Oct 26 2008
Jennifer Hudson & Gun Control
First I want to express how deeply sorry I am at the tragedy that took place in the Hudson household. I can’t even imagine how devastating it must be to lose a Mother, Brother and have a nephew missing all at the same time. My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to the entire family.
It was reported that Chicago, where these murders took place has the highest number of murders this year above any other state in the country. However we all have our problems with guns. I’ve seen first hand what guns can do. Working as a teller in a bank years ago I was held up with a gun. A few years later while working in that same bank on Market street, some crazy walked into the building up onto the fourth floor and decided to kill his wife and take hundreds of people hostage. The police had the building surrounded and we could not leave until they captured the killer. I was meeting a friend for lunch one day down the financial district when shots rang out at the 101 California buidling and the entire area was cordoned off until the murderer, after shooting hostages killed himself. These are just a few examples of what guns do and what I’ve seen first hand. There are so many more.
I can just hear the conservatives saying it’s not the guns it’s the people who pull the triggers. My argument is if we did not allow guns these tragedies wouldn’t be taking place. Granted there would still be some illegal gun activity however the majority of crimes would drastically decrease. WE NEED GUN CONTROL IN THIS COUNTRY. I don’t give a rats you know what about us all having the right to carry guns for protection. There is no other purpose for guns other than killing. And for all you hunters out there, and yes you too Ms. gun toting hockey Mom, you should not be out there hunting and killing animals either. I’d like to ask the NRA and everyone in favor of them, how would you feel if one of your loved ones was murdered with a gun? I want someone to please give me a rational answer to why it is we need guns. I don’t want to hear it’s a constitutional right and I don’t want to hear because we need them for protection because both of those statements don’t fly with me at all. They’re just excuses to carry guns. Give me a good reason.
I’ll give you several GOOD reasons why gun control is a bad idea.
Murder is illegal and has been for a while now but it still happens. And even if you banned every gun in the world, murderers will just use knives, bats, box cutters, screwdrivers or whatever else MURDERERS use.
Likewise, there will always be murderers. If somebody broke into your house with the intent to rape, kill and dismember you, I’m sure you would try to persuade them otherwise. But that power of persuasion is a lot more powerful when backed up by a .357 Smith & Wesson. And while you may chose not to have that power of persuasion, WHO ARE YOU to take my right away to defend myself or my family?
As long as there are bad people in the world, there will always be a need for guns. So, I’ll tell you what: You get rid of every bad person in the world and I’ll give up my guns. But until your unrealistic utopian society exists, I’ll defend me and mine with whatever I deem necessary.
God forbid you’ll ever be faced with a situation where a bad person does something bad to you or a loved one with a bat, a box cutter or a screwdriver. I just hope somebody with a gun is around to save you.
You ask how I would feel if a loved one was killed by a gun. Well, I’ll tell you I would feel horrible. I don’t think I could feel any worse - unless I could have prevented their death. And sometimes, the only way to prevent those kinds of things from happening is TO HAVE A GUN AROUND.
Sincerely,
Kevin K. Brady
Draper, Utah
Your reasons are weak. First, with knives, screwdrivers and box cutters that doesn’t necessarily mean a death would result in that situation. Example the Hudson murders. If whoever this person was walked into that house with a knife rather than a gun more than likely no one would have been killed. There may have been injuries but I doubt any deaths.
I don’t know what the statistics are where you live but in large cities as where I live there are drive by shootings with generally young people who decide to just go out, drive around and shoot people in random fashion. There are gang wars where AK47’s are used on the streets. These things take place on a regular basis. If a couple of guys walked into a bank with a knife or screwdriver with the intent to rob the bank I doubt that they would even be taken seriously. On the other hand two guys with guns, yeah - they’re serious. And, even with your gun to protect your family and loved ones doesn’t mean you’re always going to be around to protect them. You could be at work etc…And I sincerely hope that something like that never happens.
