LETTER: Gun control won't stop the killing
Response to Steve Wheat’s letter on June 15:
The liberal media publishes lies and bogus statistics about gun violence in this country, and those who do not do their homework believe this propaganda.
The lies are: We can save lives by banning guns; no mass shootings have been stopped by an armed citizen; gun control works; and most people want more gun control.
History and the real statistics (as opposed to bogus data) from all over the world and in the U.S. show that banning guns does not save lives or reduce crime. Banning assault weapons does not save lives or reduce crime. Citizens do use their guns to prevent crime and, yes, even mass shootings every day; it’s just not published in the liberal media sources because no mass shooting resulted and it would prove that they lie to you.
Lives are saved and crime is prevented every day by armed citizens. Usually no shots are fired, and no one is hurt. And Australia has had a mass shooting since the gun ban. What about their murder rate? Hasn’t dropped, has it? And their crime rate? Hasn’t gone down. And the increase in violence against individuals? Same for Britain also. Crimes against individuals and robberies go up when guns are not available.
The unintended consequences of banning guns are vast and horrible. Make no mistake the liberal progressives will not be satisfied until all guns are banned. An assault-weapons ban is just a first step. Deaths by a semi automatic rifle in this country are minuscule compared to almost any other cause of death.
The right to keep and bear arms is an individual right. Its purpose is not to keep us safe; its purpose is to give law-abiding people the right to self-defense and to defend our liberties, and the citizenry the ability to defend themselves against a tyrannical government. Read the history of the U.S. Constitution.
Liberty can certainly be abused, all of our rights can. That does not mean it should be given up just to save lives. Shall we give up our right to free speech because it certainly can incite violence in others? Shall we give up our right to privacy because if our government knew what we were saying and planning they could stop it before any crime was committed? Shall we give up the right to not be forced to give evidence against ourselves because if someone is guilty we certainly want to force him to confess and then go to jail? Abolishing all these rights could save lives. Saving lives is not the purpose of liberty.
Freedom is dangerous. Either you are willing to live with the consequences, or you are willing to give up your liberty. Just don’t take my liberty.
—William Fry, Kalispell