The Second Amendment and what it means to me:
I am a firm believer in every person's right to own, and carry, Firearms; provided it is done for legitimate and legal purposes. Like Andy, I have made a living by carrying a sidearm and fortunately I have not had to use mine in twenty-four years. I hope my luck holds out for about three more years. With today's society getting more and more violent however, I have less and less optimism that I will be able to Retire without having to defend myself or someone else before doing so.
The key to keeping the Second Amendment is for Courts to enforce the LAWS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS. Not having lawmakers create any new ones or attempt to take away a law abiding citizens right to keep and bear arms through confiscation. Most states now have laws which ban Felons, Mentally Incompetent, and others who routinely abuse others in their households, from owning or carrying firearms. Unfortunately THE COURTS do not provide adequate punishment for violators, and routinely return them to the neighborhoods, without any degree of insurance that those violators will not go right back out and endanger others again, after leaving the courtroom.
Hardly a week does not go by, where a Street Punk has not been arrested; and then found to be carrying, or has access to, a firearm here in New Bedford. We have a Law in Massachusetts which MANDATES A ONE YEAR JAIL TERM, WITHOUT ANY POSSIBLE PAROLE, for anyone arrested with a Firearm and NOT PROPERLY LICENSED. I have yet to see any of these Street Punks actually go away for the one year sentence however, although they usually are found guilty of some form of Firearm Violation. Firearms Licenses can easily be obtained by any Law Abiding Citizen, but almost impossible to obtain if the person has a previous Felony Court conviction, a history of Mental Illness, or abusive to others in their family.
It is not the Law Abiding Citizen that is the problem. The problem lies with keeping firearms away from the people who have no legal right to possess them in the first place. Only complete and unwavering enforcement of laws now on the books will insure that the Second Amendment does not disappear from our Bill of Rights.
In conclusion, we don't need new Firearms Laws; just the complete enforcement of laws ALREADY ON THE BOOKS! To all my Vietnam Veteran Brothers and Sisters I again state:
WELCOME HOME
VIETNAM 1968
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