JACK'S BLOG
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Should gun control advocates be hailing the rapid spread of Constitutional Carry laws rather than fearing them? Sometimes giving people what they want is a great way of demonstrating that what they want isn't a good thing. For example, how many of us were given our first cigarette by a parent? Oh, how grown up we felt until we took that first drag. After several minutes of coughing and gagging and maybe even puking, we swore off of them, possibly making good on our oaths for life. And look at the British who voted for a socialist government immediately following WWII and then quickly voted it out after living with socialism for a brief period. So now we have Constitutional Carry. It just became law here in Texas. Maybe it will be fine. Maybe not. Those of us who served, especially in the infantry know about gun control. I well remember that first day on the firing line when the sergeant explained our first task: We were each facing down range with our rifles in our hands while standing in front of a wooden peg driven into the ground. On his command, we were to place our weapons on the ground with the barrels leaning on the peg facing down range and the butts between our feet while standing at attention. It took several repetitions of this simple task to satisfy his need for precision. In truth, he was establishing "control", making sure that we were paying attention and doing exactly what he wanted.
Gun control was likewise practiced on the battlefield. As a platoon leader, I would not allow anyone to "lock and load" until we were outside the wire and on return, I had the platoon file past me one man at a time to insure all weapons were cleared. Both outside the wire and in defensive perimeters, we assigned fields of fire. More gun control. Currently, I am studying for my concealed carry permit. I most likely won't carry outside my home, but want to know the local laws (only moved here recently) and need a good refresher on gun safety as well as target safety (target environment, background, etc.). None of this knowledge is required for Constitutional Carry. Unlike driving which is a privilege and we must demonstrate driving knowledge and skill to get a license, Constitutional Carry is a right. No license required. So, what's my point? (Do I really have to tell you?) If Constitutional Carry results in a plethora of tragedies, how will We the People respond? We can't just stop people from exercising a right. We must take it away from them. No, I'm not advocating the elimination of the 2nd Amendment. I have long advocated for it. I am merely pointing out that inasmuch as we are now unleashing it in it's rawest form, we must now act to insure that people are prepared to exercise that right responsibly. Sadly, We the People (well, most of US) aren't prepared to keep and bear arms responsibly. Once upon a time (long ago when the earth was without form and I was a school child) we learned those lessons in school. We grew up with firearms in the home. Pickup trucks in many high school parking lots could be seen with rifles and shotguns in rear window racks for students going hunting or target shooting after classes. Personally, I fired thousands of rounds of small bore ammunition as well as trap and skeet before I enlisted in the Army. And, as I mentioned above, I am taking the time to study local laws. I am a responsible gun owner and well appreciate the value of gun control. I only hope and pray that my fellow citizens do as well...
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