There has been buzz about the possibility of President Trump initiating legislation or an executive order to mandate a national concealed carry permit or reciprocity. I have mixed feelings on this subject as I know many others do as well.
Let me begin by saying that I know a perfect libertarian society requires personal responsibility, the kind that has pretty much gone by the wayside. It is often said that common sense is so rare these days that it should be considered a super power. I dream of a world where everyone takes responsibility for their own actions and combines that responsibility with common sense, but it is highly unlikely that our society will change anytime soon.
So here is my dilemma. As a second amendment advocate, I believe that anyone should be able to own any firearm or other weapon that they choose for self defense. The government should have no say as to what an individual can or cannot own. Likewise, the government should have no say as to how you carry your firearm, concealed or otherwise. Obviously, organizations such as the NRA are great advocates for education and proper handling of firearms. Organizations such as the NRA are a wealth of knowledge for safety and advocacy. Here lies the rub.
Some states have a concealed carry law requiring a class of some sort and an application for a permit. Other states don't allow concealed carry, and some have no laws at all restricting concealed carry. Hooray for states rights, but there is confusion. As an NRA pistol instructor, I am qualified to teach concealed carry classes for the state of Ohio. Ohio in turn has reciprocity with many states, meaning that the Ohio permit is accepted in most other states. Likewise, the states with reciprocity means that Ohio law enforcement will accept those permit holders as well.
My concern is two fold. As I mentioned in my post, Annie Get Your Gun, I believe that if you can afford it, you can own it. As a libertarian, I also believe that it is none of the government's business as to how you carry your gun, either concealed or open. It is the responsibility of the individual to implement best practices with proper care and handling. Obviously we know that not all gun owners utilize best practices. This is why we hear of children gaining access to guns and shooting them, sometimes causing significant harm or even death. Tragic and unnecessary. These cases give politicians the fodder they are looking for to control guns in the name of safety.
The problem is not the gun, it is the owner. Guns are simply a machine just as a car or a see-saw. These machines do nothing without a person to operate them. This is why the Social Security Administration was slated to get involved with gun ownership under the Obama administration. They wanted to remove the rights of gun ownership from anyone receiving Social Security income for a "mental health" reason. Even the Obama administration knows that it is the person, not the gun which is the concern. However under Obama, the SSA could revoke payments or confiscate guns without due process and other unconstitutional violations. Anyway, back to my point.
One of the good things that concealed carry laws have is the ability to verify at least some basic level of knowledge and training for the individual to be permitted to carry concealed in a public area. While I am fully against this regulation. In a world with very little responsibility and common sense, it is somewhat comforting to know at a permit holder should know what they are doing when it come to proper care, retention and use.
The big issue is that we have to determine if the individual states have authority or if the second amendment supersedes the states rights. If the second amendment is the final say, then the concealed carry option for the states is mute. If the states have the rights, then it should require an act of congress to mandate a national concealed carry standard. As a responsible gun owner, I believe that I have the right to carry anyway I want, anywhere I want for the purpose of security and protection of self and family. I don't believe that I need a permit because of the second amendment. However, I have genuine concern about other people who have the same right, but don't use any common sense to properly store, maintain, or handle their own firearms.
I want nothing more than to have every American own and carry a gun, but without education and training, it can be dangerous. We wouldn't allow a person to drive a car without education and training first, we don't even let electricians install lights without some level of education and training. How can we possibly allow people to own and carry a deadly weapon without it? The answer is because of the second amendment. It doesn't stipulate any training requirements. It assumes that the individual is competent and capable of making sound decisions. Even the anti-gun crowd knows that there are idiots out there. The honest anti-gun lobby realizes it is a public safety issue and not a gun issue.
An honest solution to this problem with gun ownership and concealed carry is education. I would propose that the NRA teach a course that is required by all public schools (another institution I think should be eliminated, but that is for another day). In order to graduate, there should be required learning and successful completion for public school students to fully understand the constitution and its application today. For the section on the second amendment, the NRA would teach a semester long class that involves proper storage, maintenance, and use of the three most common firearms, hand guns, rifles, and shotguns. This class would be required for graduation, but not to own a gun, because gun ownership is protected under the constitution, whereas graduation is not. Upon graduation, individuals can choose whether or not they want to own a gun. At least this way we can rest assured that any student graduating from public school has an understanding of the constitution and proper care and use of firearms. Its not perfect, but it is a start.
