Gun Control

          Reasonable Gun Control

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Chris Wager. The focus of this discussion is to explore the issue of what is meant by reasonable gun control. I am sure you our all familiar with the old saying, “Those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it”. With that said, we must look at the first formal act of gun regulation of the United States.

 

The second amendment of the constitution, ratified in 1791, which states “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of the free states, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

 

Powerful words embedded in a document that is the very foundation of our democracy. However, according to the about.com website reporting a gun control time line some forty (about.com) –six years after the second amendment‘s ratification in 1837. The state of Georgia passes a law banning hand guns altogether, almightily being thrown out being labeled unconstitutional. Now some 217 years later, states, local authorities, and gun supporters still argue intentions of the second amendment in a modern world. 

 

One side argues guns are bad, guns kill kids. On the other side, people say guns don’t kill people, people kill people. However, allow me to draw you a dangerous parallel in history. Before you, hastily draw your own conclusions of who is right and who is wrong and what part our government must play. Again, according to the about.com gun control time line, in 1938 the Firearms Act goes into effect placing the first limitations on selling ordinary firearms. Requiring people selling guns to hold a federal license and, maintain records of names and addresses of those who they sold guns to. That same year as stated in a New York Times newspaper, November 9, 1938 page 24, (Times) which reported Adolph Hitler enacted his own gun control called the Nazi Weapons Act which stated anyone wishing to own a gun had to register with Nazi officials and have a background check. However, the gun control act went a step further to say no Jew could own a firearm of any kind. In addition, those who already did own a gun would have to turn them in. Those who didn’t would be imprisoned. Registration lists created through the enacting of this law was used by Hitler’s Nazi’s to confiscate weapons, and track movements of the new gun owners. Once the citizenry had been disarmed, Hitler was free to carry out whatever plans he wished. This reveals one motive behind the reason the American people and Congress has rejected the registration of honest firearm owners.

 

In 1941, according to the Library of Congress records (87 cong rec., 77th cong.,) August 5, 1941, U.S. Attorney General Robert Jackson called Congress to enact national registration of all firearms. Congress recoiled by enacting measures to protect the second amendment.

 

Since then there have been eighteen laws or acts involving guns. As reported on the about.com website control timeline. In addition, the government quietly watches until December 1, 1998, when their attempt to gain access to information on gun purchases and their owners was blocked by a suit filed by the National Rifle Association.

 

All the government’s attempts at disarming its citizenry have been done under the shroud of safety and a sense of protection. That somehow we are no longer able to decide or be trusted to have guns. Only the government and law enforcement are reasonable enough to own and regulate guns in this country.

 

I have had friends and relatives killed with hand guns, and I support those who wish to own one. Why, then would I support guns? If a person is killed with a shovel, should we ban shovels? No, of course not. This is not a matter of safety or security, but rather a matter of preserving freedom and liberty. Moreover, not let the power of our rights to be diluted by the language of a bill aimed to diminish what we can do as citizens, to close the back door politics attempting to rewrite the constitution. Reasonable gun control is just that, background checks, waiting periods, no cop killer bullets, and trigger locks. Do not punish honest gun owners for the acts of criminals. The last attempt of a controlling government to disarm Americans led to the Revolutionary War. The wisdom of our forefathers is not to be questioned by those only wishing to serve there own agendas.

 

300,000 children involved in forced child prostitution.

It may shock you to learn that According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children there are to date over 300,000 children involved in forced child prostitution. The average age of these children is only 14 years old with some of the children as young as 9 years old. These child victims are trafficked everyday by sophisticated and violent prostitution rings across state lines. Peddled and discarded in what is being called, “The slavery of the 21^st Century”. (NCMEC)

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in cooperation with the FBI are working countless hours to find and bring home our missing children. However, there is still more to be done in this fight to rescue and protect our children.

What if I could show you that you could have the power to save a child’s life in the palm of your hand? What if I could show you how something as common as a cell phone can give you the chance to do much more than check your e-mail or get a call from your office? Are you one of thousands of people still riding the fence about buying a cell phone? Feeling perhaps, you are not important enough or maybe you just don’t have a need for one. You may be asking yourself what do cell phones have to do with missing children. Ernie Allen President and CEO of the NCMEC said it best in his recent letter posted on the NCMEC website announcing that the Amber Alert system that we all have become familiar with is going wireless. This being done in the attempt to make everyone apart of the rescue team to report a child abduction. Those wishing to make a difference can now receive these alerts over a cell phone. Minutes make all the difference in the world in a child’s abduction. You could be the one that saves a child’s life.

Not only does a cell phone become a weapon against child abductions for you, but it also can become a tool of survival and protection for your child as well. As reported in a recent article, posted on the pcworld.com website by Carolyn Duffy Marsan announcing a new service from eAgency Systems available for your child’s cell phone. This is the first cell phone monitoring service designed specifically for parents. (Marson)

In addition, a survey conducted by the communications software company Aricent, written by Thomson Reutors the world’s largest international multimedia news agency reported of 339 parents polled that 78 percent were considering getting a cell phone for their child. For one reason, so they could be in contact with them in case of an emergency. Of that 78% a third indicated that they were considering buying one this year. (Reuters)