Gun Rights for Thought

Gun control is always a hot issue with this being an election year, but the past week it has been elevated due to the mass shooting in Colorado. I think all of our hearts and prayers were with those victims' families this week. Unfortunately, this week has also brought an onslaught of people outraging about stiffer gun control and laws restricting what types of guns can be purchased over the counter. This week has been full of people demanding that something could have been done to stop this man before he acted. The plain and simple facts are that this was the act of a crazy, sick person. A criminal. People who are uneducated on the matter believe that the AR-15 rifle that he used should be banned, they believe that these guns are "assault weapons" and only serve one purpose: to kill people. When the truth is that AR-15 rifles are semi-automatic rifles that are not capable of shooting any faster than a semi-atutomatic pistol and are used legally all over the country for use in competition shooting, recreational shooting, and home protection. The truth is that in trained hands a modern day deer hunting rifle or bird hunting shotgun is just as deadly as an AR-15. Most people that are uneducated on this matter just oppose the AR-15 rifle because it is "scary looking" when the truth is they know nothing at all about the rifles. Criminals are just that. They are going to break the law no matter what, if you push for stiffer gun control laws do you actually think that criminals will obey them? In fact, what you'll be doing is disarming the americans who actually obey the laws. Instead of jumping to a conclusion because one insane madman used an AR-15 to shoot innocent people, surprise the anti-gun liberals and actually take it upon yourself to research and look at the facts. The city of Chicago has "the strictest hand gun ordinance in the United States" but somehow they have one of the highest homicide percentages, as well as non-fatal shooting percentages in the country. You might be asking yourself, how is that possible when they dont allow a person to step outside their home with a gun? BECAUSE CRIMINALS DO NOT OBEY THE LAW. These are facts, not opinions. Stiffer gun laws will cripple law abiding american citizens from protecting themselves or their families. The truth is that criminals are going to break the law and carry a gun anyway, the truth is that the horrible incident in Colorado was one sick person's fault. Not the fault of the weapons or ammo that he used. There are thousands of incidents around the country each year where gun toting, lawful citizens protected themselves or loved ones from making the news in some sort of tragedy. I ask that before you jump to conclusions, educate yourself on these types of weapons and do some research on incidents where guns in the right hands saved lives instead of taking them. Also take some time to think about what America means to you and what freedom and the constitution really mean to you. I promise you that harsher laws and further infringement on your second amendment rights by the government will not be the only persecutions of your freedom. It will only be the beginning of a nation that gets more controlled by government, and enjoys less of the freedoms that make this country the place it is. Just some words to think about, friends.  Good luck and good shooting!