SIMPLY IRRESPONSIBLE

[ja2tn]

SIMPLY IRRESPONSIBLE
By: Jerry M. Agan, Jr.

I am "for" some of what the gun control proponents promote. For example, I do support background checks and finger printing for firearms purchases. I too am a staunch opponent of crime and violence (with or without a gun involved). I too believe crime needs to be dealt with in a way that it will be reduced. I believe that firearms are tools, which can be used for different purposes according to people’s interests, such as sport shooting, hunting and self defense and, like a lot of the freedoms we enjoy in this wonderful country of ours are protected by our Constitution. I also believe in personal responsibility. If you are going to use ANY tool it is your personal responsibility to learn how to use them safely and effectively. It is also my belief that as with any of our rights, whether guaranteed by the Constitution or not, they need to be used sensibly. The less policing of ourselves that we do the more we must be “policed” by an outside force. For instance, we all have a “right” in this country (while not laid out in the bill of rights) to the pursuit of happiness; however this does not give me the right to your car no matter how much my supposed “happiness” relies in the possession of it. If I cannot control myself from pursuing your car for my happiness, we have a police force, judicial system and penal system that will help me to see my confusion. Similarly, the first amendment “guarantees” our freedom of speech; however it is established that we cannot allow someone to enter a crowded room and yell “fire”.

I work hard to provide for myself and my family. I don't steal, I don't scam… I work. If we need it, I work for it and provide us with it. I don't rely on (read “take advantage of”) government programs, I don't swindle my insurance company, and I don't pander for handouts. I do volunteer to help the elderly and handicapped in our community. I donate to those in need. But, as an able bodied person, I work hard so I can provide what we need. I am responsible for mine and my family's welfare and protection. I don't "expect" anyone else to do for me what I can do myself. What I choose not to do for me and my family myself, or wish to have outside help with, I pay for with our money. I pay for trash pickup, water, electricity, telephone, internet access, etc... I do understand and use the public services that are provided by our taxpayers (of which I am) to provide the things that we cannot easily provide for ourselves; namely, police, fire and rescue.

If I am injured or sick enough to require emergency care, I call for an ambulance to pick me up to take me to the hospital. There I put my trust in the doctors and nurses to help me get well. I do not expect them to be able to prevent me from getting hurt or sick when I am miles away from them. Nor do I call them or rush to the doctor for a hang nail or a common cold or a headache. I think that they expect me to provide a modicum of self protection against injury and sickness as well as self treatment of common ailments for myself. I cannot rely on them to provide for me a guarantee against sickness or injury, but I know that I can call them when needed. Furthermore, during sickness or injury, if I am too far away for them to reach me in time to help me (sometimes seconds are too long), I cannot rely on them to save me or my family. This is why I carry medications and first-aid items, so that I can provide for my well being (and that of my family) when "the professionals are not there". This is my responsibility!! I would be negligent in my duties to myself and my family not to prepare for such occurrences - even if they are unlikely or NEVER come to fruition. I have taken certification courses for CPR, first aid, basic lifesaving, etc... I take my responsibility seriously. I enjoy the training and the peace of mind that come with being prepared to take care of yourself if you ever have to. I practice to keep myself up to date and ready by making sure the skills I need are there.

I know as a citizen and a taxpayer that the fire departments are there if I need them. But, at the same time, if a fire erupts on my stove I do not call for help and go set in the front yard and let things get further out of hand until the fire department gets there (sometimes seconds are too long), and I cannot rely on them to save me or my family, or even my home. If I have a fire at my house, I put it out if I can. I have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in my home for that very reason. I would be negligent in my duties to myself and my family not to prepare for such occurrences - even if they are unlikely or NEVER come to fruition. I have received training in basic fire fighting with an extinguisher and know the things to do for different types of fires (i.e. grease fires, electrical fires, etc…). I enjoy the training and the peace of mind that come with being prepared to take care of yourself if you ever have to. I practice to keep myself up to date and ready by making sure the skills I need are there. When on the road and I or someone near me needs them I also keep fire extinguishers in my vehicles.

Likewise, if a criminal attacks me and a police officer is right near, or can be there in time, I will call for his/her assistance. But when I am too far away for them to reach me in time to help me (sometimes seconds are too long), I cannot rely on them to provide for me (or my family) a guarantee against being a victim of crime or being able to save me during a crime. Surely I must provide my own protection (and sometimes defense) in their stead. This is my responsibility!! I would be negligent in my duties to myself and my family not to prepare for such occurrences- even if they are unlikely or NEVER come to fruition. I went through the classes required for my handgun carry permit. I take my responsibility seriously. I enjoy shooting and the peace of mind that come with being prepared to take care of yourself if you ever have to. I practice often to keep myself up to date and ready by making sure the skills I need are there.

