Guns Save Life
Thoughts on Gun Control
Ben Harley
Issue date: 3/16/10 Section: Opinion
Driving north on Interstate 55 from Springfield to Lisle, I noticed an odd series of signs advocating the rights of gun owners. Or perhaps they were just advocating for guns. I wasn't quite sure. The signs were pretty unclear, but the website is not.
Gunssavelife.com is the website for the Champaign County Rifle Association. On their site the group is pretty clear on its stance on the issue. To them guns are about protection. But from what?
There is a lot of anti-government sentiment on their website. The "Words of Wisdom" section is especially slanted, with most quotes dealing with issues of tyranny and oppression.
This quote from author Edward Abbey seems to sum up their opinion, "The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state controlled police are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy….If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws."
It seems that these people want to hold on to their guns, not only for protection against criminals, but to defend themselves against a government that they find overly oppressive.
Are these men, just by arming themselves for revolution, a threat to the United States?
No, they are its greatest ally. There is much debate in this country about how much control the federal government should have, and how its programs should work, and these citizens have valid opinions that need to be heard. They are not violent attackers and, unlike many in the political arena, they do not throw around slanderous phrases such as "socialist and fascist."
These are people who, according to their blog, "are simply asking the government to leave them alone." And in an age of over-reach and over-budget, that's exactly what the government needs-people who want to be left alone.
The government can start interfering in the lives of these citizens if they start breaking laws.
Gunssavelife.com is the website for the Champaign County Rifle Association. On their site the group is pretty clear on its stance on the issue. To them guns are about protection. But from what?
There is a lot of anti-government sentiment on their website. The "Words of Wisdom" section is especially slanted, with most quotes dealing with issues of tyranny and oppression.
This quote from author Edward Abbey seems to sum up their opinion, "The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state controlled police are the weapons of dictatorship. The rifle is the weapon of democracy….If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws."
It seems that these people want to hold on to their guns, not only for protection against criminals, but to defend themselves against a government that they find overly oppressive.
Are these men, just by arming themselves for revolution, a threat to the United States?
No, they are its greatest ally. There is much debate in this country about how much control the federal government should have, and how its programs should work, and these citizens have valid opinions that need to be heard. They are not violent attackers and, unlike many in the political arena, they do not throw around slanderous phrases such as "socialist and fascist."
These are people who, according to their blog, "are simply asking the government to leave them alone." And in an age of over-reach and over-budget, that's exactly what the government needs-people who want to be left alone.
The government can start interfering in the lives of these citizens if they start breaking laws.
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