March 16, 2009

Not Too Close to the Trigger, Please…

The concern I have represented in previous posts as symbolized by certain dominionistic religious sects, especially those espousing an End Days element, becomes more real daily. In the Sunday, March 15, 2009 Fort Worth Star Telegram, a letter to the editor started out innocently enough with a view of gun control with which I could agree. The writer voiced his concern with previous letters in which the writers were enumerating the same, old, tired and ineffective anti-gun arguments.

You have been warned

Now, I’m not the sharpest blade in the drawer, but let’s put a recent article about firearms to the litmus test.

It is unfortunate that former Virginia Tech student Jason Woods — now at the University of Texas and opposed to allowing firearms on campus — lost his girlfriend. Other lives were lost that day. Did the deranged individual who killed 32 people on that fateful day run down to the professional weapons class and get a carry permit?

To quote UTA student Tom McEnroe: "With a college campus that is a gun-free zone, the only people that will have a firearm are criminals." Hello?

And friends, the time is coming soon when they will be coming for our guns. When the Antichrist takes his seat on the throne of God, for his 3 1/2 years of wrath, and that day is coming soon, look out! Reluctance to give up your firearm might result in your death.

I support open carry. The sight of my weapon might just deter a potential crime.

— Tom King, Grand Prairie

I was with him until that next-to-last of paragraph.

I think I’ve made my constitutional views clear enough, and that I am a Second Amendment supporter of the Originalist school. There are very few instances where I see the need to limit these rights. Existing gun laws go beyond that which I feel is legally correct or necessary, but one thing I do agree with is that certain individuals should not have access to firearms. Those who have shown a disdain for the rule of law; those of insufficient mental capacity to understand the consequences of firearms misuse; those who have stupidly or carelessly misused or abused firearms. These folks forfeit their rights.

Now here comes our erstwhile letter writer with an apparent End Days philosophy, stating “that day will come soon.”

I truly do not care what kind of loony mythology anyone wants to believe, and I defend the right of most of the loonies to own firearms, but the End Days Soon crowd has begun to frighten me. I’m not sure I’d want our letter writer to be my neighbor and have an arsenal on the day he decides is “that day”, and I certainly don’t want someone with similar beliefs in high political office… particularly in an office placing this person only a missed heartbeat from the nuclear launce codes.

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5 Comments:

MiniKat said...

I have to agree. The idea of that particular crowd with booger hooks near bang-switches does tend to fill me with unease. And yet I would still fight for their right to own firearms...and live far away from them.

Rogue Medic said...

Yes, there are some scary people out there,

As long as they obey the law, they are also entitled to the protection of the law. Most people talk a lot and bite not at all.

Is he that much more delusional than the person, who believes that the gun creates the crime? Guns are inanimate objects.

Mule Breath said...

Is it necessary that I clarify? My post did not disallow Mr. wingnut any rights... I merely state that I would not want him as a heavily neighbor on the day he decides is judgment. I would also hope to deny purveyors of end-times wingnuttery access to nuclear weapons.

But am I not equally denied? Perhaps it is I who is the wingnut.

Rogue Medic said...

I realize that, I was just pointing out that sounding crazy and being crazy are two different things. Sometimes the difference is just in the eye of the observer. ;-)

Mark said...

Humph. This actually puts it in quite plain view for me - I'd be nervous with that guy as my neighbour as well, for the exact reason you've stated. When he decides It's The End Days, I'd be worried that he'd decide to start hurring folk to Heaven, doubtless for their own good.

But until that time, no crime has been committed and there's no legal or moral support for disarming him.

As with VT and so many other times should this person lose the plot and decide to start hustling folk to Jesus' arms, the only thing that'll stop him is another person with a gun. Either rapidly, or after a corpsepile when the police finally show up. I'm in favour of the rapid option, of normal folk having their own self-determination machines with them.