Just as we cannot legislate morality, we cannot legislate intelligence or common sense, but we can make sure that our tax dollars are being spent on real education. Who knows, maybe some of our more disinterested students might even want to go to school and graduate. What a crazy idea.
Peace and Freedom,
Geoff
Showing posts with label 2A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2A. Show all posts
Monday, March 27, 2017
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Annie, Get Your Gun!
So I have been spending much of my time in NY recently. I can think of several things both favorable and unfavorable about my experiences just outside the big apple. I have found my favorite beer at a local establishment in Tarrytown, I have found a great cigar shop/lounge in Elmsford. I have even found a great little tactical shop in Hawthorne. However, while I can smoke and drink as I please in my free time, not only can I not rent a gun to shoot down the range, I cannot even bring my own.
Coming from a relatively free state, Ohio, I am able to purchase most firearms without much thought. Of course there is still too much regulation from the FBI and ATF and other federal agencies, but Ohio doesn't much infringe on my rights to own a firearm. It is good to know that back home, I can stop in to my local retailer and pick up my new firearm and take it home with me. But NY is much different.
Many of the good people I meet in NY cannot believe just how easy it is to get a gun in Ohio. I on the other hand, cannot believe just how restrictive the laws of NY are. My understanding of the second amendment allows any citizen of the USA (who has no other restrictions) to purchase any type, size, action, shape, etc. that they can afford. As far as I am concerned, if you can afford it, you can own it.
There are obvious exceptions to nuclear arms and other mass destruction devises. The second amendment is meant for citizens to be able to protect themselves from an oppressive government. Weapons of Mass Destruction don't meet the self protection aspect of the constitution, but certainly any gun does. Even a tank is fine for me. If you can afford an Abrams tank, more power to you. Just as law abiding citizens are not shooting up the place now, law abiding citizens won't shoot up places just because the size of the round or rate at which it can be fired increases.
Honestly, magazine restrictions don't have any impact on criminals, only the average citizen. Whether a gun has a semi automatic or automatic action doesn't matter to the average person. Laws such as these only prevent good people from having fun and choosing what is best for their own personal security.
Think about it in these terms. if you see someone exiting a liquor store with cases of beer and multiple bottles of various liquors, you probably think there must be some great party going on somewhere nearby and don't think much of it. However, for many, if that same person was seen exiting a gun store with several guns and cases full of ammo, there is a hesitation to wonder what exactly that person is going to do with all of that weaponry.
Why have we become so concerned? The statistics say that we are far more likely to be harmed or killed by the person at the liquor store or one of their party friends than we would ever be by the guy with the guns and ammo. So why the double standard?
The reality is that we have been desensitized by politicians politicizing all shootings as the fault of the gun. If they were honest, the politicians would eliminate the "gun free" zones. Gun free zones are the most dangerous places in the country these days. It is specifically where terrorists and lone wolves look to do the most damage. This is because they know that no one will be able to defend his/herself.
The next major incident is likely to happen at a gun free zone. As someone not allowed to carry in NY, this is a significant concern to me. According to an article I read recently in a NY publication, there are only 4 officers who are able to process handgun permits in Westchester County.
For those of you who don't know, Westchester County has about 1 million residents crammed into 500 square miles. First, there shouldn't be any permit needed for ownership of any gun, but moreso, if they think they will be safer by requiring a permit before purchase of a handgun, there needs to be many more than 4 people processing the paperwork. Based on the article, most permits take approximately one year to process. One whole year to get the gun you bought today. Insane! There is absolutely no reason for this delay. No one should have to wait that long for any firearm that is in the store already.
Here is the main issue for me. If the government is trying to tell me what I can or cannot have or do, then they are overstepping their authority. It shouldn't matter if I am from Ohio. If I want to bring my gun to NY, I should be able to do so. I am all in favor of states rights, but the constitution clearly delineates that the right to keep and bear arms "shall not be infringed." There is no situation where preventing me from carrying my firearm in NY upholds the rights listed in the second amendment. It is time to put the power back in the hands of the people and stop accepting the oppression from any government or governmental agency that wants to dictate what you can own.
Peace and Freedom,
Geoff
Coming from a relatively free state, Ohio, I am able to purchase most firearms without much thought. Of course there is still too much regulation from the FBI and ATF and other federal agencies, but Ohio doesn't much infringe on my rights to own a firearm. It is good to know that back home, I can stop in to my local retailer and pick up my new firearm and take it home with me. But NY is much different.
