Okay here is the response I got:
Dear Sandy,
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my email. I have a feeling
that some of your information may have come from Rich. The reason I think
this is that he made some of the identical statements to me that you said in
your email. If it didn't come from him, then it came from the NRA message
that they put out.
The statement that "the average citizen cannot just walk into a gun shop and
buy an assault weapon" is true in most cases. BUT, what you are not thinking
about is this: because these rapid fire, assault weapons are manufactured and
sold (and also imported) here in this country - makes them available to any
criminal, drug dealer or street thug who wants one. It's NOT the average
citizen I'm worried about!!! Not too many "average citizens" try to buy an
assault weapon in the first place.
Now, about the fact that only the criminals would have those guns - this is
totally wrong. These types of weapons have always and WILL always be
available to our police officers and to the military. They just won't be as
easy to obtain by criminals if they are not manufactured, sold, or imported
into the U.S. (except by the military)
About the child education program you talked about - I assume that you did
not watch the 20/20 report on this issue of teaching children that guns are
dangerous. They had a woman on the program who had, for about 8 years, been
teaching gun safety to children in pre-schools and elementary schools. She
had her own son on the show - he was about 5 or 6 and had lived with this
message about "gun education" all of his life. His mother was so sure that
he would not touch a gun that she agreed to allow him to participate in
20/20's experiment.
They taught the "gun safety" class to all of the students in this class.
Then they took the children (two at a time) into a room filled with great
toys and a REAL HANDGUN. The gun had been disabled so it would not fire.
EVERY CHILD - WITHOUT FAIL - WENT RIGHT TO THE GUN AND BEGAN TO PLAY WITH IT.
Several children even began to pretend to load and fire the gun at the other
child in the room. THEN, it came time for the gun safety teacher's child to
go into the room with another child. At first he said, "No, put it down!
It's a gun" BUT as the other child continued to play with it, her child took
it from him and began to "play shoot" the other boy. He even pretended to
load and fire the gun. His mother watched from a hidden camera in horror.
He said that he had been taught gun safety since he was old enough to talk
and she couldnt' believe that he picked up the gun, much less pretend to fire
it at the other child.
My point here is this: I'm not saying NOT to have gun safety training, but
what I am saying is that when children are bombarded with gun violence on TV
and at the movies every day of their lives (and on the news) they WILL PICK
UP THAT GUN!
We just had a two year old who accidently shot his 9 month old baby brother
here in this state a few weeks ago.
To me, it's sort of like sex - the only safe gun is NO gun at all.
I do not believe in banning guns!!! But, the NRA spends 80 million!!!!!
dollars a year to lobby in Washington to keep from having ANY gun safety laws
passed. They will not even agree to the current law which would force gun
manufacturers to put safety locks on the guns at the time they are
manufactured.
You know as well as I do that there will always be irresponsible parents!!
If they won't take the time to practice gun safety - then we have to MAKE
them do it.
If you remember the bank robbery in L.A. a couple of years ago - the police
were totally out-gunned by those robbers. They were using rapid fire assault
weapons with bullets that are made ESPECIALLY TO PENETRATE THE VESTS OF
POLICEMEN. None of this stuff should be legal. No normal citizen would want
or need this type of weapon. Their sole purpose is to KILL HUMAN BEINGS!!!
They are not hunting guns or weapons for personal protection - they are made
to KILL - and nothing more.
I am very well educated about the gun issue. I have read more and watched
more documentaries than you can possible imagine. I also watch the news -
policemen and children are killed every day in this country because of
weapons like this that ONLY criminals have access to. Even the average
police office cannot carry this type of weapon - only the SWAT teams are
allowed to.
That's why I find it so unbelieveable that Rich, as a police officer, is
promoting the continued sale of these weapons.
When our Forefathers drafted our Constitution and added the "Right to Bear
Arms" you and I both know that they never envisioned the type of nation that
we have now. One that is overrun with drugs and drug dealers, serial
killers, robbers, gangs and all of those who make use of these weapons.
Another thing - it's a proven fact that a homeowner who owns a gun is MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE THAT GUN USED AGAINST HIM THAN FOR HIM TO USE IT ON THE
ROBBER. We were robbed a few years ago and had a handgun stolen. Now that
gun is on the streets in the hands of a criminal.
