By Michael Greer
Americans have had guns since Columbus discovered America. Our High School parking lots used to have pick-ups with guns in gun racks parked in them. We’ve even had automatic and semi-automatic guns a hundred years. The Gatling gun was developed in the mid 1800’s. What we didn’t have were psychos going into schools, malls, bars, movie theaters or churches and shooting people. Why? What’s changed?
WE have. Before 1965 we were a homogeneous country. Republican or Democrat we had shared values, we all loved this country (I’m speaking generally, I KNOW there are exceptions to the rule). We all respected the Constitution and the Rule of Law. We pledged allegiance to the flag, and got a lump in our throats when we sang our anthem. We all passionately defended free speech. We were proud of our military and respected our law enforcement. We believed in God, country and family. We believed in parental rights and religious exemptions. A large percentage of us went to church regularly. In general we were a God fearing country.
In 1965 we changed our immigration policy. We were told at the time it wouldn’t effect us in any way. Of course, it would and of course, it did. We stopped merit based immigration from like minded countries and changed it to immigration from 3rd world countries. These new immigrants could then bring in dozens of family members through chain migration. These new immigrants were from mostly socialist, communist countries or dictatorships. They were mostly poor, uneducated and unskilled. In most cases these new immigrants had never experienced individual liberty and didn’t understand self determination or personal responsibility. They also came with different religions and cultures. They were not encouraged to assimilate, in fact were told it was racist to expect them to. We can’t ignore our demographics have changed and with it our shared values.
At the same time prayer was banned from our schools, and slowly from the public square. Nativity scenes no longer allowed in parks or public grounds. Christmas vacation became Winter vacation. Easter vacation became Spring break. Merry Christmas became Happy Holiday’s. We were told we shouldn’t offend our immigrants that didn’t share our beliefs. Schools stopped saying the pledge or singing the anthem. Christmas carols and pageants no longer allowed. And now Christians are being demonized. They are being called haters. Religious exemptions not allowed. California just passed a bill requiring churches to accept the LBGTQ community and agenda. They want to prevent doctors and nurses from refusing to perform abortions. And they want all of us to fund abortions even though polls show the majority of us object.
Over the last twenty years the erosion of our culture, traditions and morals has increased exponentially. Ten years ago people would have laughed in my face if I said there would be drag queens reading to our children or that schools would be teaching all lifestyles were equal and having ten year olds put condoms on anatomically correct erect penis models. Teaching sexual techniques not biology. No one would believe paintings of our founders would be painted over because they made kids feel unsafe. Or that schools would have “safe spaces” for kids who were “triggered” by something that offended them. Or that the correct answer to a math problem wasn’t as important as how you arrived at it. Or that science was decided by consensus not verifiable, reproducible studies.
Up is now down, right is now wrong. Everything we thought was solid is now fluid. Everything we collectively believed in as a country is under attack. We would all agree children need structure. They need to have boundaries. Well, so do adults. We need rules to live by. There is little that makes people more upset or angry than others not playing by the rules. There are no rules anymore. We can’t suspend dangerous or disruptive kids from school. Criminals, not citizens, are being protected by law enforcement. Illegal aliens, not citizens, are who our politicians represent.
There is nothing people can depend on anymore. We can’t even identify ourselves as male or female. It is very difficult for people to learn what is true. Fact or fiction. Google is influencing what “facts” you can see. Twitter and Facebook are censoring Conservative speech. News media is deciding what is news and what you get to know. The media didn’t cover the Gosnell trial because they didn’t want the public to know anything negative about abortion. If you want to know the truth you have to do your own research and most people are too busy to do that. We can no longer depend on science or the media or our schools to give us impartial, objective truth.
And at the same time we are being told we are destroying the earth and we have to completely overturn our way of life, lower our standard of living and accept central government. Things we enjoy, that make our lives easier are being taken from us. Our children are being frightened into believing the world will end if we don’t stop using fossil fuels this minute. Our children are being told their parents have destroyed their future.
Without being tethered to truth or faith or moral values, already vulnerable people become mentally unbalanced. People who have always played by the rules are infuriated when they see some groups exempt from them. Christians and Jews are frightened when they see Islam being taught in our schools but their religions are banned. It is no wonder more and more people are becoming mentally unstable.
So, what is the solution? Universal background checks? Many of the shooters had passed background checks. Some friends of mine were saying, yes, California has background checks but other states don’t. Let me explain why I’m against a Federal law that every state must require background checks. When you give the Federal government control of anything no matter how beneficial you believe it is to start, the next administration will change it and you may not like the changes. Like Social Security started with funds being in a lock box earning interest. Like Medicare started by covering 100% of treatment.
The Constitution says that Congress shall make no laws “infringing” on the RIGHT to bare arms. It also says anything NOT enumerated for the government to do was left to the states. The Constitution not only doesn’t enumerate gun regulation to the government, it specifically prevents them from regulating guns. If you want the federal government to regulate guns you have to amend the Constitution.
It should also be noted that the states with the fewest gun laws have the lowest gun violence and the states with the most gun laws have the highest gun violence. Chicago being a perfect example. They have the strongest gun regulations in the country and the highest gun violence. Not allowing law abiding citizens to protect themselves makes them vulnerable to criminals.
The solution to these mass shootings is not fewer guns, it’s more guns in the hands of law abiding citizens. What is the FIRST thing a politician or celebrity does when threatened? They get ARMED security. What did banks do to prevent robberies? They got armed security. Where have ALL the mass shootings happened? In GUN FREE ZONES!!! The shooters have been either Islamist or mentally unbalanced men who wanted to kill as many innocent people as possible and chose GUN FREE ZONES where they knew they would face no resistance. They knew they could kill many before the police could get there and make a BIG splash in the newspapers. Once the crazies realize there is no place they won’t face armed opposition and won’t have a chance to make a name for themselves, these mass shootings will stop. GUN FREE ZONES need to be banned not guns.
Switzerland is a good example. Switzerland has no standing army. Every family has a gun and is trained to use it. They have low crime and gun violence because criminals are reluctant to confront armed resistance.
We’re told we don’t need guns because we have police to protect us. Really? Even under the best of circumstances police arrive ten or fifteen minutes after they are called. But there has been a war on the police, in case you haven’t noticed. Some officers are hesitant to take action for fear of being prosecuted. Many have been prevented by law from using necessary force. Media and politicians have made law enforcement the problem. Officers called racist even though a majority of officers are minorities. The disrespect has grown to the point people are attacking them, throwing water, buckets, and other things at them. I have no confidence the police will or can protect me.
There will always be guns. That’s a genie no one is going to get back in the bottle. Even IF “they” were able to destroy every single gun on the planet, people would make them. Guns are not going away. Governments will always have them, criminals will always have them. The LAST people that should have guns taken from them are law abiding citizens.
As I said, America has always had guns but we haven’t always had mass shootings. Our concern should not be on the guns but on why this is happening.
Michael Greer
Michael Greer retired from the film/television industry and is the co-organizer of the Santa Monica Tea Party and the Los Angeles Tea Party, on the board of directors of the Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights and was a member of the Republican Central Committee for the 41st Assembly District. Her website is: http://madderthanhell.wordpress.com/
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The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal.
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