If someone broke into my home with the intent to as you put it, rape, kill and dismember me, if they’re using anything other than a gun, I’d have a fighting chance. If they had a gun, I’d be dead.
As you said “But that power of persuasion is a lot more powerful when backed up by a .357 Smith & Wesson” and that is exactly why these criminals use guns. Anything else would not give them that much power.
Gun control would drastically decrease crime it may no prevent it altogether but would be a deterent.
Thank you for reading, commenting and the healthy discussion.
Please keep in mind-if this poor family had guns to defend themself with-they would still be alive. The only ones who follow gun laws are law abiding citizens. Criminals dont give a crap about gun regulations.
This family should have been armed. Because they were not armed they have become just another statistic in Chicago’s crime ridden areas with the highest homicide rate in the United States-and where has Senator Obama been while he should have been helping to pass laws to protect its fine citizens-
hes been campaigning folks.
Gun control is not a deterrant-Having guns is a deterrant. If a leader should ever vote to take my guns from me they lose my vote and I am an activist about my second amendment constitutional rights.
Pry my gun from my cold dead hands-but not before defending my home and hearth from criminals that never obey gun laws.
A story-home was broken into-no one was there but the woman who lives there came home and the police were called, the next night the same criminal broke in again-the woman grabbed her gun and shot the criminal–Sen.Obama has attempted to pass laws that would have made that poor woman a criminal for protecting herself against robbers and rapists.
I’ve lived through a few home invasions in my life. As a practitioner of martial arts I think I could defend myself without a gun rather proficiently but that is assuming the perp isn’t carrying anything lethal beyond a screw driver. I own a gun cause I take into consideration the fact that the perp could be armed with a screw driver, knife, baseball bat, gun, chain, and basically any from an assortment projectile or melee weapons. Not to mention I live with my older mostly defenseless parents and sister, who do not have the physical means to really defend themselves, but this is not taking into consideration adrenalin rush. This is why I taught them how to use a gun properly.
It would be naive to think that I being unarmed could take on one unarmed opponent while simultaneously trying to get my family to safety. Most people who have never been in a fight really don’t know how physically demanding fighting someone can be. I live in a middle class neighborhood, so the cops take their sweet time to respond to emergency calls, I know this from experience. I’ve also live in some metropolitan areas as well and the police response time is slow. In my youth, I grew up in the “hood.” Anyone who lives there knows that cops don’t respond to emergency calls there.
In short I own it for protection, and I know as stated from above protection isn’t enough of a justification for you. For me on the other hand it is enough. I simply do not feel safe, guns are not what frightens me, but brutal psychotics frighten me. In terns of frightening personal weaponry, knives scare me the the most. I did Kali Escrima for a while and yeah, knives are brutal. Then again I’ve never been shot, and I have been stabbed before, (With a pencil though.)
Even if I felt safe, I would probably own a gun anyways, and I have no problems admitting in that situation I own a gun because I enjoy my time at the rifle range. Assuming I did feel safe, I probably wouldn’t care so much about losing the legal rights to own a gun. On the flip side, if I did not feel safe and I’ve lost my legal rights to own a gun it would probably result in me owning one illegally, or owning a home made coil gun.
Also adding that if there was a legal non lethal alternative that was just as effective I would use it. Bean bag rounds, rubber bullets are almost there in effectiveness and are mostly non lethal, but are currently not legal for public use.
On the hunting issue. I personally find nothing wrong with hunting, I think it is more humane to hunt then buy it from the store. This probably wont make any sense since I am not a poet with words like you. I guess I feel better knowing that the animal flesh I consumed was that of a free animal, and had a chance not to become a meal of man or other predators, then to consume the flesh of an animal that was simply born to die for our consumption. Of course this reason is completely stomped on if you are a vegetarian, so its really more of an a thought for those of us who do consume meat.