The things you've been told by those who belong to the NRA - sound good in
theory, but realistically, just don't make sense. Our kids are getting guns
that, according to Rich and the NRA, they can't get, and are killing their
classmates and themselves. Drive by shootings take the lives of innocent
adults and children every single day. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE DONE TO CHANGE
THE GUN LAWS IN THIS COUNTRY. All guns do not have to be banned. Just those
that are only made for the military, swat teams, and for killing human beings.
Just one more comment - "these nice people you talked to" will not "bash" you
if they think they can change your mind from what you already felt to be true
to what they believe. As a mother, I think you should have chosen to go with
your first feelings regarding this issue - they were correct!!
Judy
And once again here is my response:
Dear Judy,
Thank you so much for your quick response to my letter!
Now if I may please take a few more minutes of your time I would appreciate it. First, I do not know Rich, I have seen him post but have never spoken with him in any form, therefore he is not my "source" of information. Perhaps we have the same opinion because it is a fact that these rapid fire assault weapons are already banned? I see your point about the manufacturing of these guns but if you look around, a great portion of drugs are not manufactured/grown in this country and yet they still make their way in the US. Even if the guns werent manufactured here, the drug dealers, robbers, gang bangers will get them anyway, where there is a will there is a way. They will get these banned weapons through a place called the "Black Market". Why dont we crack down on that? Yes, the majority of your average citizens do not want these types of guns by choice, but there are many that shoot as a sport and not just to go kill someone. Yes, the Law Enforcement and Military will still have these types of guns, yet they can not be responsible for every crime that is commited, each person must look out for themselves and their neighbors, we can not rely on the police to save every victim, its impossible.
As for the show on 20/20, I did not see it. I can not comment on something that I didnt watch nor have the facts on. It would be my belief that these children were not properly educated, or were educated in a manner that didnt relate to their age.
About the 2 y/o that shot his little brother, yes that is very sad, I agree with you 100%. But I put total blame on the parents, why was that gun so easily accessed? You never hear the reasons why that gun was lying around.
"To me, its sort of like sex, the only safe gun is No gun at all"....True to a point but that is what "protection" was made for...like a gun safe.
I honestly do not know that much about the NRA but in my reasearch, I have found that the NRA HAS compromised on many things these past decades. Safety locks are a great thing but that should be up to the owner of the gun. What if they do not have any children that enter their home? What if that person needs access to that gun within seconds? There is no time to undo that lock. Yes there are plenty of irresponsible parents out there I agree but putting mandatory locks on everyones gun is not going to be that great of a help. Like I said before why not argue to stiffen the penalties that already exist?
From what I have read and heard about these so called "cop killer" bullets, it is not true. This to me seems like more media propaganda. I think if they were on the streets than you would hear alot more concern from law enforcement.
You say you have done research also, thats great. But one thing that you had mentioned kind of disturbed me, you said you watch the news. Yes we all do. But to actually believe all that you hear is being closed minded without looking for facts to support this. Did you believe our president when he said he did not have "inappropriate relationships" with Monica? That was on the news, they seemed to believe it. Look what the turnout was, another lie.
"More children and law enforcement are killed each day by these weapons".....where is this fact? From the ever so truthful media? Yes people die each day, I agree but I dont believe it is true that someone is shot by an assualt weapon each day, maybe in Kosovo but not here. I do not feel that disarming SWAT teams from assualt weapons is a good idea at all. They are the ones that truly need these types of guns/weapons.
I do not think Rich is promoting continued sales of illegal guns, just the ones that are legal.
As for the founding Fathers and your comment, I think they did not realize that our government would let our country get this bad by their laziness to enforce the laws that exist. Yes we are dealing with alot of crime in this country, but to me that is once again the goverments fault not mine.
It is a fact that people will die by gunfire. It is also a fact that people will die in a car accident, a heart attack, a disease,ect, its a fact people die. If you will take a look at the most leading causes of death you will see that death by gunfire falls to the bottom of a long list of deaths.
What these "pro-gunners" say does sound realistic to me, it is not theory it is facts. What doesnt make sense is media coverage compared to actual facts.
Yes, our kids are getting guns! From two sources #1 irresponsible parents #2 the black market.
Something has to be done to enforce GUN LAWS in this country. For the record again, these types of weapons you are speaking of are already banned.
No one can "make" me change my mind, I have a mind of my own and make a decision based on facts and not "hear-say". As a Mom that is the reason WHY I changed my feelings-to learn the truth and not to be blinded by lies.