According to the U.S. Justice Dept., in a January 2019 document, only 7% of criminals in prison for crimes committed with firearms had obtained the firearm through legal firearms dealers. Another study by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2004, found that 40% to 60% of inmates in federal and state prisons obtained their firearms illegally. For much more detailed information on both studies see the links below. Both studies show that many received them through family members or friends without a record.
In Congress, there is a very large amount of infighting between Democrats and Republicans about the issue of firearms control. Many of the Republicans are claiming in this new “Defund the Police” era that Democrats have caused the violence by touting this chant and program. The Democrats are claiming that the Police themselves are causing much of the violence by racial injustices. There are a much larger number of topics that are being discussed on both sides of the House.
I have been assaulted by politicians with their articles speaking out against gun violence. I agree with them, partially, that gun violence MUST stop! I have been assaulted by TV programs claiming our citizens are at risk of violence due to violent criminals having access to firearms. I agree, again partially, with them that criminals should NOT have access to firearms.
What I totally agree with is that guns cause horrible damage to victims. I agree that, untrained handling of firearms can cause horrific pain to families. I agree that NO ONE but the US Military should have access to any kind of firearm that has the capability to fire rounds on automatic. Really, how many deer, bear, elk, or other wildlife can you need to hunt at once? How many rounds do you want to pump into the meat you are hunting for your dinner table? (At least I pray that what you are hunting is for your, or others, consumption.)
I agree that ALL weapons be kept out of untrained hands. I agree that ALL weapons purchased by trained owners should be kept out of the hands of ALL untrained family members, or ANY children under the age of 18. I agree that stricter weapon purchase guidelines NEED to be instituted. This is a different era from that of our fathers and grandfathers. They were allowed access to firearms in an era of need to supplement the family larder and were, again for most, given training by their elders.
Wow, consider that, homes where elders not only existed but they were listened to!
Things I do NOT agree with? I do NOT agree with politicians using this heavy topic as an agenda to win votes! I do NOT agree that the laws only apply to some people and NOT ALL PEOPLE! I do NOT agree that either party, Democrats or Republicans, should be considered “in the right” just because of what “party” (now there is a misnomer) they belong or don’t belong to! I so very much do NOT agree with MY opinion being the correct opinion.
We, as a total country, need to stop yelling, grandstanding, politick-ing (as my grandfather called it), understanding or misunderstanding op-eds, or just plain hiding from the facts. Firearms are not just for defense of our country. Firearms are not just for law enforcement. However, by and large, firearms ARE lethal! Especially in the hands of criminals or the hands of the wrong person.
So, STOP, LISTEN, CONSIDER, VOTE, and then FOLLOW the damn LAWS!
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Linnea Gimby-Crespo is a resident of Kekaha
That is by far the best written letter I have read. In the era we live in, pop culture play a major part of our thinking and decision making process. I think being either of the bi-partisan means taking a stance on guns the right way. They way the political view it has held since time began.
I think the second amendment right was placed for people to protect themselves. I think you’re right. It leads to violence and if it’s in the wrong hands, mass murder. It comes with the territory.
Great letter.
Firearms are not lethal. It’s the person using it that can be lethal. Try this test. Put a gun, knife, sword, club, or any other weapon on a table. Wait 24 hours. Come back to see which weapon killed someone on its own. 100% of the time you will find that not a single weapon has moved on its own and killed someone. Get it? Human behavior is the issue. Always has been since the days of Cain and Abel. Bad people do bad things, good people do their best to not do bad things. Seeing firearms in any other manner is willingly being blind to the root cause. In fact, not seeing the root cause of problems is this country’s biggest problems right now. This can be see with the houseless, drug addicts, criminals, the social unrest we see, and much more. Common sense and looking into the root cause of issues is a rare commodity these days.
Wow what impeccable logic! Things don’t kill people, people do. Here I was thinking that certain things make killing people easier, which could make the difference between someone being dead or not. But nope, its definitely just people. By that logic we should probably let people buy tanks, nukes, grenades, nerve gas. I mean tanks don’t kill people. its the people inside tanks that kill people. People just have no common sense now days.
Well said and thank you so much for putting into words the basic common sense that is missing in our country concerning gun control!
But what do we do about gun violence? Do we pass stricter gun laws or loosen things up so all eligible citizens can open carry like some other States? Which one would reduce gun violence? That’s the real question.
James,
Stricter gun laws won’t control gun violence. Stricter Violence laws and better sentencing of the existing ones will make more of a difference.
Society relies on its members cooperation to exist. If individuals refuse to cooperate, they choose not to be a member of society. Violent crimes deserve violent sentences to protect the nonviolent members of society.
Yet, when you look at countries that have essentially outlawed guns, gun violence is practically nil. But, guns are so ingrained in our culture, doing so here would be impossible as opposed to Australia or England for example. By the way, we have very strict gun laws and sentencing parameters already in place but that doesn’t seem to be working too well.
Wow, this is why worthless people get elected by someone who contradicts themselves. “Yet, when you look at countries that have essentially outlawed guns, gun violence is practically nil. By the way, we have very strict gun laws and sentencing parameters already in place but that doesn’t seem to be working too well.”
So, think a little harder. IF there is a procedure to follow when buying a firearm – it has to be followed, or you get nothing. Chicago had over 230 shootings 4th of July weekend (lame stream media won’t report that). Do you really think those shootings were done by gun owners who had to go thru the long process and series of checks to purchase a gun? NO! The Dems continue to con simpletons into needing stricter laws. Criminals DON’T get their guns following a legal process. They go AROUND the law, so tell me what stricter laws will do? That was facetious – I reject any further suggestions from the peanut gallery.
While I empathize with the author’s concern, her arguments are incoherent. First paragraph says the vast majority of crimes with guns, use guns that are illegally possessed. Later the author goes off on all the ways that any would be lawful possessors of guns should be restricted. What is the underlying value that motivates these desires – perhaps the want for peace? A nobel pursuit. But the blind spot of the author is that in her eyes a weapon is merely to defend a country and to hunt game. Maybe self defense too but she did not mention that.
Sleep on this thought: Consider how violent revolution’s or coups could have been stopped in their tracks if a populace was well armed and trained (regulated) when a minority wanted to take or grow it’s power. I appreciate being American, but to those bitter about the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii… Could things have happened differently? Would the ethnic cleansing in modern China be so simple for the government if the Uyghur population was not so toothless? Oh, but one may argue that modern militaries have highly sophisticated weapons, vehicles, and ships. To that I say it is not in an occupants interest to wipe out an adversary and rule over a scorched and salted earth. Look at the Middle East and consider why the natives have not been absolutely wiped out after decades of fighting against top tier militaries.
Please take this seriously and don’t be naive and think for whatever blessed circumstances you may think you’re born into. That you are exempt from age old patterns that keep repeating across time and across the world.
No one anywhere in any state can hunt regulated game animals with a fully automatic firearm.
The most cogent article on firearms I have ever read.
I would only add that full-auto firearms be denied to local police as well, with the exception of specially trained SWAT teams and the like.
You obviously like books. So I am assuming politics. What would you say to a person who was in the military and became president like Richard Nixon, 1972? Kick him out or good for our nation?
Kick him out. Do you feel this way too of them? Military.