Yeah, let's talk about gun control.

Reading Material

I keep seeing these editorials in news outlets.  It seems that the anti gunners have been relegated to their cubicles at USA Today and their pages on FaceBook.  This article is berating our two socialist candidates for not sufficiently addressing the issue of additional gun control.  The problem, according to the author is the lobbying done by the NRA.  It is true that the NRA supports political candidates, but how many people cry foul at the donations by unions?  Gun control legislation isn't stopped by the NRA.  It's legitimate grassroots action that the anti gun cultists have failed to garner.

Once again, the author uses the fallacious metric of "gun violence" to demonize firearms.  How is gun violence fundamentally different than any other kind of violence?  The honest answer is that it's not.  It is not okay to just focus in on one type of violence, while ignoring the others.

Now, what about the claim that "assault-style" weapons have no sporting or self-defense purposes.  This is a completely ignorant claim.  Who defines what a "sporting purpose" is?  There isn't a Supreme Sports Council that decides whether an activity is a sport or not, so wouldn't it make sense to default to "If people get together to compete, its probably a sport"? United States Practical Shooting Association, anyone?  Now, self defense is even more obvious! My AK with it's short barrel, red dot and normal capacity magazine (30 rnds) makes a great home defense weapon.  I don't have to worry about working the action like my shotgun between shots.  I would argue that any gun that can fire a projectile has a self defense purpose- that is, you can use it for self defense!

The article ends with a shameless appeal to emotion for those bleeding heart readers out there.  It reads "Prosecution of shooters is of cold comfort to the victims and their families".  How is taking my semi auto rifles going to be a comfort to them?  Is putting a dangerous criminal, who has proven to the world that they are willing to hurt another human being, really less of a comfort than taking away my hunks of steel and plastic?  My rifles haven't hurt anyone, and hopefully, they never will.

First blog post?

Here goes my first attempt at blogging.  I guess I'll tell you the background for my title and URL, since it will be extremely relevant to my actual posts. Let's start with some poetry. As you get to know me, you will realize that this is extremely out of character for me, but I like this poem.

The Elder

By Anson Fogel

How do you want to be remembered? When this life joins the wind.

What did you leave, in these chasms, upon these lives, young and curious?

What did you write? What dust in the rain? Sand in the rivers?

Those you touched, embraced and kissed, loved ... what echoes there?

How will it travel, your wisdom, your story, your suffering and joy?

These walls, silent, deafening, ancient and new.

What did you make them? What did they make of you?

A life running, teaching or learning, what is escape?

What did you find?

Wind, replenishing rain, sun.

Who did these thorns see?

What did these waters wash from you?

The stars, in the abyss beyond, how did they shine on you?

Will you release the storm, the scars, whirling as they go?

Yet holding love, life?

The luminous child, the harsh knowing of age, what did you leave behind?

So there it is. My url, sandintherivers.blogspot.com is a reference to what you or I may leave behind when we go. I can only hope that my "sand" will make this country and the world a better place to live. 

I hope to make this blog about my views on freedom, patriotism and preparedness with other life tidbits thrown in there. Maybe I will get a readership, maybe not. Regardless, I hope to make this a good outlet of the things floating around in my head.