What about the numerous law abiding citizens who use guns to protect themselves and their families from others who mean to harm them?

Also, perhaps it’s time to stop leaning on politicians to “save” us. Maybe we should start taking responsibility for ourselves and our actions. Teach each other about guns and their proper use (one possible step forward), instead of playing the blame game.

Lastly, if articles will be written about the reckless use of one thing, please do so with others, too. I suspect many more people die as a result of improper vehicle usage in this country than than that of guns. Where is the call to ban cars?

Do not ban cars. Cars don’t kill people, people kill people.

You’re absolutely correct in your opening statement. There are far too many people whose lives are cut short by the MISUSE of firearms. I also absolutely agree that there is much that we can do about criminal violence.

As for where do the criminals get the weapons they use, I think this article in the Wall Street Journal may shed some light. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704904604576333443343499926.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

On the point of solution, both sides are partially right, both sides are partially wrong. I absolutely must agree with comment that we should stop waiting for politicians to save us and start taking responsibility for our actions (I would also add inaction.) Getting back to the solution. There’s a number of different ways we could go about this, being a firearms owner (and carrier) I’d prefer that my privilege to carry a weapon not be fettered with, but that’s a different issue. Both sides need to let go of their fear and latch on to cold, unyielding logic. The facts are these: Criminals obtain weapons illegally, criminals misuse and abuse firearms with malicious intent, both gun control and gun rights groups market themselves through fear.
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there and close with this: Do you want to FEEL safe or do you want to BE safe? If you want to FEEL safe, latch on to the argument for either side. If you want to BE safe engage the most potent weapons at your disposal, your brain in conjunction with your five senses and be proactive about it instead of waiting for someone or something to save you.

Thank you for your time.

Here is another rant about gun violence. First the author blames the unemployment rate for the violence then turns right around and blames the NRA. No wonder these people are clueless. What steps does the author propose to enhance the job market? What steps would he suggest to bring jobs back to the decaying inner city? What could local government do to entice business back into the area? But there must also be a “boogeyman” and the author trots out the NRA. The NRA isn’t made up of rich people that control the strings, it’s made up of people like me that send them 35 to 50 dollars a years to protect the 2nd Amendment. Take 5 million members times 35 and you get the picture. And the power of the NRA comes from its members being able to voice their concerns with their elected officials. This whole article is devoid of any suggestion that would help the perceived problem, that’s why I call it a rant. Aside from banning the NRA from participating in the political process, what exactly does the author want? Just an aside, did you know you can’t join the Brady Campaign or the Violence Policy Center. They have no membership. Talk about organizations that get their funding from a few wealthy individuals.

You have got to be kidding right! more gun laws, more gun laws! we must have more laws! Well let me ask you something how’s that working for you so far? not to good huh? Detroit has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, yet one of the highest crime rates in the country.So you think even tougher laws are going to be the answer? wrong, look in the mirror my friend that is the answer, it starts with you. Last time I checked a gun was an inanimate object, never seen one move,load itself or fire by itself until a person picks it up. That’s right the problem is with us not the guns.

You have got to be kidding right! more gun laws, more gun laws! we must have more laws! Well let me ask you something how’s that working for you so far? not to good huh? Detroit has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation, yet one of the highest crime rates in the country.So you think even tougher laws are going to be the answer? wrong, look in the mirror my friend that is the answer, it starts with you. Last time I checked a gun was an inanimate object, never seen one move,load itself or fire by itself until a person picks it up. That’s right the problem is with us not the guns.

I feel for your loss. But you are accusing good honest people of committing a crime by carrying a firearm for protection – and at the same time justifying the crimes of the criminals. You wrote…

“ there are “thugs” who feel they need to carry guns because they feel threatened by other “thugs.” “ but what you should be saying is that Thugs feel the need to threaten other Thugs and kill rival gang members… which is when others get killed. They are not protecting themselves, they are fighting back and killing in revenge.

You wrote: “ numerous reasons for the rate of gun violence in our communities, one reason being a lack of jobs.” Which is disingenuous to say the least. The criminals that are doing the killing are not out of work, they sell drugs, women, and anything they can steal… some have incomes that would shock you. They are not “poor desperate people,” but killers out to kill.

You wrote: “I am constantly scared for him to go out…” Would you feel better if he has his own personal security guard? How about if ten security guards were protecting him? How about if ten citizens had firearms and were trained to use them – and willing to to protect your relative?

You wrote:
The NRA is full of wealthy people…there is not any evidence that they protect citizens, either.

You are not looking at the evidence. in EVERY state where concealed carry is made legal, crime rates go down. In EVERY state where open carry is the norm, the crime rates are lower (with two exceptions, Arizona and New Mexico – and that is because of the illegals and the drug trafficking). There are hundreds of studies that show that if victims are able to defend themselves, crime is lowered… even in Washington Dc, just the TREAT that homeowners have guns now has lowered the crime rate by as much as 12%! Oh, about the NRA, that is 4 million gun owners, many in cities, who WANT to be protected and walk the streets knowing that they are not targets.

You wrote: They believe that it is okay to bear arms because it is in the Constitution, but in today’s society, is the Second Amendment of the Constitution still relevant?

The 2nd amendment was written to prevent the federal government from disarming individuals and weakening states sovereignty. If you read about the battle of Concorde, you will understand why it was put in there, and why it is still and will always still be relevant.

You wrote: I feel the members of the NRA could care less about the lives being taken within our communities..

Sir, in that you could not be more wrong. I have never, not once, met an NRA member that was not concerned with crime. We are more than concerned, we train police officers, train solders, and train the public to defend themselves. The Eddie Eagle program is designed to protect children from gun accidents by teaching them to avoid firearms, and the young hunters programs run in every city and every state in the nation help kids learn to hunt and handle firearms safely.