Many of the good people I meet in NY cannot believe just how easy it is to get a gun in Ohio. I on the other hand, cannot believe just how restrictive the laws of NY are. My understanding of the second amendment allows any citizen of the USA (who has no other restrictions) to purchase any type, size, action, shape, etc. that they can afford. As far as I am concerned, if you can afford it, you can own it.
There are obvious exceptions to nuclear arms and other mass destruction devises. The second amendment is meant for citizens to be able to protect themselves from an oppressive government. Weapons of Mass Destruction don't meet the self protection aspect of the constitution, but certainly any gun does. Even a tank is fine for me. If you can afford an Abrams tank, more power to you. Just as law abiding citizens are not shooting up the place now, law abiding citizens won't shoot up places just because the size of the round or rate at which it can be fired increases.
Honestly, magazine restrictions don't have any impact on criminals, only the average citizen. Whether a gun has a semi automatic or automatic action doesn't matter to the average person. Laws such as these only prevent good people from having fun and choosing what is best for their own personal security.
Think about it in these terms. if you see someone exiting a liquor store with cases of beer and multiple bottles of various liquors, you probably think there must be some great party going on somewhere nearby and don't think much of it. However, for many, if that same person was seen exiting a gun store with several guns and cases full of ammo, there is a hesitation to wonder what exactly that person is going to do with all of that weaponry.
Why have we become so concerned? The statistics say that we are far more likely to be harmed or killed by the person at the liquor store or one of their party friends than we would ever be by the guy with the guns and ammo. So why the double standard?
The reality is that we have been desensitized by politicians politicizing all shootings as the fault of the gun. If they were honest, the politicians would eliminate the "gun free" zones. Gun free zones are the most dangerous places in the country these days. It is specifically where terrorists and lone wolves look to do the most damage. This is because they know that no one will be able to defend his/herself.
The next major incident is likely to happen at a gun free zone. As someone not allowed to carry in NY, this is a significant concern to me. According to an article I read recently in a NY publication, there are only 4 officers who are able to process handgun permits in Westchester County.
For those of you who don't know, Westchester County has about 1 million residents crammed into 500 square miles. First, there shouldn't be any permit needed for ownership of any gun, but moreso, if they think they will be safer by requiring a permit before purchase of a handgun, there needs to be many more than 4 people processing the paperwork. Based on the article, most permits take approximately one year to process. One whole year to get the gun you bought today. Insane! There is absolutely no reason for this delay. No one should have to wait that long for any firearm that is in the store already.
Here is the main issue for me. If the government is trying to tell me what I can or cannot have or do, then they are overstepping their authority. It shouldn't matter if I am from Ohio. If I want to bring my gun to NY, I should be able to do so. I am all in favor of states rights, but the constitution clearly delineates that the right to keep and bear arms "shall not be infringed." There is no situation where preventing me from carrying my firearm in NY upholds the rights listed in the second amendment. It is time to put the power back in the hands of the people and stop accepting the oppression from any government or governmental agency that wants to dictate what you can own.
Peace and Freedom,
Geoff
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Reset Button
Is anyone else distraught that every time Hillary or Obama or frankly anyone in the DNC speaks it makes Trump look better. I don't like Trump. I don't want Trump. I am just as scared about the prospect of President Trump as President Clinton part deux. On the day they announce that President Reagan's attempted assassin is to be released in a few days, Obama makes me stay up late just to hear him dribble about the merits of Hillary. There are no merits. Not that Trump has any either, but what is going on?
Hillary famously referred to the "reset button" with the Russians, but when do we get to reset the entire field in DC? It appears that the "fundamental transformation of America" is complete, but I want a fundamental restoration of values and principles. I don't need to know how the government can take my hard earned money and use it to help others. I am active in my community. I use my own initiative to help those in need.
I have employed as many as 25 people at one time. I would pay my staff more if I could but the cost to employ often out weighs the benefit to the company and I value my staff too much to lower wages to compensate. I think most employers would raise wages if we could eliminate the expenses associated with it. I could raise the salary of my staff by 20% and simultaneously increase my own income by 10% if I didn't have to pay for the privilege (taxes) of being an employer. Most of my staff would gain an additional 15% if we simply eliminated income taxes. Imagine having 15% more in your pocket all year long.
Back to restoration. Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness.....that is unless you live in a city, or own property, or use fuel, or have a firearm, or want to build a home, or want to help people. Yes, help people. I know several nonprofit organizations who spend much of their resources simply trying to maintain environmental permits and satisfy governmental agencies. Unacceptable. EPA=Enough Protection Already!
