{"id":441737,"date":"2017-10-10T10:19:25","date_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=441737"},"modified":"2017-10-10T10:19:25","modified_gmt":"2017-10-10T16:19:25","slug":"we-are-a-gun-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2017\/10\/we-are-a-gun-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"We are a Gun Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

COMMENTARY:\u00a0<\/strong>I own guns. I grew up hunting\u00a0big game and\u00a0birds. I killed my first deer at the age of 12.<\/p>\n

My father taught me to only kill what I was willing to eat. Part of the process of the hunt was cleaning the game. I learned from an early age that when hunting, the real work started\u00a0after knocking down the game.<\/p>\n

I still hunt on occasion. I love to target shoot. It takes concentration and is relaxing. Millions of American youth grow up this way.<\/p>\n

\"J.R.

Courtesy photo<\/p>

J.R. Lonsway<\/p><\/div>\n

When I read the story about\u00a0the Las Vegas shootings, I thought the same as\u00a0many people: What could possess a human being to do such a thing? More importantly, what could have been done to prevent this tragedy? I had the same thoughts following the shootings in Orlando, Sandy Hook, and the many, many, many, many other mass shootings we’ve had in this country.<\/p>\n

Gun control legislation is useless. We can legislate guns until we cover every single facet of every single purchase of every single\u00a0weapon ever manufactured, and it won’t change the fact that we have an estimated 270 to 310 million firearms in this country, and more being made every day. We are a Gun Nation. Laws that govern the\u00a0legal aspects of purchasing and possessing\u00a0firearms\u00a0are “feel good” statutes. The only people those laws protect us from are ourselves, those\u00a0who would obey the law anyway.<\/p>\n

They don’t protect us from criminals.\u00a0Criminals do not care about laws; words written on paper mean nothing to them and protect no one. “Law” and “penalty” are two different beasts. Penalties come after the written word of the law has been violated. Never confuse the two.<\/p>\n

In the efforts\u00a0to legislate ourselves into a position where we feel we’ve done everything reasonable to protect us from each other, we have overlooked the elephant in the room.<\/p>\n

We can’t legislate mental health.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0guy that seemed “normal” when he purchased a\u00a0firearm years,\u00a0months, weeks or days ago may not be “normal” today. We cannot know or control\u00a0what\u00a0transformations take place between a person’s ears after a difficult or life-changing event occurs\u00a0in their\u00a0personal\u00a0or professional lives.\u00a0Some constitutions are\u00a0more delicate and fragile than others.\u00a0We have seen enough killing to know that.<\/p>\n

Let’s not make this a liberal-vs.-conservative issue. It is not. It is about people dying in a Gun Nation, where those of us labeled as “gun owners” refuse to give up that right no matter how many defenseless people die. My right to own that firearm supersedes your right to live.<\/p>\n

That’s what we are saying, in essence. Doesn’t matter to me if you were at a concert, an elementary school, your\u00a0place of employment, or any other public venue when a madman shot you, your children, your loved ones, dead. My right to own a firearm is more important than any of that.<\/p>\n

This former Marine and retired police officer is far to the right of liberalism, so those of you champing at the bit to write negative comments about my socialist tendencies\u00a0can wipe the froth from your mouth. I’m merely supporting a position that says, “Put up or shut up.” In other words, let’s either come together as a society and do what needs to be done to stop the mass shootings, or let us shut the hell up and live with it.<\/p>\n

There is a solution, and it is quite simple: With certain exceptions, such as military and police, pass legislation that makes possession of a firearm a criminal offense punishable by\u00a0life\u00a0in prison, and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime punishable by death. Period. If we\u00a0want to end the violence, that’s how it’s done.<\/p>\n

Sound harsh? Not quite as harsh as dying from a bullet fired from the gun of a mentally unstable person.<\/p>\n

Give the public 30\u00a0days\u00a0to turn\u00a0in their firearms, compensate with fair market value,\u00a0and after that we start enforcing. Make it illegal to possess ammunition, as well.<\/p>\n

Want to write in exceptions for hunters, like other countries have done, and allow\u00a0single-shot shotguns only, or bolt actions rifles? Fine. But, your firearms stay in the vault at the local police station, and you can only check them (and your ammunition) out to hunt\u00a0or target shoot. You transport the firearm\u00a0disassembled in the trunk of your car, or back of your pickup, in a locked container\u00a0to your destination, assemble them, perform your recreational activity, disassemble, and take them back to the local police station. You have X amount of hours to enjoy yourself.<\/p>\n

The restrictions go on and on, but you get the idea. The alternative is to\u00a0ban firearms and ammunition completely, and the government can compensate those who make their living in the production and sale of them when the factories and stores close down.<\/p>\n

There is no in between. Nothing\u00a0we have done so far has worked, and nothing will because we cannot legislate mental health. We either end it, or we shut the hell up about it.<\/p>\n

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J.R. Lonsway<\/a>\u00a0is a retired deputy chief of police with the City of Las Cruces and the author of\u00a0two books. He blogs at\u00a0jrlonsway.com<\/a>.\u00a0Agree with his opinion? Disagree? We welcome your views. Learn about submitting your own commentary\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n