The text chain with a gun-owning friend back home in Texas started this way. He said, “For the record, I (as a gun owner) have zero problems with any of the six actions that he is trying to push through!”
My response, “Clearly, I don’t either.”
My friend was referring to President Biden’s executive actions on guns. Among them, cracking down on “ghost guns.” Ghost guns are kits people use to build guns in their homes that have no serial numbers on them.
All these orders, according to the Washington Post, are designed to make it harder for unqualified people to obtain dangerous weapons.
I’m not a gun guy. I’m just not. I remember when I was a kid going hunting with my dad. We went one time. He wasn’t a gun person either. We came upon a deer, and I couldn’t shoot it. We just watched it. It was one of those things I will always remember. Going hunting with my dad and killing nothing. Hahaha!
Look, I get it. People like to hunt. They like to hunt deer. Birds. And somebody has got to kill the feral hogs. I get it. Kill ‘em. Just don’t ask me to do it. And please, dear God, don’t show me pictures of it! I can’t, I just can’t!
Now, let’s talk about guns. All the guns and ammunition and things that make them mass killers.
On the day that President Biden announced his executive actions, we had two mass shootings in America. The first in South Carolina. A former NFL player shot and killed a prominent doctor and four other victims. Two of them children. The player then took his own life.
The second shooting happened at a warehouse in Bryan, Texas. One person killed and seven hurt including a trooper who was chasing the suspect.
President Biden said, “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it’s an international embarrassment.”
He goes on. “The idea that we have so many people dying every single day from gun violence in America is a blemish on our character as nation.”
President Biden can only do so much. He called on Congress to do more. “They’ve offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they’ve passed not a single new federal law to reduce gun violence. Enough prayers. Time for some action.”
Let’s see where this goes. Maybe this time. Maybe.
I was raised with and around guns. I used to go hunting with my dad. I don’t remember shooting anything either. I have guns for protection because I was raised that way, I just feel safer having a gun in my house, for protection, only.
Luckily I’ve never had to use it or even pull it out to possibly use it because I don’t think I could.
But I agree this country needs gun control. It’s so terrible seeing these mass shootings all the time.
I’m sure it’s even harder reporting on it.
Have a great weekend!
Russell, thank you, I am not a gun person, HOWEVER, I am not against lawful law abiding citizens having a gun or fifty, as some do if that makes them happy. Where I have the issue is the back round checking of folks buying guns. For anyone to say without their fingers crossed behind their back that gun-shows do the proper checks they are lying. There are SO many cash deals done in the parking lot, with guns going through “private sales” which is where the loophole needs to be sealed shut. They need to stop the cash sales for Private folks who are not required to do a background check on a Private sale. They should go require the same background as any other gun sale. Good grief, you have to register a rundown car that’s not running with the DMV that you bought off someone’s lawn, I see no reason that background checks can’t be done through Private sales. As i noted I am not for taking guns away from law abiding citizens nor limiting the amount of firearms they can own, however the first time you are thrown in jail for assault, or for scaring your significant other with one during a domestic fight in which the one person was charged, then you get to give up the guns. The amount of killings of Significant others by gun is staggering, and many of the offenders have been charged numerous times but somehow have gotten around the loophole of surrendering their firearms, and they should be forced to right there in the courts, bring them all in so that there is safety in the household at least from guns. I know folks will say that this will just make the offender use a knife or fists to kill their partner, yes they might but at least the ease of a gun is off the table. It is much harder to kill by knife or fists. I digress that our legal system sucks for DV survivors, so that they feel more comfortable in coming forward. Thank you Russell for your post today it was insightful as always.