The Gibneys and I seem to be on a roll — not a bad thing, because we all need to air our thoughts. That’s how we get to know each other and ourselves, and that’s how positive change is possible.
If the US is supposed to be the most advanced country in the world, why do many still prize muscle above brains and good will? Statistics and personal anecdotes can be cited to support any stance we wish to take, but what kind of world do we want to live in?
No other leading country depends on weapons the way the US seems to. You may think they are less free as a result, but you can’t know if you haven’t been to some of those places and talked with the ordinary people who can’t figure out where the hell we’re coming from.
And it isn’t about taking away guns; it’s about registering them, like cars, so that individuals can be held accountable for their actions. A slippery slope to a totalitarian state? Not likely, if we talk and discuss and learn and vote. With respect to guns, we seem to have been on a slippery slope for decades, fueled by money and fear-mongering.
A friend my age wrote, “When I was 19 the government (politicians) drafted me, gave me an M16, and sent me to Vietnam. Fifty years later I keep hearing they want to protect me by protecting my gun rights. I don’t have a gun and don’t want one! Do me a favor and fight for what I want: Social Security, affordable health care, and lower drug prices!”
Makes sense to me. Leaders may have guns, but they don’t need them, except for hunting.
Mary Fahnestock-Thomas
Hamilton