When You Come For My Guns...

From Larry Simoneaux:

I guess I’m just tired of it all.

Tired of the bogus definitions (see: “assault weapons” or “assault rifles”) and the slanted statistics I’ve seen in reports on “gun violence.”

Tired of the endless attempts to find a “stealth” method to do away with all firearms – most recently by the use of lawsuits aimed at bankrupting firearms manufacturers by holding them responsible for what some morally bankrupt criminal does with their product.

Tired of the skewed reporting and glaring omissions in “news” stories.

Bet you didn’t know that, in the Appalachian Law School shooting of several years ago, the incident ended when two students got their guns and subdued the killer without firing a shot.

If you missed it, it’s not your fault. You see, in more than 200 reports, that little factoid was “conveniently” left out.

I’m tired of gun owners being portrayed as ignorant, gap-toothed simpletons whose only source of amusement is shooting anything that moves.

I’d be willing to stand a cross-section of gun owners up against any of the anti-gun crowd and bet hard money on which end of the IQ pool would be deepest. You see, I’ve sat around too many campfires listening to doctors, judges, airline pilots, business owners, teachers, and just plain hard working people talk. Most times, I decided to keep my mouth shut so as not to lower the level of discussion.

I’m tired of being told that the Constitution guarantees such things as abortions (nowhere mentioned), but does not recognize an individual’s right to “keep and bear” arms - even though those words can be read by all who care to do so.

I’m tired of hearing that we need just one more “reasonable gun law” when there are already thousands on the books that seem to be carefully forgotten.

I’m tired of finding that most - if not all - of such proposed laws are nothing more than dishonest attempts aimed at the eventual confiscation of all firearms.

I’m tired of being told that I should take moral guidance on this issue from the likes of Ted Kennedy and others of his ilk. Sorry, I’ll have to check with Mary Jo Kopechne and get back to you on that one.

I’m tired of seeing concrete and obvious examples ignored.

Washington, D.C. and New York City have some of the toughest gun laws on the books. Their crime rates have been repeatedly shown to be (guess which) higher/lower than cities wherein gun ownership is less restricted.

I’m tired of being told that guns are the problem when, on any given day, I can turn on the news and hear about the latest atrocity we – as a society – have suffered. Therein, I inevitably find that: (1) it’s been perpetrated by some useless accretion of carbon with a “rap” sheet thicker than a telephone directory; and (2) said individual was still on the street because of a justice system that’s become more “system” than justice.

I’m a father, a former little league coach, an honorably discharged veteran, and a past president of the local PTA. I’ve been married to the same woman for 35 years. I’ve never been arrested and my last run-in with the law was a speeding ticket back in the mid-70’s.

I vote in every election. I give blood regularly. I have a degree in English Literature and another in Marine Biology. I spent a year in a Benedictine monastery studying to be a priest. However - because I choose to own firearms - to the major networks, liberal politicians everywhere, and the likes of Sarah Brady, I’m nothing more than a “gun nut.”

I’ve finally accepted that there’s never going to be a balanced presentation of “my” side of the argument and I’m tired of that, too.

I guess I’ve finally reached the point where I’ve decided I will no longer be “reasonable” while the other side has never accorded me the same courtesy.

Therefore, I have a message for the anti-gun zealots out there. It’s from someone who’s perfectly normal and is basically your next door neighbor.

There used to be a bumper sticker that said: “You’ll get my gun when you pry my cold, dead fingers from the trigger.”

You made fun of it and derided those who believed in the spirit of the idea it propounded.

Unfortunately, it’s not readily available any longer. Because of this, I’ve often thought about making up one of my own.

It would say: “When you come for my guns, bring yours. You’ll be needing them.”


Bet that one would drive certain people up the wall.

(Comments can made here or sent to: larrysim@clearwire.net)