Will We Ever See Real Gun Control In the USA?

I've been really low this week. Hasn't much of America? I watched in horror the TV coverage of Las Vegas. Much as I did the days following 9/11. Yes, this is on a much smaller scale. And this was done to OUR AMERICAN PEOPLE by another American person. What is wrong with people??

I struggle with trying to understand. People will say it is not the guns fault. People will say he was mentally ill. And people will say criminals will still be able to kill no matter what kinds of laws are enacted. And people will stand up and scream about the Second Amendment.

Just let me say this about the second amendment.


The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."


I'm not even sure I understand this amendment. I wonder if there really is a true understanding. The Constitution was written in 1791!! Let that sink in for a moment. The founding fathers could not have had any idea of the kinds of weapons that would have been developed by 2017. More than 200 years ago. They could not have envisioned automatic weapons or ways to rebuild a 'normal' weapon into an automatic weapon. I'm sure they had some foresight. But that kind of foresight just could not have been imagined. At that time the guns which were covered by this amendment could be loaded with ONE SHOT at a time.

I don't think it will  come as a surprise to anyone that I am not in favor of guns of any kind. I don't care if others want to own simple weapons. Those weapons that are used for hunting or sporting. I am NOT in favor of guns for protection except in the hands of law enforcement and the military. But that is my personal opinion and I know it will never come to be.

So many people who live here in America are scared. Scared of the 'what ifs' in this world. I know that I could NEVER pull a trigger to kill anyone. Even if that someone was coming inside my door to do physical harm to me or my loved ones. That is just not how I am made. I value life. I don't feel the need to have a loaded pistol on my side to make me feel safe. I do NOT feel scared. I'm okay.

The second amendment talks about a well regulated militia. What does that even mean??   The definition:

mi·li·tia

məˈliSHə/

noun

noun: militia; plural noun: militias

a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.

• a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities, typically in opposition to a regular army.
• all able-bodied civilians eligible by law for military service.

According  to this definition it is people who are engaging in rebel or terrorist type activities. And from my understanding, against our own government. Do we need that? Are we afraid of our government? I don't like our present administration (which most of you know) but I don't fear them.(Well there are some fears, but it doesn't have to do with guns). I don't think the government is interested in bringing harm to me or my family.

 

I am in favor of gun control. A better gun control from what we currently have. It isn't working! Obviously! Why aren't guns registered? Why are gun owners against registering them? Why aren't guns tracked so that 'someone' knows when an American citizen is stockpiling a bunch of lethal weapons, like the madman in Las Vegas? We have to register our cars. We register a boat if we own one. We have to get licenses to operate a motor vehicle and we have to renew that license every few years. Is there anything like this (federally) for guns?

 

Guns are easy to obtain. You can buy them on the INTERNET. And you can buy lots and lots and lots of ammunition on the INTERNET. Is that okay? Should someone be alerted when someone is stockpiling? What about background checks? Nurses have to have a background check to practice in most hospitals or nursing homes in this day and age. Is there a federal background check for someone to purchase a gun? No! In fact, federal law prohibits the use of the national background check to create a system to track gun ownership. Why??

 

You cannot purchase a large supply of narcotics without red flags going up. But you can buy a large amount of ammunition for semi automatic weapons and nobody notices. Why??

 

When our country talks about gun control it seems to be divided among political lines. The more liberal believe legal restrictions on gun ownership could save lives. The conservatives say it won't matter. They say criminals will find a way to get guns. But what about someone who isn't a criminal (like the guy in Vegas) but has begun to descend into mental illness. What about those guys??

 

American lawmakers do not seem interested in changing any laws when it comes to gun control. They didn't get interested when Sandyhook came about and so many kids were killed. They weren't interested when some of their own (Gabby Gifford or Steve Scalise) were shot and injured. The lawmakers believe it is a crucial check on government tyranny. How many years has it been since we saw tyranny in this country?? Is the second amendment outdated? Does it need to be repealed? I am baffled.

 

I know that other countries have gun control. I have read about them. I also know that there are many, many, many fewer deaths in other countries due to firearms than there are in the United States. I'm not sure why we have so many people who are against gun control. I truly do not know.

 

Those same people who feel it is their right to carry a gun, to protect themselves against the criminals who carry guns, do not seem to understand that their gun would not have helped in Las Vegas. That gunman was 32 stories above the ground, shooting down. No one in the crowd, carrying their pistol, could have stopped him. But if they had started shooting at him I wonder how many more people would have been killed in the crossfire. So many of those who carry guns think they can protect themselves, and others, from these kinds of deaths. But this showed us you really can't. It's crazy.

 

Are there rational answers to my questions? Are we a country of scared citizens? Will there ever be any kind of gun control? Why are people so afraid to initiate the talk? Did you know that only 42% of American homes have a gun in the home? That is not even half the population. Yet, the country is afraid to talk about gun control. I don't understand! I really, really don't!

 

What are your thoughts?