I can offer you advice, but feel that you still will not take it. It is this, though… stop blaming the law abiding citizens for the actions of criminals. Stop trying to make us defenseless because when you do, everyone suffers and people die. Stop defending the criminals, they don’t care, and you are not helping.

It’s universal — the stricter the gun control, the higher the crime rate.
Get a clue.

Lets Ban Criminals, make it Illegal to be a criminal that is the answer. No wait, that won’t work BECAUSE THEY DON“T FOLLOW THE LAW.

Lets Ban Criminals, make it Illegal to be a criminal that is the answer. No wait, that won’t work BECAUSE THEY DON“T FOLLOW THE LAW.

Guys!! Lighten up!!
This appears to be a STUDENT newspaper, which would make Ashleigh a STUDENT at the University. A few years of real life may, may mind you, moderate Ashleigh’s desire for more control over others. Ashleigh may even discover that the protections afforded her (?) by the Bill of Rights are not transitory but a reflection of the life experience of many people who’s basic, fundamental human rights were trampled by out of control government policies. Those people wished to bequeath to her better options than they had and, thankfully, did.
Ashleigh, as a 40K/yr factory worker I’m glad to be considered a “rich” NRA member. It brightens my day. Hope the lessons in your next school come easily and with little pain. Godspeed.

A whole lot of “feeling” and not much “thinking” going on in this op-ed. While you may “feel” that the Second Amendment is obsolete or that guns cause crime, a little research would show that, with the rise of the police/surveillance state and more than 2.5 million uses of firearms to prevent crime each year, the Right (I say, “RIGHT”) to keep and bear arms has never been MORE relevant.

Your paranoia over the NRA is showing. Maybe, just maybe, they are a strong advocate for civil rights because of the number of people its opinions represent. Way many more millions than they have members!

You said it yourself. These criminals don’t obey the law. What will more laws do accept hurt law abiding citizens?

Ashleigh,
Just a little advice. Your feelings will often cloud the facts, so don’t trust them. Get the facts. The facts have shown that gun laws don’t accomplish the goal of their authors for one simple reason. Criminals don’t obey laws! Ashleigh, I am issueing a challenge to you and hope you are brave enough to search for the truth. Go to an NRA certified shooting instructor in your area and interview him/her. Thak a fire arm safety and proficiency course. Spend enough time at a range to get comfortable shooting and handleing a firearm. Your local police department can help you find an instructor for this project. After doing these things, reflect on this one important point. When seconds mean life or death, the police are only minutes away.

Sad. The hysteria over the crime rate and it’s relation to the desire for increased gun control is deluded at best.

Here are some facts for ya.

According to the FBI and DOJ, the rate of violent crime in 2010 was down across the board. There were less violent crimes in 2010 than in 2009. This, while the number of guns owned privately is at an all time high. The number of gun sales surged between 2008 and 2010 while the rate of violent crime went down. Time to end the hysteria.

According to the DOJ, in any given year, between 70-80% of the gun homicides occur in 3% of the counties. Those counties are home to the countries most violent criminal gangs. Criminal on criminal violent crimes account for the majority of the hysterically quoted crime numbers used to demand gun control. Those criminals don’t seem to concern themselves too much with your laws. Here is a better idea… how about criminal control.

One last thought. You ask how relevant the second amendment is today. Rights are not given by the Bill of Rights, they existed long before quill went to parchment to author the constitution. The right to bear arms, the right to personal protection, the right to protect liberty against tyranny is as relevant today as it was 500 years ago.

Now, just how relevant is your right to free speech? After all, can’t you just keep your opinions to yourself?

After a criminal murders your wife stealing your car with a gun, I hope you ask the prosecution to be lienent and for rehabilitation. Afterall, it wasn’t his fault he killed someone. it was the gun manufacturer.

Knee-jerk reaction, expected of someone who’se lost a loved one to a criminal with a gun, or an irresponsible person with a gun.

You cannot justify imposing unconstitutional restrictions on the majority for the criminal/irresponsible actions of a relative few. Due process allows for those to be disabled of their rights by law, and that is constitutional.

Prior restraint on the rest of us, IS NOT.

Time to start thinking and stop feeling. While you feel on many things, stop and think — that’s harder to do. The problem is not guns, it is the criminal element. Yes, there really are people out there who would kill an innocent person for little or no reason. There are those who glamourize the “Thug” and drug cultures where mean is king. Dive into the stats and information. Many shootings are gang/drug/criminal releated. Sometimes they hit innocent bystanders.

Gun control doesn’t work. We’ve had over 40 years of proof. Look at the U.K. where gun crimes have increased since their 1996 ban. Look at Mexico, with its draconian gun laws it is awash in AK-47’s and RPGs — all in the hands of criminals. Instead of gun control, let’s have criminal control. When thugs start pulling 10 and 20 year sentences for using a gun, perhaps we’ll see a reduction.

I would like to know why the author of this article has not made a rebuttal to any of the comments posted. Is this at all possible? If not can the editor please comment as to why?

eastmeyers is right. Won’t the anti-2nd-Amendment TSE editors come to the aid of a staff member who’s been smacked down by the readership? The author took a beating for being a good progressive and toeing the line. Way to let one of your own flounder, TSE!

It is the policy of The South End to not have writers or editors comment on stories. This serves to open a forum for public discussion. The author does have the option to write another perspective piece in response to comments made on this story.

E-I-C – with all due respect, in today’s world, that policy is outdated. You should give your writers the ability to engage their readers.

However, you wonder if the people who scream “illegal” guns are evil are the same ones who think “illegal” aliens are ok.