Letter To The Editor: Writer asks for rational discussion concerning guns

To the Editor,

I remember a few years ago sitting at a courthouse meeting where people who love guns were making an argument to the Supervisors that there should be no restrictions on people carrying guns on county property including the courthouse because it is our “right” to carry guns anywhere we want to.

At that meeting, I mentioned my conversation with a member of our Assessor’s office who expressed concern for the office’s safety because some people really angry about their property tax bills.

Someone will undoubtedly state that the issue in Jackson County was brought on by not enough people having guns at that meeting on Tuesday. Can you imagine the carnage what could have occurred if everyone pulled their guns out to “defend” each other? No doubt more would have been injured or killed. A gunfight at the “ok corral” does nothing to insure public safety.

Just as what happened when Gabby Giffords was shot in Arizona a few years back, it was someone without a gun who prevented the attack on the Jackson Co. Assessor. The shooter on Tuesday did not have a license or a concealed carry license and that is exactly the point. Our society is so obsessed with guns that any discussion about common sense solutions is seen as somehow trampling on the 2nd Amendment and off limits.

Until we can start having that rational discussion, events like what happened in Jackson County will continue occur. There is not a week that goes by that some where a child or an adult is killed by someone finding a gun, playing with it or mistakenly taking the life a loved one because of mistaken identity.

It is extremely doubtful that a rational discussion will ever occur. If that discussion did not occur after 20-6 year olds were shot by an unstable person who had unfettered assess to guns, why would anyone think that a courthouse shooting in Iowa would have any effect?

It seems to be that it is far more important to have guns to defend ourselves from a government gun grab that has not occurred than it is to address gun violence. Never mind the death of innocent people because they are just collateral damage in our obsession with villains (government gun grab) that do not exist.

The paranoia surrounding the need for people to be armed to the teeth has not created a safer society. All this paranoia has accomplished is the more guns and more people being injured or killed.

I would suggest anyone commenting on my post please address solutions and keep the personal attacks on my ideology to yourself. The discussion should be about finding common ground and solutions. Burying your head in the sand by saying the 2nd Amendment says…while the killing continues does not add anything to our society. It is the obsession with guns that is the problem and if you are not willing to discuss rationally to find solutions, you are part of the problem.

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PS September 12, 2014, 3:23 pm I\'m glad Rosemary wants to have a rational discussion on firearms. I was at that meeting with the Benton Coutny Supervisors. You know what isn\'t rational is for the county to pass a resolution to prohibit firearms on all county properties and then promise to not enforce it. The resolution included sidewalks, roads, parks, ditches, etc but don\'t worry they\'ll only enforce the resolution in the courthouse. That\'s not rational. There are all kinds of statistics on how more people are killed with hammers than assault rifles like the one used at Sandy Hook and you want to talk about gun control? If we want to be rational and look at the top fifty causes of death firearms is at about 25. CDC 2011 preliminary statistics shows you are six times more likely to drown than be accidentally shot. You are 50 time more likely to be accidentally poisoned than accidentally shot. You are 11 times more likely to die from an accident of any kind than murdered by any means. I could point out a drunk driver in Carrollton, KY killed and injured more people in one drunk driving accident than any single mass murder shooting in history. If we ignore history, the US Constitution, tradition, our culture and just looked at CDC statistics it is not rational to think firearms is even close to being a major issue.

JW September 12, 2014, 11:46 am

PM September 12, 2014, 11:07 am Rationally speaking, the case in Jackson County was brought on by a gentleman that had been in a car accident and wasn\'t right in the head. End of story. Now, has any of these gun crimes occurred at a gun show? Has anyone walked onto a shooting range and started shooting? (Had the instructor that was shot been paying better attention to his student, he probably would have been okay.) No. You know why? Because even crazy people know that they would get shot if they tried that. So it seems that guns make a good deterrent to violence. Arm and train our teachers to defend our kids. In Ferguson, did you see the store defended by people standing outside with guns? Their store was fine while all around them looting occurred. Tell the old lady in her home whose home was invaded and the only thing that saved her was the words, \"Get out, I have a gun!\" There are so many cases where a gun has saved lives, and prevented crime. If every courthouse employee was trained and carried, I doubt there would be any shootings at the court house. Crazy people don\'t read signs. Even if the letters were 6 foot tall, they would walk right past them, with their guns. So if you think a sign will save you from someone being an idiot, good luck. Rationally speaking, we know life happens. Crazy people happen. There is nothing wrong with carrying, just in case crazy breaks out around you. Trust me, I\'d rather sit next to a friend with a gun than next to a crazy stranger who MIGHT have one. It\'s not a matter of gun \"loving\" it\'s a matter of understanding, or some might say, \"being rational.\"

PW September 11, 2014, 11:52 pm \"It is extremely doubtful that a rational discussion will ever occur.\" This is will likely remain so, as long as the conversation uses terms like \'gun lovers\' as a derogatory slur. The purpose of having a percentage of the population armed is not to support vigilantism, it is as a defensive deterrent. Criminals are less likely to commit violent acts in places where they know guns are present, compared to places where they know there are none. http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4616 The key is education, on both sides. For gun owners, and non-owners. As long as guns are considered a scary things that should not be used, handled, looked at, or even discussed openly, this schism will continue.

CY September 11, 2014, 10:32 pm Very eloquently said! Thank you for expressing so well what I also feel. I\'m hopeful that meaningful conversation will start and positive changes will occur. The Benton County Board of Supervisors, Terry Hertle in particular, should heed your warnings and embrace your approach if there is true concern for the Benton County Courthouse employees and visitors. No employee should have to \"ask\" for protection to safely perform their jobs.

Opinion : Letter To The Editor: Writer asks for rational discussion concerning guns

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