Despite this whole statement it is not a reason why “We” should own guns, its the reason why I own a gun. Hopefully it will give you some insight to why people chooses to own a gun.
to Ctaylor - If the Hudsons were armed there would have still been casualties, no doubt about it. Second, we’re not talking about Obama here. We’re talking about making our streets safer and the ONLY way to do that is pass gun control laws. As for your story, I ask, did the burglar have a gun or did she just shoot? If she just shot then yes she should be prosecuted.
Thanks for reading.
Alissa - You make some great points. And, how many times have we heard of accidents in the home with law abiding people who have guns to protect themselves.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
To somegunowner - you also make some good points as to your choice of owning guns. However my point is simply gun control would result in a decrease in crime, period. I would think that being a martial arts practitioner you would understand guns are not necessary.
Thanks for the discussion.
I am perfectly find with gun control so long as the gun control is put in the right place. Despite the 10 or whatever the waiting period is now guns are easy to get your hands to. I don’t mind having to be required to get licenses of what not.
I guess my problem is “gun control” = no gun for you. If it were to come to it that my rights to own a weapons were taken away that you are going to have to show me that public protections is going to have to be stepped up a lot.
I want to see gun control that is stopping the importing of illegal weapons for illegal sale.
You are going to have to explain to me this statement. “I would think that being a martial arts practitioner you would understand guns are not necessary.” I am not sure what that means, how does learning how to fight mean that you understand that guns aren’t necessary? Would you care to elaborate?
After reading your post, there’s nothing you would consider a “good” reason to own a gun. Best wishes to you.
You cheese eating surrender monkeys.
After you disarm all of the law abiding citizens, how do you propose to disarm the criminals?
They have already tried gun control in Washington, DC. Guess what? It didn’t work. Crime and murder has been on the rise ever since the ban started.
Oh yes, Chicago banned guns too, didn’t they? So how’s that working for you?
Remember waht happened after Hitler banned all of teh guns in Germany? Yeah, that turned out well too.
You little anti-gun communists need to go away.
Really Matt X? Really? I highly doubt that the population of gun owners in America have the ability to mount a military offensive. Now but you could possibly be former military and you can, but most America guns owners are like me, recreational shooters. We plink cans on the weekend.
Very few who own a gun for protection have actually been through the training to use it effectively in a self defense situation, let along a full blown combat situation.
Yeah I would like to say stuff about, protecting our liberty against some type of Hitler like rise or some invasion, but when it comes down to it I am just taking it with me as I GTFO. I’ll save my bullets in case I have to hunt for food.
And WTF is wrong with Cheese? Cheese is awesome.
There are stastistics in England and Australia that show violent crime went UP after they banned guns. It’s because banning them only stops the people who follow laws and not the criminals.
My husband was in the Army and trained to use guns. He then taught my son and I. We know all about gun safety and use. My son NEVER touched the gun without supervision. It can be done. There are many more homes with gun owners that have no problems, than ones that do.
If some huge man broke into our house and tried to hurt me or my son while my husband was gone away on storm duty, as is often the case, you’re darn tootin I’ll shot his ass! I sure can’t fight him off, can I? I’m only five feet tall and not very tough..lol.
Thanks to all who read, commented and offered a lively discussion.
I never said to BAN guns, I just said they needed to be more strictly regulated. Yes, it will be impossible to remove them from those who abuse them the most, but perhaps it will deter just a FEW of these tragic murders that happen daily in our communities. That one life that is saved could make all the difference…
The guy that killed those people should never have been free on the streets; he was out on parole for attempted murder. They need harsher laws for murders, drug dealers and gang members. Those scumbags should get immediate execution, they offer nothing but fear, death and social destruction.
Calm down
Doesn’t work. A gun ban only ALLOWS FOR ONLY CRIMINALS TO HAVE GUNS BECAUSE CRIMINALS ALWAYS USE UNREGISTERED WEAPONS ANYWAY. CRIMINALS ARE PRO GUN CONTROL BECAUSE IT LEAVES THE VICTIM DEFENSELESS!!!
I still love ya
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