Letter to the Editor: Uncommon Sense

For all their talk of common sense, I don’t see much coming out of the gun control camp.

It’s almost as if the persons calling for gun control have never owned or used a gun.

And they’ve certainly never considered that a gun owner could feel deeply for the children and families of tragedy and not want their own rights stripped away. These two thoughts can indeed coexist in the same heart and mind. (Just as a person can be against abortion and not think it’s his or her duty – or the government’s – to raise the child after it’s born).  

For those suggesting that the Second Amendment only applies to muskets – this doesn’t take into account the other arms available at the time, such as cannons (private citizens were not prohibited from owning cannons). But, maybe the First Amendment only applies to the quill, and not to the typewriter, the PC, or Twitter?

When you look at the NRA political contributions, they don’t register as a major donor. Stop saying that politicians are in the pockets of the gun lobby. You’re embarrassing yourself. Teachers’ unions give thirty times as much.

Want some uncommon sense? If you remove suicide, accidents, drug crimes, and police action (whether justified or not), there are roughly 5,000 gun murders per year in this country.

Let’s also consider that gun crime (as well as crime, in general) is drastically down over the last 25 years. Despite major upticks in guns.  

But that isn’t even the major point. Why is it that the solution to every problem seems to be to empower the government over the citizen?

We’re seeing this play out now with “hate speech” (First Amendment), and gun control (Second Amendment). Soon enough we’ll be asking the government to further erode the Fourth.  

And before you liberal types accuse me of the dreaded conservatism, consider the importance of the Ninth Amendment, re: your beloved Roe v. Wade. The point is, no matter which side you’re on, or which side you think I’m on, empower the citizen over the government. [Consider that many people think Trump is really Herr Trump, yet they also want our guns confiscated by the government he heads. Really shouldn’t be able to hold both those views at once.]

One last thing. The Constitution doesn’t afford us our rights – we’re born with them. The Founders presented us with a document that limited government power over us, not the other way around. Start thinking of “common sense” solutions to school shootings that don’t involve governmental infringement of our rights, and stop pretending that anyone who disagrees with you on gun rights is a moral vampire.

Scotty Watts

Baileys Harbor, Wis.