Firearms Related Problems and Solutions
FIREARM RELATED PROBLEMS & SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
© Chuck Klein, 2012
Published: JPFO JPFO.ORG 28 Dec 2012; Brown County Press 2 Feb 2013
PREFACE: Once again the “gun issue” has been written about, discussed, whined-over, screamed about, praised and cursed since the latest nut-with-a-firearm rampage. Notwithstanding the tragedies of Sandy Hook, Norway, West Virginia, Columbine, et. al.; think about the equally innocent and young fatalities of the Holocaust - victims from a country with the strictest of gun laws. We have never lived in a perfect world, we don’t now and, until the return/arrival of the Messiah we will never experience a utopian society.
While you’re grieving for the above noted losses, try empathizing with the thousands of Americans who are spared rape, robbery, or murder. Spared because they, or someone else, did have a gun. Many of these incidents, usually ignored by the main stream media, are recorded by the NRA ( http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/armed-citizen.aspx).
When solutions are raised the usual suspects include banning various types and kinds of weapons and/or their components in addition to the cry of, “more cops.” I am convinced we – all Americans - can agree that intentional, horrendous, homicidal acts (and the media coverage/portrayal thereof), are a complex situation. Hopefully, we can also agree that the current GUN FREE ZONES (read: self-defense free zones) don't work. America, since its inception, is a gun-culture society - that's not going to change. Not only do a huge number of citizens use guns for hunting, collecting, target shooting and self-protection, but employment and taxes generated by the firearm industry is intertwined with our economic status. Thus, if the culture can't be changed, it might be in American’s best interest to learn ways to live with it.
PROBLEM: Defensive Protection. The knee-jerk reaction has been to place uniformed police officers in each school. Certainly that would be a powerful method of protecting our children. However, the numbers don’t work. There are about 650K sworn law enforcement officers (LEO) in the USA and over 300K schools. Placing one officer plus the need to cover his/her off/sick days would increase the number of total LEOs by at least 50%. Most communities today are struggling to meet current payrolls where police departments consume up to half of city and county budgets. The NRA’s mantra of placing paid police officer in every school might just be a political ploy (http://home.nra.org/pdf/Transcript_PDF.pdf). They know of the economic fall-out, but by taking this stand anyone who opposes it could be ostracized for being against protecting our children. In addition, it is a high level starting point where they can negotiate down to . . . (see following SOLUTION).
SOLUTION: Encourage the placement of volunteer armed personnel in each school. Retired LEOs and civilians/parents who have undergone background checks and training (most CCW permit holders) would be an economical and viable option. One school district, Montpelier, Ohio, has voted to allow select persons to be armed while on campus (bryantimes.com/news/local/article_a6fd54b6-5af3-11e2-8b87-0019bb2963f4.html).
PROBLEM: Restrictions on firearms. Today’s anti-gun protagonist’s wish du jour is to limit the number of rounds a magazine can hold. They miss the obvious: a practiced shooter can change standard-capacity magazines very quickly – especially when no one is shooting back. In other words, in a "shooting gallery" the shooter has time to change low capacity magazines at his/her leisure. In still other words, there is little difference between a killer with a 30-round magazine, or one with five 6-round magazines. Well, maybe the shooter is at a disadvantage should the 30 rounder fail, whereas the killer with back-up mags could just insert a fresh mag – one reason cops carry multiple magazines.
SOLUTION: Repeal burdensome and un-American anti-gun laws.
PROBLEM: Human Nature. Many American citizens are afraid of guns, per se. They tend to believe a person with a gun will resort to its use if ever provoked – such as over a parking dispute, family argument or to resolve matters of a personal nature. This reasoning is most likely due to the fear that that is what they would do if they had a gun. In other words, a hoplophobic reasons everyone thinks as they do – that if in possession of a firearm they don’t trust themselves not to use it for anything other than self defense. There are tens of millions of gun owners who engage in various quarrels and never resort to lethal force.
SOLUTION: Institute mandatory classroom and range training. Beginning at an early age children should be taught the importance of self-defense, the inherent dangers of mishandling firearms, the power/life-ending use of such weapons and the legal consequences of the use of deadly force. The NRA’s Eddie Eagle Program (http://eddieeagle.nra.org/) is a great beginning in championing this endeavor.
PROBLEM: Posting of Signs. Signs saying “No Guns Allowed” obviously are an encouragement to the criminal bent on violence. Entering these “Gun Free Zones” they tend to feel secure that there will be no resistance to their evil deeds.
