I think one of the issues
regarding sensible gun control is whether someone is responsible
enough to own a gun. It is not about an age requirement or having a
mental illness, but how do you determine if a person has the social
maturity? Owning a gun means that you are saying that you are willing
to take a human life; to kill someone in a situation where there is a
threat of serious bodily injury or to preserve and protect life.
You are saying that there
was no reasonable alternative and that such a dire act was necessary;
barring any other duty to retreat or mitigate the situation, that
such an effort failed or was impractical or impossible. You are
admitting that you can make a split-second Life and Death decision
without premeditation, malice, intent, recklessness, or negligently
AND that you can live with the consequences without any apology or
second-guessing; with a 'clear conscience' and in a similar
situation, would do exactly the same thing.
ADDENDUM:
Nine Reasons to own a
gun/firearm:
1. The Second Amendment.
2. It is my God-given
right.
3. I belong to a
hunter-gather society/culture and do so for survival.
4. To fight off a Martian
invasion.
5. To hunt animals for
sport.
6. To protect personal
property.
7. I want to be armed for
the coming “Race war” between Blacks and Whites.
8. To protect life or
against serious personal/bodily injury.
9. For no other reason
but, simply because I can and want to.
There is no test,
qualification or legislation that can determine who will exercise
'reasonable' moral judgment/discernment under duress and stress when
confronted with a life and death decision. Police officers are
specially trained in the use of firearms but even they make mistakes.
It is one thing to hit the bulls eye or near center mass on a
cardboard target that is not shooting back, but it is quite another
when facing a situation where a weapon is directed towards you which
could end your life. If law enforcement officials, who face unknown,
unpredictable, dangerous and potentially dangerous situations on a
daily basis, fail to always act rationally, then how can the average
citizen be expected to do so? It is not about the NRA, Congress, your
family and friends, but you. Can you pass the test or do you even
want to take it? There are no make-up exams because once you fail
this test, somebody dies; do you want this on your conscience for the
rest of your life? You decide.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St Apt 701
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 27, 2018
