Gun Control: PART 3

Katrina. What a disaster. As the storms and waters of the ocean breached their man-imposed boundaries, chaos was unleashed on a scale that this country had not seen for decades. Many were left homeless, many were injured, and many were left to themselves to protect that which had not not been lost. Then, as the government came to the 'rescue' this right of protection of life and liberty became threatened. Guns were illegally confiscated from law abiding citizens. Don't believe it? Watch this video. From the very founding of our country, we have enjoyed the right to bear arms. This has allowed our citizens to fend off invading forces, become self sufficient in food for hunting, and protection of our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (a.k.a. property). At this time in our nation's history, these rights are becoming increasingly fragile. I know what many of you may be thinking, we just had the Heller case which put the issue to rest. This is not the case. That decision came nearly split down the middle of the highest court. It wouldn't take much to lean that decision in the opposite direction. Why are gun rights so important? Read my last post to answer that.

When a home invasion takes place, how long does it take for the police to arrive?

According to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics 26.6% of the time the police can get to you within 5 minutes of a crime of violence. 32% of the time it takes between 6 and 10 minutes and another 29.7% it takes between 11 minutes and an hour. (reference) So let's work with the small number. Five minutes seems pretty fast, right? Not when you consider that the criminal you are now face to face with in your home can cross a 20 ft. room in a little over a second. Is he going to have a gun? A knife? If he can run 20 ft. per second, imagine how much damage he could do in five minutes. It's certainly long enough to take your life away from you. Let's say you simply scared the guy away. What are the chances of him being caught if he can run 20 ft. per second. With adrenaline pumping, 5 minutes could easily add up to a mile (6000 ft.) with this estimate - and that's if he doesn't have a car!

How long does it take to commit the intended crime?

It doesn't take an expert to know that a crime can be committed in a matter of seconds. If a burglar is disturbed or 'spooked' while laying his handiwork, they can often be unpredictable. Chemicals start pumping through his body that helps determine whether he is going to fight or 'flight.' If he flees, then all you have lost is your sense of security. I don't mean to sound flippant with that, because it is something we all cherish above most all else, save our family. However, the converse decision can be deadly - especially if you are not prepared. In these situations it often comes down to one element that has been handed down from our predecessors, even down to Adam: survival. Is it you or him? Most of that outcome will depend on how prepared you are and preparations you have made.

It is important to understand that the criminal always has the upper hand. Why? Because he has a plan, he knows what he is after and what the consequences could be. You? As far as you knew you were peacefully sleeping until there was a rustling of the door handle or a shatter of glass. You must try to react to his 'act.'

What have we been taught to do in the societal sense and does it really work?

Think about this one carefully... What do the police tell you to do when faced with an intruder?

Meet his demands and call the police when the suspect has fled the scene. This has been ingrained in us from a very young age. When faced with a bully on the playground we are told to 'walk away.' So we walk away as that piggish kid steals our lunch every day for a week or until the teacher sees something and she 'polices' the situation. Do not misunderstand me, police are a wonderful part of our infrastructure. They are heroes as they put their lives on the line to keep us safe. However, they can only do so much. They can only be dispatched as quickly as their cars will drive. This leaves a, well, five minute gap between hurt and help.

I propose that it would be better to be prepared. Rather than try to recover stolen property or loss of blood, why not do all possible to prevent it in the first place. A weapon can be a deterrent. It can help you get the upper hand in a bad situation.

I recommend that you check out The Concealed Handgun Manual by Chris Bird. It is packed full of good information. It can teach you how to avoid a situation, what you should look for when you get serious about purchasing a firearm, how to be more aware of your surroundings, and what the consequences can be if you are forced to use your weapon.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize the importance of our second amendment rights. There is a reason that the founding fathers put it right next to free speech, religion and petition. We would not have a free country were it not for the freedom of bearing arms. We would be speaking German, Japanese, or even some dialect of Arabic were it not for bearing arms. This is a right we all need to stand up for. Do our political leaders honestly think that by banning guns it will make us safer? If they do, they are foolish. In my opinion, they are either naive or, more likely, subscribing to that faction of our government that would like to see us in bondage or at least under greater control. The more we rely on the government, the more power they will have over us. Socialism. Stand up and stand tall in defense of this right. Once it is gone, we have little leverage against those who may choose to oppress us. Join the NRA, they are the largest organization that lobby to protect our God given rights to protect ourselves. Here is their site. Let your voice be heard. Do what you know is right. Do not let our rights be degraded any more than they already have.