Rushville Republican

Opinion

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
September 5, 2012

What about guns?

Rushville Republican

RUSHVILLE — Dear Editor:

The national controversy over gun ownership and the desirability of laws regulating gun ownership continues unabated; indeed, it is exacerbated each time some crazy goes on a shooting rampage.

Generally speaking, conservatives favor unlimited gun ownership, while liberals are in favor of more stringent controls.

I can see merit on both sides of the controversy and will attempt here to explain and/or justify my position.

I grew up in a house with guns. Having firearms in the house was as natural as with any other pieces of "furniture." My dad being an avid hunter and outdoorsman, these firearms usually consisted of a 12-gauge shotgun and a .22 rifle. Pistols were a rarity, as they lacked practicality.

Needless to say, heavy caliber handguns and rapid-fire rifles were never included in dad's "arsenal," being of no use in rural Indiana. Large caliber handguns are good only for shooting people, unless you live in grizzly bear country, which the woods around Sand Creek east of Westport were not. Nevertheless, guns are guns, and they're dangerous--I learned gun safety from an early age and never forgot any of it.

I've owned many guns over the years. By age sixteen, I owned a .22 rifle, a 16-gauge shotgun and a nice .22 revolver. They were used for rabbit hunting, which I loved at an early age (but havenÔt for many years), and for general plinking.

I frequently took my shotgun and ammo to school so I could get a quick start on rabbit hunting by simply climbing the fence that separated the school yard from fields and woods. Try that now and see how it turns out.

I still believe in citizens' rights to own firearms of a hunting or target shooting type.

I don't believe anyone needs an assault rifle or other semi-military weapon. They are only good for shooting humans and there's no hunting license for that species of mammal.

I also believe that there are far too many people carrying concealed firearms, both legally and illegally. This is not Dodge City in the Wild West--except in the inner-city, where daily shootings are now typically carried out with expensive 9 mm. semi-automatics. This could be an indication of an improved economic climate, as those folk formerly had to shoot each other with cheap "Saturday Night Specials."

I would agree that a well-made .38 Special revolver or similar firearm is a good tool for home protection.

There were two interesting letters in the Indy Star this past week. They offered the respective writers' views on the 2nd Amendment. The first writer declared that "The definition of militia, as used in the Second Amendment, means the people." I think that interpretation is dead wrong. The second writer, responding to the first, wrote, "What he needs to do now is explain the two words, Ôwell regulated' as they apply to the word militia." He hit the nail on the head.

The word "militia" when standing alone, has several meanings. The addition of the key words "well regulated" refines the term considerably. A "well regulated militia" refers to an organized group of men that can be called up in time of national emergency. "Militia," in the Latin, refers to "military" and "soldier." Early militias could be compared to our Indiana National Guard, prior to the current era of an all-volunteer national army where the Guard is called upon to perform duties formerly handled by the national armed forces.

A militia, in other words, was a quasi-military organization, "well regulated" by a governmental agency. A militia, therefore, and contrary to the one writer's declaration, does not mean simply "the people."

I think many of today's "gun nuts," meaning those who amass quantities of arms and ammunition, really believe, deep down, that at some point they will be called upon to rise up and fight to bring down our own government.

I believe their thinking is twisted. But please don't shoot the messenger.

Best regards,

Norm Voiles

Resident of Rush County; native of Decatur County

Text Only
Opinion
  • Stop the student loan interest rate hike

    The key to a great life is a good education. But paying for a college education is tough. Many families are taking out second mortgages. Some are putting-off deserved vacations. Others are telling their kids they just can’t afford to attend the school of their choice.

    June 19, 2013

  • Mauzy: Recent graduates are free to explore

    Two weeks have now passed since Rush County Schools released new graduates from a state required academic curriculum.

    June 18, 2013

  • Parade should be on Harrison Street

    Dear Editor:
    There was good reason for not moving the parade back onto Main Street after the third lane was rammed through: we learned Harrison Street is a better route for both the participants and the spectators.

    June 18, 2013

  • Barada: The right people in key places

    For the first time in years, this community has exceptionally good people in key places within organizations involved directly with helping make Rush County a better place in which to live!

    June 18, 2013

  • Fondly remembering favorite teachers

    Dear Editor:
    If it wasn’t for my high school teachers Mrs. Gulde, Mr. Blair and Mrs. Perin, I might think that Chekov was only a starship pilot on “Star Trek,” Seymour Glass was the name of an Indiana glazier, and Romeo and Juliet was only a movie that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Clair Danes.

    June 13, 2013

  • Leising: Responsible state government

    The 2013 legislative session came to an end recently with passage of our state’s next two-year budget. As other states struggle to find ways to balance their budgets, Indiana has passed an honestly balanced budget that maintains adequate reserves and still provides millions of dollars in tax relief.

    June 12, 2013

  • Barada: Gun scare is a lot of hot air

    It’s obvious that many people really believe that, somehow or other, it’s possible for the government to take their firearms away.

    June 11, 2013

  • Barada: Fashion statements come and go

    A few days ago, I was watching the first game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, the Pacers lost by a single point.

    June 4, 2013

  • Barada: Spending cuts don’t have to hurt

    How many of us really understand what “sequestration” means? The media has been overflowing with commentary about the good or the evil that will be caused by sequestration. It all starts with the federal budget.

    May 28, 2013

  • Mauzy: Seniors perform final tasks at RCHS

    As the parent of a 2013 high school graduate, I approach the ending of the school year in a joyous yet melancholy kind of way. Every milestone my son hit this year has come with elation attached to subdued realizations. Years of watching him burn the midnight oil while working on homework assignments and then witnessing the dedication to his sporting events will soon end. To be sure, the growth of a child is a wonderful event.

    May 23, 2013