SOLUTION: Perhaps, if we promoted the display of a sign saying: “CRIMINALS BEWARE, PATRONS AND/OR EMPLOYEES MAY BE ARMED” (http://chuckkleinauthor.com/Page.aspx/163/guns-in-the-workplace.html) the potential for criminal behavior will be significantly reduced. Even if there are no armed persons on location, it will give robbers/killers pause to rethink plan A.
PROBLEM: Recidivism Rates of Prisons. Our prisons have become a haven – a goal - for the uninitiated. There are a significant number of persons who want to be in prison. Here is the only place they enjoy free medical care, housing, food, clothing and – most important - status for their criminal conduct. In other words, it is not a punishment to be sent to prison, but a reward. In still other words, some of us have to be a victim so they can receive their reward.
SOLUTION: Restructure the prison system to inflict real punishment. Make the criminal dread being sent-up.
PROBLEM: Vicious and Gratuitous Media Violence. TV, movie productions and computer games glorify not only killing, but multiple and mass deaths, sans consequences to the victims and aggressors.
SOLUTIONS: Electronic blocks such as parental controls are easily voided by today’s computer savvy kids and are no longer an effective means of protecting our children. We need to stop the depiction of violence before it’s distributed. While the brain-tweakers continue to debate the effects of violent visual media, censorship should be deployed over the industry. Yeah, I know the 1st Amendment says there is a right to freedom of speech. That "right," like the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, is NOT an absolute.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Of course it’s tragic when innocent children are killed, but also disparaging when the ill-informed and cowards among us blame the inanimate gun for their loss. There are over 300M Americans and of those a tiny portion are killed by firearms - mostly black on black drug deals gone bad. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304830704577496501048197464.html). What we, the law-abiding and legally armed civilian members know is that there are more persons saved by the use or even the mere presence of a firearm than those illegally harmed by one.
This I know! I wouldn’t be writing this now had I not had a gun with me on more than one occasion – not only as a police officer or licensed private detective, but as a civilian also. These accounts are documented in court records and in my books: (http://chuckkleinauthor.com/Page.aspx/135/books.html - http://chuckkleinauthor.com/Page.aspx/187/ohio-ccw-case-klein-vs-leis.html ).
I’ll end this with questions I have previously put to anti-gunners – none of which have yet to provide an answer:
Would You Feel Uncomfortable:
* In the presence of an armed uniformed LEO? How 'bout a plain-clothes cop? An armed soldier? Someone like me, a former LEO, licensed and trained by the state to CCW?
* Would it make a difference where you were - in a mall, on a street, in a school? In an unsecure building with “no guns allowed signs”? In an unsecure building with signs posted saying: “Criminals Beware, Patrons And/Or Employees May Be Armed”?
* Where do you draw the line?
"KLEIN'S 1st LAW OF SURVIVAL:
The second to last thing a morally responsible, prudent person wants to do is kill another human being regardless of how reprehensible, villainous or dangerous that person might be. The last thing this morally responsible, prudent person wants to do is be killed by that reprehensible, villainous and dangerous person."
"KLEIN'S 2nd LAW OF SURVIVAL:
All the rules, statutes, restraining orders, 911 calls, hand to hand combat technics, aerosol spray Mace or other pseudo protective measures will never equal the effectiveness of a firearm when faced with an unwarranted and deadly criminal attack."
"KLEIN'S 3rd LAW OF SURVIVAL:
If you're ever in a situation where another person is about to murder you, at that moment, you'd trade all your worldly possessions for a firearm. And, if that threat was to kill your child or your grandchild, you'd sell your soul for a gun."
"KLEIN'S 6th LAW OF SURVIVAL:
If you believe that psychological tough talk will enable you to bluff your way out of a dangerous situation, you might be wrong...dead wrong. Super-predators - losers with nothing to lose - can't be bluffed."
"KLEIN'S 7th LAW OF SURVIVAL:
There's lots worse things than being killed by some thug - one is: watching a family member die at the hands of this thug because you were to much of a fool - or coward - to carry a gun."
"KLEIN'S 8th LAW OF SURVIVAL:
If all the guns in the world could somehow be magically removed; the weak, frail and vulnerable would have no way of protecting themselves from the thugs with bats, clubs and knives."
"KLEIN'S 9th LAW OF SURVIVAL:
All Americans have the inherent and constitutional right to be free of fear from armed citizens. However, this right does not extend to usurping or disparaging other American's inalienable 2nd and 9th Amendment rights to be free of fear from thugs intent on doing them harm."
"KLEIN'S 16th LAW OF SURVIVAL:
Survival depends upon paranoia becoming prudence long before pogroms and flying bullets."