Posted by Danny
I’m incredibly angry. I’m angry that I have to be scared to go see the movie Batman at night. I’m angry that my kids will grow up with fears that I wasn’t exposed to at their ages. I’m angry that it is more and more difficult to really feel safe.
I have the right to take drugs. I take Claritin for my allergies and recently a muscle relaxer for a pulled back. When I lost my wife, I stopped sleeping. My doctor prescribed a mild sedative that I’m still taking at night. Sometimes it doesn’t work.
But I can’t take all drugs – because some are illegal. I don’t have the right to snort cocaine or inject methamphetamines and currently, the law doesn’t allow me to smoke pot (not that I would if it were legal). Sometimes I worry so much about the world that I can’t sleep even with a sleeping pill.
So an argument that someone has the right to bear arms doesn’t fly with me. Yea – I believe we should all have the right to have a hunting rifle and a right to own a pistol for our own protection. My grandfather ran a convenience store his entire life. He got held up multiple times. He had a pistol. And the last time a slimeball came into his store brandishing a gun, Papa pulled his out. And Papa won. The dude took off like a rabbit. I would have too if a crazy 75-year-old man with tremors in his hands had pulled out a revolver and pointed it in my general direction.
But my grandfather didn’t need a Uzi. Yea, I found machine guns on sale today on-line. I could just buy one – with my VISA number and the three digit code on the back.
Why in the hell (still mad) would anyone, with the exception of war, need a semi-automatic weapon? I’ve thought about it, long and hard. I cannot think of one reason. Well, unless you want to protect yourself when watching a Batman movie.
When is enough enough? When will we, as citizens of the United States of America, stand up and say no more?
For some reason (money), Democrats and Republicans alike are scared to death to tackle this issue. And yet, every year we have multiple cases of innocent people dying at the hands of crazy people walking around with semi-automatic firearms.
I’m not sure what I can do, but I’m angry – and scared – and sad – and feel hopeless.
The Real Fuller House 
Elena
/ July 29, 2012I agree 150 million percent Bruce!! I know people have rights under the constitution, but for heavens sake when the constitution was written there was no internet where every nut could not only buy anything and everything, they would find out how to build stuff to hurt innocent people like me and you and our kids. I don’t believe in censorship, but I have to believe there is a way to monitor when a person buys 6000 rounds of ammunition in a few months – I don’t know, maybe send someone from ATF over and ask him……why??? The Brits have it correct, gun control and political races last for a short period of time – we don’t have to listen to both sides drone on forever about what they “will do” for us – how about starting with automatic weapons illegal.
Danny Tanner
/ July 30, 2012Yes!
Mel Ham
/ July 29, 2012i share your anger and fear. Wish I had some quick point to make here other than agreement. We went to Spiderman this past week. Cam and I (as we have all other spider man movies…I’m glad that he still remembers that it was just the two of us that started watching them. Only a few years ago he went in costume) sat in the nice luxury of the new theatre near the house. I have taken the vulnerability for granted any other time in the theatres. you truly are trapped by design..I felt anxious. No where to go. You just can’t count on crazy..you can’t predict it…many times can’t see it coming..and there some kind of extraordinary survival and strength that goes with it. We all have a little crazy in our families. An aunt, uncle, etc that does things just a little off..doesn’t make sense..but not the violence. It all does make you want to tighten down the hatches a little tighter..and pull your bitties up close. I worry too…I have to constantly work on the balace between angst of fear and faith that my love ones are going to be protected. At home, I got this..but out and about living life…I’m faithfully scared too.
Homestead Ramblings
/ July 29, 2012Well Said, dear sir, well said !!
Mom
/ July 29, 2012Good article. I think you are 100% right.
Kim
/ July 29, 2012You are so right we need to stand up together and say ENOUGH!
David
/ July 29, 2012Think about it again. Read the Declaration of Independence and remember that the founders put Amendment 2 right after Amendment 1 because they knew from experience that without the option of armed force from the citizenry, they could never maintain the rights contained in the First Amendment. Maybe a better and more statistically valid question to ask is why do they have mass shootings by young people in Colorado. Maybe the people in the neighborhood where your grandfather had his store appreciated him for not letting his store be robbed. Switzerland, where members of the militia, no standing arming, are issued assault rifles which they keep at home, is a peaceful place. I agree that no one I know needs an Uzi, but if you let the anti-gun lobbies have their way, I fear all guns will be grabbed up.
Danny Tanner
/ July 30, 2012I just don’t think that banning certain types of weapons equates to all guns being banned. Maybe I’m naive. Just like banning certain drugs does not mean all drugs will be illegal.
David
/ July 29, 2012No standing army is what I meant to write.
Aunt Susan
/ July 29, 2012I must agree with David,and I like Elena’s idea of a SHORT political season, maybe 30 days? just to be generous!
Danny Tanner
/ July 30, 2012i concur with a shorter political season!
Jessie Moore
/ July 29, 2012I agree with all you said and it is time to take a stand.
