Some should not carry guns
Did you see that a Little Rock man shot a teenage girl in the head and killed
her because a group of teens she was with had egged his car?
It seems hardly a day goes by without there being something in the news about somebody shooting somebody, usually over something trivial. Remember the guy in Florida who shot a man in a theater because he’d been texting and then threw popcorn at the shooter? Remember a couple of weeks ago when a man walked into a Walmart at Conway and just shot a woman in a checkout line, and I still haven’t anything saying why? There was another Walmart shooting Sunday in Arizona when two men got into a fistfight and the one who was losing pulled a pistol and shot the other guy dead.
Then there’s the other incident in Florida where a man pumped 10 rounds into a car parked next to him because he didn’t like the loud rap music and killed a teenager. A jury found him guilty of multiple counts of attempted murder, but couldn’t reach a verdict on the actual murder, apparently because the man said he thought he saw a shotgun barrel in the other car, although no shotgun ever was found.
The Little Rock incident happened early Saturday morning, when a car full of teens threw eggs, mayonnaise and toilet paper at his car parked in front of his house. According to police reports, the man stormed out of his house and “riddled” the offenders’ vehicle with bullets. A 15-year-old girl in the car — a cheerleader — was shot in the head and killed. Now, the man is charged with first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault, among other charges.
What is about people and guns? Even here in Baxter County, where having guns really never has been an issue (except for felons having firearms), they’ve become the topic of conversation on word that county road department employees have been carrying concealed firearms and that even the county judge packs heat. Add to that a possible walk or march in Mountain Home supporting the open-carry of handguns with people, naturally, openly carrying their pistols.
I will venture to say that, overall, most people who have a permit to carry a gun are responsible citizens and truly understand what a great responsibility they have in carrying a firearm. They know the consequences of pulling their weapon and using it. The abiding rule of carrying a gun is to never draw it unless you intend to use it, and never use it unless you’re prepared to take a life.
And, yes, there have been instances in which people carrying concealed firearms have prevented robberies, stopped assaults and saved lives. There is a plus-side to being able to carry a gun.
But, there are some folks who, although well within legal requirements for carrying a gun, apparently have a deep-seated desire to use it. There’s a mystique about having a gun and wanting to shoot it. Whether it’s at church, at the movies, shopping, waiting in a convenience store parking lot, running in a marathon, or just sitting in your recliner, you never know when the need might arise to whip out your trusty shootin’ iron and be a hero. It’s people like that who wind up shooting teenagers because of pranks, or because they don’t like somebody’s music, or because they let fear — real or imagined — overwhelm them.
It’s a shame gun issues are so polarized and can’t be calmly discussed without people either being ready to take away all guns, or refusing to let go of their guns until they’re pried from their cold fingers. It would be good to have a rational discussion of how to make carrying a firearm safer for everyone. Quite frankly, there are some people who really don’t need to be carrying guns even if they are legally qualified. (For example, think of someone you know who has anger issues and a short fuse, then think of them carrying a pistol and really losing their temper.) Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
I’m not sure what could be done to find a middle-ground balance, or if there even is a common-sense middle ground to be found. That’s why it would be good to have a rational discussion of the topic.
Meanwhile, here’s something to ponder: Do any of the above situations truly merit taking another human being’s life, and how do you live with yourself after killing someone over loud music, thrown popcorn, or an egged car?
It seems hardly a day goes by without there being something in the news about somebody shooting somebody, usually over something trivial. Remember the guy in Florida who shot a man in a theater because he’d been texting and then threw popcorn at the shooter? Remember a couple of weeks ago when a man walked into a Walmart at Conway and just shot a woman in a checkout line, and I still haven’t anything saying why? There was another Walmart shooting Sunday in Arizona when two men got into a fistfight and the one who was losing pulled a pistol and shot the other guy dead.
Then there’s the other incident in Florida where a man pumped 10 rounds into a car parked next to him because he didn’t like the loud rap music and killed a teenager. A jury found him guilty of multiple counts of attempted murder, but couldn’t reach a verdict on the actual murder, apparently because the man said he thought he saw a shotgun barrel in the other car, although no shotgun ever was found.
The Little Rock incident happened early Saturday morning, when a car full of teens threw eggs, mayonnaise and toilet paper at his car parked in front of his house. According to police reports, the man stormed out of his house and “riddled” the offenders’ vehicle with bullets. A 15-year-old girl in the car — a cheerleader — was shot in the head and killed. Now, the man is charged with first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault, among other charges.
What is about people and guns? Even here in Baxter County, where having guns really never has been an issue (except for felons having firearms), they’ve become the topic of conversation on word that county road department employees have been carrying concealed firearms and that even the county judge packs heat. Add to that a possible walk or march in Mountain Home supporting the open-carry of handguns with people, naturally, openly carrying their pistols.
I will venture to say that, overall, most people who have a permit to carry a gun are responsible citizens and truly understand what a great responsibility they have in carrying a firearm. They know the consequences of pulling their weapon and using it. The abiding rule of carrying a gun is to never draw it unless you intend to use it, and never use it unless you’re prepared to take a life.
And, yes, there have been instances in which people carrying concealed firearms have prevented robberies, stopped assaults and saved lives. There is a plus-side to being able to carry a gun.
But, there are some folks who, although well within legal requirements for carrying a gun, apparently have a deep-seated desire to use it. There’s a mystique about having a gun and wanting to shoot it. Whether it’s at church, at the movies, shopping, waiting in a convenience store parking lot, running in a marathon, or just sitting in your recliner, you never know when the need might arise to whip out your trusty shootin’ iron and be a hero. It’s people like that who wind up shooting teenagers because of pranks, or because they don’t like somebody’s music, or because they let fear — real or imagined — overwhelm them.
It’s a shame gun issues are so polarized and can’t be calmly discussed without people either being ready to take away all guns, or refusing to let go of their guns until they’re pried from their cold fingers. It would be good to have a rational discussion of how to make carrying a firearm safer for everyone. Quite frankly, there are some people who really don’t need to be carrying guns even if they are legally qualified. (For example, think of someone you know who has anger issues and a short fuse, then think of them carrying a pistol and really losing their temper.) Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
I’m not sure what could be done to find a middle-ground balance, or if there even is a common-sense middle ground to be found. That’s why it would be good to have a rational discussion of the topic.
Meanwhile, here’s something to ponder: Do any of the above situations truly merit taking another human being’s life, and how do you live with yourself after killing someone over loud music, thrown popcorn, or an egged car?
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment