Why do I need an AR-15?

That questioned was posed by a friend of mine. I am paraphrasing, but she did not understand why folks that like to shoot or have weapons for self protection need to have something capable of shooting so rapidly or that holds so many bullets. I wrote on the subject of gun control almost four years ago in this post shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre http://mikemac356.blogspot.com/2012/12/is-it-just-me.html .

But do I NEED a weapon that has these capabilities?

 First what we NEED to do is elevate the discourse beyond name calling. Almost immediately after she posted her question another individual insinuated the only reason you need a weapon of this type is to kill minorities or if you have a "micro-penis." While this totally ignores the fact that millions of females and minorities in this country in fact own these weapons, the statement itself is not helping. Statements like that just inflame and entrench the rhetoric on both sides. No one on either side wants to see the loss of innocent life. To intimate otherwise is ludicrous.

Secondly we NEED to educate. No good decisions can come from fear and ignorance. As it happens the day prior to the spree killing in Orlando I happened to have registered for an Active Shooter Response Instructor Development course. So I can further my expertise in this area and train others to survive should they be caught in a bad bad situation. Furthermore almost immediately after the incident I had myself added to a national map of self defense trainers willing to work with the LGBT community to help them prepare to survive a dynamic critical incident.

Thirdly and this is the crux of the question. It is my feeling that as human being no one should have the right to tell me what I NEED. I feel this way about all things. I won't tell you what religion to follow, or who to marry, or what car to drive. You can't tell me what tool I feel is the most appropriate for the self defense of myself and my family. You see, because that is the thing. I take responsibility for my own safety. I don't rely on others to protect me because that assumption often fails. Look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and tell me society doesn't break down rather rapidly if enough pressure is applied. The AR-15 rifle is one of the most technologically advanced rifle platforms available in the civilian market. Banning them or restricting magazine capacity has no meaningful effect on the actions of those that intend to do harm to others. My sister who is very liberal wrote this the other day because she is also very thoughtful and intelligent.

"Exhibit 1:
http://www.motherjones.com/…/mental-health-gun-laws-washing…
Exhibit 2:
"Psychopathy (/saɪˈkɒpəθi/), also known as—though sometimes differentiated from—sociopathy (/soʊsiˈɒpəθi/), is traditionally defined as a personality disorder characterized by enduring antisocial behavior, diminished empathy and remorse, and disinhibited or bold behavior." ~Dictionary
Exhibit 3: "The historical reasons for regarding personality disorders as fundamentally different from mental illnesses are being undermined by both clinical and genetic evidence. Effective treatments for personality disorders would probably have a decisive influence on psychiatrists' attitudes." ~British Journal of Psychiatry
Conclusion---yes, mental illness is why people think they can kill others willy nilly...not access to guns/inadequate gun control. Let me ask you this: Do you own a gun? Would you go on a killing spree? Of course not, you aren't a psychopath. Will gun laws keep people with no remorse from killing? Will treatment keep them from killing?

So do I NEED an AR-15. The answer is yes, I feel I do. It is the most effective and efficient tool for the job I need to accomplish . Until that time it sits in my gun safe and occasionally makes a trip to the range. Should others try to impose their will on mine. Through threat of government violence via law enforcement they are no better than other authoritarian regimes. I do not think that is their intention, when all everyone wants is to make people safer.

The gloves are off: MV Council Member draws the line

Like a lot of other gun owners and 2nd Amendment supporters I have been engulfed in the battle that has been raging about our rights as citizens and what that means in relation to my ability to defend my self and my family. I have made numerous posts on this forum and others championing the 2nd Amendment and what that means to the me. However most of the battle has happened in far away places with exotic names like New York, Washington DC, and California. I mean we here in the Midwest are experiencing the same general ammunition shortage and rising prices as gun owners in the rest of the country but a gun grab would never happen here in fly over country..right?

Wrong.. as I have said before there is no "national conversation" on gun control, there is no reasoned debate, there is no common sense. It is very evident that those that call for more gun control have the ultimate goal of total disarmament.

20 miles from where I live a city councilman has proposed in council chambers such absurd measures as law enforcement concealing their weapons, storing weapons at police stations and universal gun registration. This is in a small town that I have a close connection with. I am a member of  the VFW and American Legion in this town. I spend 5-6 evenings a month as a member of the volunteer ambulance service in this town. I spend a lot of money in this town. This councilman has brought the fight for my rights to my backyard. Watch the first 4 minutes of this video dated 12/17/12.

Mount Vernon CC 12-17-12 from Mount Vernon Lisbon Sun on Vimeo.

That isn't all. At the very next council meeting this same councilman dares to state that our rights under the 2nd amendment are no longer valid. That they may have been originally but not now. That no one has the right to own a weapon to protect themselves from the government. Watch this video from the council meeting dated 1/21/13. Cue it up to 3:36 and watch as long as you can stand it.

MV Council 12113 from Mount Vernon Lisbon Sun on Vimeo.




Sir, I respectfully disagree. You and those like you are exactly why the Founding Fathers crafted the 2nd Amendment. You do not bestow my rights upon me, they are bestowed on me as a natural right of being a human being. You are not my King,. In this country we do not dictate what citizens can or cannot say. You sir are the wrong headed one, you live in a world that I do not have the luxury to reside in. You live in the world where government allows its citizens to live of scraps from its table of power. Mr Councilman you power derives from your constituents not the other way around.

This is an example of the fight that we are engaged in. They are coming to your town, to take away your rights under the guise of saftey. Stay vigilant my friends, do not be complacent. The Mayor of this town is having a forum on gun control on 2/9/13. I will be there and I am bringing my friends.

As the flag of my great state so proudly proclaims : OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZE.. OUR RIGHTS WE WILL MAINTAIN

Damn Skippy!!!!!

To My Friends

I know we agree about many things or I would not call you my friends. I am not an absolutist and I try to see all sides of an argument however let me propose to you that there is no such thing as '"common sense gun control."  

Gun control is about control. I do not have the liberty of trusting our government to always look out for my best interests. This is not paranoia it is situational awareness. Look at history and see what happens to those that allow government to dictate to them without restraint. The Constitution of this country was put in place to put limitations on the government not to put limitations on the people. Our founders had experienced first hand the power of a tyrannical government and they said never again.

Do not fall into the trap that paints many of us on the pro gun side of things as unyielding or unreasonable. This is a straw man  It is much easier to frame your opponent as an extremist therefore you do not have to lend their views any credence. What most of us are, in fact, are citizens just like you that have a deep seated feeling of responsibility to protect ourselves and our fellow man. 

What is wrong with a few reasonable control measures you ask? Define reasonable. Is registration of firearms a reasonable restriction? I ask you what does registering my firearm do for you? Well then we would know where the guns are you say. Once again I ask, what does that do for you? Are you saying that all firearms owners cannot be trusted? Are your mother, cousin, neighbor, son, daughter and many other citizens of the country not to be trusted? I say it is the government that can not be trusted. 

I have seen first hand what government does to an unarmed people. Registration is the first step towards confiscation  The one and only reason for firearm registration is so government knows where they are so they can come and take them away. 

Once again there is nothing "common sense" about gun control. Gun control does not work. Gun control takes the ability to level the playing field away from millions of Americans. It takes nothing away from criminals or serial killers. They don't use legal means to obtain their weapons in the first place. Gun control is an instrument of oppression, the reason I am so adamantly opposed to these measures is I care about you my friends. Do not march meekly to the drum of the masses. Use independent thought, be free thinkers. I am certain logic will put you on the right path. 

Is It Just me?

I didn't want to write this post but is it just me or is the incessant debate over gun control this week getting on your nerves? In the wake of last weeks massacre of small children at an elementary school in CT both sides of the debate are on the offensive, On one side we have the gun control crowd screaming that something needs to be done, and by done they mean varying levels of ban on forearms and accessories. The gun rights supporters on the other hand are voicing concerns over losing their rights and they are buying up weapons and accessories at an astronomical rate. Try getting an AR15 magazine anywhere I dare you.

I didn't grow up as a shooter or even a big gun guy. My Dad used to take me hunting  once or twice a year between the ages of 6-12 . I got a 20 gauge shotgun when I was 10 which I still own. I used to shoot some clays and some rabbits but that was about it. My Dad started traveling a lot in my teenage years so with the exception of a .22 rifle I used to shoot the ground squirrels in my yard I didn't have much to do with guns. I think growing up I developed a normal relationship with firearms. I learned to view them as a tool much like a hammer or a car. I went to hunter safety class and was instructed in the proper handling of a firearm. But firearms were not the end all be all of things. Some days I would shoot my .22 and some days I would ride my bike. They had equal importance. Guns were not a scary thing anymore than Dad's power tools were, but I knew you treated both with respect and that there were safety rules that needed to be followed.

Then I joined the military and over the next 22 years I was taught to use a weapon for self defense. I shot a lot of rounds and became very proficient with a handgun and a rifle among other weapons. I shot bolt action, semi automatic, and automatic weapons. I became a weapons specialist in the US Army Special Forces. Weapons of all types were my job from a pistol to anti aircraft missiles and everything in between. They were still tools, tools I could use to accomplish my mission. It was my job to advise the commander on what tool to use and to train my team and our allies on the use of these tools. I am comfortable with things that shoot pointy bullets. They are not a mystery because I am properly trained in their use and confident in my proficiency.

OK so here we get to the meat of the issue. I fail to understand and no one can explain to me why it is a good idea to take the tools I need to accomplish my mission away from me. The mission I speak of is my human right of self protection and the protection of my family. All the arguments I have heard on gun control usually involve controlling me. Why must I be controlled? I have previously been deemed a responsible armed citizen both by training, proficiency and aptitude. Why do the gun grabbers need to penalize me to secure our society? I would think the more prudent and economical approach would be to utilize individuals like me to help solve the problem. We are being treated as if we are the problem. Gun grabbers get hissy fit mad because I don't see weapons as an issue, but I really don't see that they are any more an issue than an automobile. Both have the ability to injure or kill. I don't see anyone seriously looking to ban cars that drive faster that 65 mph. Why, because it is ridiculous just like this debate on "assault" weapons is.

Those who want to eliminate or severely restrict the ability of citizens to obtain and utilize firearms are deluding themselves. Just like Al Pacino said in "Scent of a Women" " I have been around ya know." I have seen evil, I have seen things outside the insular little world that I currently live in. Trust me sunshine, the United States is not normal, we are not like the rest of the world. We are the exception. American exceptionalism is a real thing. But it works both ways, we must be vigilant so the attitudes and habits of the evil that is in this world do not destroy that exceptionalism. That is where weapons and specifically guns are needed. Based on my personality, experience and training I cannot ignore this evil, because I know it is out there. And we will not know when it will manifest. I am not speaking only of terrorism although that is part of it, I am speaking about criminals and other evil as well. we need the tools to combat this evil.

Folks I have a strong libertarian streak. I truly believe that no one should be able to impose their will on another without consent. So to me this gun control cacophony is nothing more than a power grab. Those that are scared of weapons or do not understand them want to take them from those that are not scared and do understand them so as to weaken them and make them more vulnerable. Because hey this is modern society anyone that wants to defend themselves is a nut. they must have a screw loose right? Isn't that what the police are for? I am a reserve peace officer, I also have my own ideas on what police should and shouldn't do. One thing I do know for a fact though is their are not enough police to guard every citizen and they are purely reactionary. By nature they have to be, there just aren't enough of them. To me taking away my right to defend myself is very serious business, I do not fall into the trap where I let someone else be ultimately responsibility  for my safety. I will use their help but the responsibility belongs to me and its is a responsibility that can not be abrogated to others.

Debate this issue all you want, this is America and healthy debate is good. However lets elevate the discourse above the tawdry journalism and name calling that I am seeing. Lets not shout down others when they are trying to make a point and lets get together on this issue. Just so you know however I will never give up my weapons..never

Molon Labe