I also hunt, fish, hike and camp with and without my family. Sometimes within our National and State Parks systems and others without, at times in deep wilderness where I am not anywhere near the help of others. When out and about, I make provisions for my survival, my protection and my defense. I always carry at minimum, some first aid supplies, fire making items, and a means to defend myself (from both critter and creep). This is my responsibility!! I would be negligent in my duties to myself and my family not to prepare for such occurrences- even if they are unlikely or NEVER come to fruition. In addition to my first aid training and marksmanship training; I study outdoor survival, hone my camping/orienteering skills, and act conscientiously when out there. I take my responsibility seriously. I enjoy the outdoors and the peace of mind that come with being prepared to take care of yourself if you ever have to. I practice often to keep myself up to date and ready by making sure the skills I need are there.

I am for “some” of what the gun control proponents promote. I support background checks and finger printing for firearms purchases, limiting firearm possession from criminals and the mentally ill. I certainly support the reduction of crime and violence in the world. For anyone who says they are for “GUN CONTROL” I do have a few questions. Do you support "allowing" any “civilian” to carry concealed handguns even if they meet a certain set of criteria? Or do you just say “NO, no matter what!”? I mean, what in your eyes would I have to do to be "allowed" or "approved" to carry a concealed weapon on me for the purpose of protecting myself? When I travel, am I supposed to "trust" that police are going to be there to "protect" me? Even if I have a flat on the side of the road? Even while I am gassing up? Stopped at a rest area? Sitting in a restaurant? Walking in a park? What about the police? Should they have guns? I mean you do believe that in the hands of the right people, guns can be a tool to stop crime and violence; don’t you? And crime and violence IS what we want to stop, right? Or are you just against guns? Is your “REAL” motivation in trying to curb violence and crime or do you simply want to eliminate guns? OK, I know everyone is against crime and violence, but is that really what is behind your argument against firearms? Do you want to do away with the guns or eliminate criminals? Are you against criminals or are is it that you just can’t understand why people would want to have a gun near them, for whatever reason, be it target shooting, hunting or to protect themselves? Is your desire not to have guns and your not being able to relate to someone who does fueling your “gun elimination” mentality?

Again, I am for “some” of what the gun control advocates promote. I support background checks and finger printing for firearms purchases, limiting firearm possession from criminals and the mentally ill. I also support training so that the responsibility of gun ownership in this country can again be taken with the degree of seriousness that it once was. I certainly support the reduction of crime and violence in the world. The “disagreement” I have with most gun control advocates today is that they seem to want to transfer the responsibility for crime away from the criminal and place it on the firearm being used by the criminal. All this does is further the lack of personal accountability that has permeated our society, which I believe in turn increases crime. Upon this unsound concept, they decide that guns are evil. To this they add that “since” guns are evil, anyone who wants to own, use or carry a firearm “MUST” be evil or have evil tendencies that a firearm will eventually bring out. They have built a flawed paradigm based on a false foundation. They let this paradigm become a basis for believing that reducing the number of firearms in our country will naturally reduce the amount of evil in our country. They are generally unfamiliar with firearms and their safety and usefulness. Since they have NO desire to exercise their second amendment right they have no problem trampling all over the constitution to force their incorrect belief (that reducing the number of firearms in our country will reduce the amount of evil in our country) on the portion of the population that KNOW this will not cause the desired effect. Again I ask, are you really against guns or are you for curbing violence and crime? If you are against guns, fine. This is your right. Two things though… First, stop hiding your beliefs on guns and gun control behind the issue of crime and violence, they are not the same. By doing this you hinder progress on reducing crime and violence in our society. And second, understand that the truth is that our founding fathers, in the belief that humanity was endowed by our Creator to be free from any unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power, placed the second amendment in our “Bill of Rights” (which are all personal rights) so that we the people will ALWAYS be able to protect ourselves from any threat of oppression, either by our government or the criminal element at large. Therefore your plight to rid the country of guns is unattainable as the second amendment stands in your way, just as our founders intended. It is my wish that those that support gun control because of their desire to reduce crime and violence, instead of trying to change our constitution and the fight that goes with it, join forces with everyone else that wants to curb violence and crime in our country so we can all work together to get some real solutions to the problem. By fixating on the firearm issue, both sides are expending resources that should be aimed at the problems, crime and criminals. I think a good beginning to controlling crime (and yes it would take a generation to get it done) is we need to get back to teaching our citizens that we are each responsible for our own actions, our own health, our own safety and our own defense and that WE need to obtain the skills to perform these tasks safely and effectively (perhaps even our public schools could get back to teaching some of this). To put these duties off onto someone else is… well… simply irresponsible.


© Jerry M. Agan, Jr. 2009
This work can be freely disseminated ONLY if done so in its entirety and authorship credit is duly given.



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