David M
/ July 30, 2012Bruce, if semi-automatic firearms were banned, the bad guys would go to pump-action firearms. When the millions of those got banned, bad guys would go to single-shot firearms. When those millions got banned the bad guys would go to knives and baseball bats, etc etc. There are appx 30 million privately-owned firearms in the US. It simply isnt realistic to ban these guns. It’s kind of like that one major airplane accident that happens each year. Think of all the airplanes that took off and landed safely the rest of the year. The one crash doesn’t negate all of the successful lift-offs and landings. And this one nut-case doesn’t negate all of the normal, legal, responsible gun owners enjoying their semi-automatic firearms in a responsible manner. Skeet shooting, target shooting, IPSC, IDPA, pistol competitions, deer hunting, waterfowl hunting, self-defense, etc etc. From a gun-owner’s perspective restricting a certain firearm from ownership does nada in stopping crime. And the machine gun you” are able to buy online”…poppycock. It’s simply not that simple. You can certainly pay the dealer for that gun. And he is required by law to ship it to your local gun shop. and that shop is required to alert and file paperwork with the ATF that you are trying to take transfer of that gun. And the ATF will do their due diligence and background checks, etc to make sure you can legally and responsibly own the gun. I realize that me trying to tell you that pulling a trigger of a semi-suto firearm is actually a fun thing to do, as described above, is a foreign notion and likely one that you will never care to experience. But for those of us do enjoy those firearms for various reasons, it makes a tough case to say BAN EM ALL, no one needs em. Respectfully.
Danny Tanner
/ July 30, 2012You’re right. I don’t know enough about firearms to be able to relate. It just seems that there are some that are extreme – I’d like to see those banned. Like hard drugs.
davidhughhowell
/ August 2, 2012Great post, Great comments! I brought up an example while speaking with a friend that could bear development but speaks the same in relationship to Arms (all) and the Constitution. While not all of those able to own weapons should, a point I think we all agree on, the same is true about voting. I’m glad we can but the mass population is, broad brushed statement, spooky, unstable, and has foresight only as long as their own noses.
Responsible gun ownership, I have found, seems to be the same. Just because you can, does not mean you should~
The lines are not clear and I am glad I don’t have to draw them!
Thank you for having a voice and sharing-
Danny Tanner
/ August 2, 2012And I believe in responsible gun ownership. Since we can’t ensure the responsible piece of the puzzle, I wonder how we can limit the potential damage. It’s a tough issue. I do understand both sides.
A.J. Adams
/ February 21, 2018It isn’t tough Danny, the politicians don’t want the issue solved bc it gives them something to talk about and rope in naive voters. The solution is simple. There is armed gaurds at all government entites at all times. All except our schools, which to me are more important than politician. For some reason they have gaurds to protect themselves but declare our schoola gun free zones so it’s open season for the bad guy who doesn’t follow the laws. All they have to do is put armed gaurds at the entrances of the school like they do any other government buildings. Lock the doors to the schools and have cameras outside the door so u can see what the person has and then u can buzz them in if no threat. Bullet proof glass on the outside windows and doors so they can’t break the glass and get in. And lastly lock all class room doors at all times. So if a student happens to bring a gun with them to school they can limit the Carnage. They can’t go class to class shooting kids. And then there will be armed gaurds already there to respond to the threat. We protect our government officials why can’t we protect our kids. We are pretending the school shootings don’t happen. Or will magically stop. However it’s an issue we have so we need to address it. Banning guns won’t help bc it’s already illegal to kill someone so if u make it illegal to own a certian gun that only prevents the lawful citizen from owning the gun not the one who is going to break laws with the gun.
A.J. Adams
/ February 21, 2018I completely agree. Most voters are low information voters which is scary. They don’t research anything and just take what the media tells them and believes it Hook line and sinker. Like the last year for example all the low information voters (which is a scary large amount of ppl) have been screaming about trump Russia collusion. However if u looked into the issue u would find out it was actually Hillary if anyone who colluded with the Russians by giving them our uranium (u know the stuff to make nuclear bombs). And she rigged the election against Bernie Sanders (the low information voter doesn’t even know these things bc the media doesn’t tell them) she paid for a false dossier (from Russian sources) and the FBI used that lie to get a fisa warrant to surveil Trump. Which is so scary. They used the government as a weapon against a political opponent, that’s scary wheather u like Trump or not. Yet the low information voter knows nothing of this. They all screamed about trump colluding w Russia for a year and a half now which was all.lies but they ate it up for a year lol. Muller even said no America colluded with Russia last Friday. So thwy finally admitted there was nothing to it. And yet the low information voter has been thinking there wwas for a year and half now. The scary part is those people who are so naive and ignorant to the facts get to vote?!?!?! There should be some type quiz u have to take before u can vote. The Democrats are trying g to change the legal voting age to 16?!?! To 16 can u believe that? They are destroying this country just so they can find some more votes. It’s terrible!!!
A.J. Adams
/ February 21, 2018Lmfao… Danny Tanner are you serious?!?!? This is the major problem in America. People talk with out knowing what they speak of! U said u could buy a MACHINE GUN, with ur credit card today. You see ur part of the problem spreading falsehoods. U can not buy a machine gun because they are illegal. A uzi u can buy online isn’t a machine gun u dumby. U then turned around and called it semi automatic which left me confused is it a machine gun or a semi automatic? Lol. Yes it is a semi automatic (which means u have to pull the trigger for every bullet u want fired). U then said why would anyone need a semi.automatic gun? Right after u said ur ok with someone owning a rifle or a pistol (which both are semi automatic guns, so again I am confused, well not really bc it just tells me u have no clue what ur talking about so ur point is invaild.) So smarty pants there is no difference between a pistol and uzi except for how they look. They look scary to liberals for some reason. So if ur ok with pistols ur ok with an uzi bc they are the same exact things just look different. If ur ok with a rifle ur ok with an ar15 bc they are the same exact thing. U need to learn the facts before u put this junk out on the internet bc some other moron like urself will read this and go on repeating ur moronic views.