Politics

Gun control and using good moral judgment

by Robert Randle
03/28/18
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I think one of the issues regarding sensible gun control is whether someone is responsible enough to own a gun. It is not about an age requirement or having a mental illness, but how do you determine if a person has the social maturity? Owning a gun means that you are saying that you are willing to take a human life; to kill someone in a situation where there is a threat of serious bodily injury or to preserve and protect life.

You are saying that there was no reasonable alternative and that such a dire act was necessary; barring any other duty to retreat or mitigate the situation, that such an effort failed or was impractical or impossible. You are admitting that you can make a split-second Life and Death decision without premeditation, malice, intent, recklessness, or negligently AND that you can live with the consequences without any apology or second-guessing; with a 'clear conscience' and in a similar situation, would do exactly the same thing.

ADDENDUM: 

Nine Reasons to own a gun/firearm:

1. The Second Amendment.

2. It is my God-given right.

3. I belong to a hunter-gather society/culture and do so for survival.

4. To fight off a Martian invasion.

5. To hunt animals for sport.

6. To protect personal property.

7. I want to be armed for the coming “Race war” between Blacks and Whites.

8. To protect life or against serious personal/bodily injury.

9. For no other reason but, simply because I can and want to.

There is no test, qualification or legislation that can determine who will exercise 'reasonable' moral judgment/discernment under duress and stress when confronted with a life and death decision. Police officers are specially trained in the use of firearms but even they make mistakes. It is one thing to hit the bulls eye or near center mass on a cardboard target that is not shooting back, but it is quite another when facing a situation where a weapon is directed towards you which could end your life. If law enforcement officials, who face unknown, unpredictable, dangerous and potentially dangerous situations on a daily basis, fail to always act rationally, then how can the average citizen be expected to do so? It is not about the NRA, Congress, your family and friends, but you. Can you pass the test or do you even want to take it? There are no make-up exams because once you fail this test, somebody dies; do you want this on your conscience for the rest of your life? You decide.

Robert Randle
776 Commerce St Apt 701
Tacoma, WA 98402
March 21, 2018
[email protected]