RETHINK OUR FREEDOMS AND THEN ACT

            In the wake of the Orlando rampage, all of us need to rethink our freedoms in order to protect innocent Americans from being slaughtered in theaters, nightclubs, restaurants, schools, and homes. All places once thought to be safe.

The balance between collective security and individual rights needs a thorough re-examination. We begin this examination by acknowledging there are restrictions on all the amendments to the Constitution. We do not use the First Amendment to guarantee newspapers and media companies a profit. Why should we use the Second Amendment to guarantee gun manufactures make money?

            The Second Amendment should not be an exception to restrictions. Untethered access to automatic, rapid-fire weapons designed to kill people should not be allowed. If someone is suspected of terrorism, he or she is on the No Fly List. Yet that same individual can go into any gun store, almost anywhere and buy arms and ammunitions—no questions asked.

            We must not support any politician or candidate running for a U.S. elected office whether it is the Presidency, Senator, Representative, Governor, state or local official who will not help or work with others to support gun safety.

            Do not vote for any one running for office who will not pledge to work toward ending gun violence. Do not allow these individuals to hold the honored position of representing U.S. citizens.

All of us can begin to curb the violence today by calling our senators and urging them to vote in favor of pending legislation that would block people on the No Fly List from buying guns. Make it clear if your senator does not support the legislation, he or she will lose your vote.

GENTLEMEN: WE ARE THE PROBLEM: WE NEED TO FIX IT

            Approximately 97% of mass murderers are males; they invariably signal their intent to commit violence through a variety of traits: most notably, their problems with women.

The Orlando killer, Omar Mateen, beat his first wife and a friend quoted him as saying he “hated women because you have to be nice to them to get sex.” Seung Sui Cho stalked and harassed women at Virginia Tech before he went on his rampage; Peter Odighizwa, the killer at the Appalachian School of Law, was also a wife beater and at one point took control of a class, ranting about the evils of women; and Isla Vista, California murder Elliot Roger, threw things at women who did not pay attention to him and lamented he was still a virgin and had never even kissed a girl.

How many more examples of threatening traits are needed before we take action to keep guns out of the hands of these monsters?

How about starting with laws prohibiting men who stalk, harass, or beat women from owning any gun at all. And let’s not stop there. Any man who drags an unconscious woman behind a dumpster and rapes her, is an out-of-control low-life who should never be allowed to own a weapon.

Does it ever occur to these sick men that these are mothers, daughters, wives, and aunts: the women we love.

Gentlemen you can do something about these shootings. Your manhood is not measured by the size of your gun; it is measured by the size of your backbone and your willingness to speak up.

If you want to be a man, don’t buy a gun, speak up and demand laws to put an end to this violence.

NOW ORLANDO

Terrorism, mental illness, lax gun laws, and hatred of people with non-traditional life styles came together on June 12^, 2016 in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. The results were horrific; the worst mass shooting in this nation’s history.

At least 49 people are dead and another 53 are wounded because the American political system, on the national level, is paralyzed. This paralysis stands in sharp contrast to countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom, both of whom, when confronted with mass shootings, adopted laws to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, those who are a threat to themselves and others, and terrorists.

To say that nothing can be done is simply not true. And those who hide behind the Second Amendment never mention when the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, the cutting edge weaponry was a musket. A lone shooter cannot carry out a mass murder with a musket.

The weapon used by Omar Mateen was an AR-15, the same style automatic weapon used by the killer at Sandy Hook. A simple step forward would be to ban ammunition clips of more than five rounds. Having to reload gives law enforcement more time to respond and potential victims to get away.

AR-15s were designed for the military. They are meant to kill people. Yet anyone can buy such a weapon—often with no background check. The AR-15 is not used for hunting. You can defend your home with a pistol or rifle. When someone wants an automatic weapon such as an AR-15, why not ask him or her to explain why? Australia does and self-defense is not acceptable.

If the federal government will not take action, then we need to move at the local level.