Why can't we all get along? Because the politicians succeed when we are attacking each other. If we are looking for someone to "fix" the problem, then both parties benefit, and the people lose. We don't have a government of the people, for the people and by the people. We have a ruling political class that is occasionally set back by the people's "intruder." It doesn't take much to change those who mean well once they reach DC. We need the people's reset button. It is beyond time to clean slate. But who will join me? With less than 50% of eligible voters showing up in an election, the non-voters could change the whole system by simply casting a vote.
If you have any ideas how to get registered voters who stay home to unite behind a real leader, let me know. Till then, I will wallow in self pity about the lack of leadership both parties have put as the best the USA has to offer.
Geoff
Hillary famously referred to the "reset button" with the Russians, but when do we get to reset the entire field in DC? It appears that the "fundamental transformation of America" is complete, but I want a fundamental restoration of values and principles. I don't need to know how the government can take my hard earned money and use it to help others. I am active in my community. I use my own initiative to help those in need.
I have employed as many as 25 people at one time. I would pay my staff more if I could but the cost to employ often out weighs the benefit to the company and I value my staff too much to lower wages to compensate. I think most employers would raise wages if we could eliminate the expenses associated with it. I could raise the salary of my staff by 20% and simultaneously increase my own income by 10% if I didn't have to pay for the privilege (taxes) of being an employer. Most of my staff would gain an additional 15% if we simply eliminated income taxes. Imagine having 15% more in your pocket all year long.
Back to restoration. Life, Liberty and pursuit of happiness.....that is unless you live in a city, or own property, or use fuel, or have a firearm, or want to build a home, or want to help people. Yes, help people. I know several nonprofit organizations who spend much of their resources simply trying to maintain environmental permits and satisfy governmental agencies. Unacceptable. EPA=Enough Protection Already!
Why can't we all get along? Because the politicians succeed when we are attacking each other. If we are looking for someone to "fix" the problem, then both parties benefit, and the people lose. We don't have a government of the people, for the people and by the people. We have a ruling political class that is occasionally set back by the people's "intruder." It doesn't take much to change those who mean well once they reach DC. We need the people's reset button. It is beyond time to clean slate. But who will join me? With less than 50% of eligible voters showing up in an election, the non-voters could change the whole system by simply casting a vote.
If you have any ideas how to get registered voters who stay home to unite behind a real leader, let me know. Till then, I will wallow in self pity about the lack of leadership both parties have put as the best the USA has to offer.
Geoff
Welcome
Hello and welcome to Politicked. This is a blog I have long considered to start. With the spectacle that the 2016 Presidential election is, I think it is finally time to let loose. I don't know if Google will permit me to speak freely or not. I am often not politically correct.
Let me introduce myself by concept rather than name. I consider myself as a God Fearing Constitutional Libertarian, but refuse to be grouped into any particular ethos. My background involves Nature, Law Enforcement, USMC, Construction, Business, Non-profits, Farming, Education, Christianity, Firearms, Law, Celtic Heritage, International Travel, Writing and many other pursuits. I will reveal more about me throughout our journey together, and yes, I will use my real name because I stand by my beliefs. You may feel free to speak your mind here just as I do. I will screen for profanity and insults. Your definition of these terms may differ from mine. If you don't like how I handle it, write your own blog.
I hope our journey together is a long a prosperous one for each of us. You will hear me rant, comment and quote on current affairs and history as I understand it. I am very blessed to live in the USA and although it is not perfect, I still believe there is nowhere better to live, but we all play a role in creating the world we want to live in, so here is my small contribution. Won't you join me even if you disagree with my stance on issues?
God Bless,
Geoff
Let me introduce myself by concept rather than name. I consider myself as a God Fearing Constitutional Libertarian, but refuse to be grouped into any particular ethos. My background involves Nature, Law Enforcement, USMC, Construction, Business, Non-profits, Farming, Education, Christianity, Firearms, Law, Celtic Heritage, International Travel, Writing and many other pursuits. I will reveal more about me throughout our journey together, and yes, I will use my real name because I stand by my beliefs. You may feel free to speak your mind here just as I do. I will screen for profanity and insults. Your definition of these terms may differ from mine. If you don't like how I handle it, write your own blog.
I hope our journey together is a long a prosperous one for each of us. You will hear me rant, comment and quote on current affairs and history as I understand it. I am very blessed to live in the USA and although it is not perfect, I still believe there is nowhere better to live, but we all play a role in creating the world we want to live in, so here is my small contribution. Won't you join me even if you disagree with my stance on issues?
God Bless,
Geoff
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