you choose. If you own a gun, please have this conversation with yourself: Why do you own a gun? Guns are for killing.

Do you own a handgun? Why do you own a handgun? Handguns are for killing people. Are you planning to kill people or would you kill a person? You may use your handgun at a range but that gun is made to kill people. Is your handgun at your home? If that gun is fired in your home there is 95% chance that it will kill you, someone you love, or someone you know, not a stranger? Do you own an automatic handgun with a high capacity magazine so you can kill more people, quicker?

Do you own an assault or military style weapon? Why? These weapons are made to kill large numbers of people. Are you planning to kill a large number of people or think it will be necessary to defend yourself from an attack by a large number of people by killing them with your assault weapon? Do you own high capacity ammunition clips? Why?

The Supreme Court has not ruled that I must trust a gun owner.