I'm Tired of "Thoughts and Prayers"

Fun times.  You have to love the debate on guns.  From what I can hear there are only two camps according to the loudest shouters:

1)      All gun control advocates want to take everyone’s guns;

2)      All gun owners want to everyone armed and let the law of the jungle take over.

That’s it.  End of debate.

I have got some news for both sides: shut the fuck up (sorry, mom).

Buying a gun should NOT be easy.  If there are hoops you have to jump through, so be it.  This is a deadly weapon we’re talking about.  Its intent, however you want to spin it, is to kill.  It may be deer, it may be people, but a gun is designed for one thing and one thing only.  You should be of impeccable character to own one.  You should be trained properly on how to store one; on how to use one; how to clean one; how to breathe on one.  If you’re allowed to conceal carry then you should be taught what an awesome responsibility that is and the ramifications of any actions you take with that weapon.

However: you should be allowed to own one.

There is no reason on god’s green earth why someone can’t go hunting – PETA notwithstanding.  If you feel the need to own a handgun for personal protection, you should own one.  It has been determined that it is your right as a citizen – another notwithstanding: the “well-regulated militia” phrase that everyone likes to conveniently forget exists – so if you can pass a background check, be taught how to properly use a weapon and the situations in which you can and cannot discharge a firearm, go for it.

This “right”, however, is not and should not be unlimited.  Some questions I’d like answered by the anti-gun control people – and I mean this honestly and sincerely:

1)      Why do you need a military assault style weapon?  What could possibly be the need for this?  SWAT teams should have them.  The military should have them.  I should not.

2)      Armor piercing rounds.  I’ve never seen Bambi wear a vest.  This ammunition is designed to kill law enforcement.  Tell me why you need them.

3)      What’s your need for a high capacity magazine?

And you gun control people don’t get off with answering a few questions of your own:

1)      What is wrong with a hunter that wants to own a few rifles to hunt deer, duck, pheasant or whatever legal game he/she is entitled to hunt?  And don’t give me the “all life is sacred” bullshit. Tell me that if you don’t own leather shoes or belts, don’t eat any meat or meat by products, or fish, or eggs – basically anything that was alive/could be alive.  And if you meet that criteria, I’d still believe you were wrong. Every hunter that I know personally eats what they kill.  That’s the food chain.  Period.  And I like my venison well done, please.

2)      Single mom. Person whose spouse travels. Folks that live in a rural area far from law enforcement. Folks that live in a high crime areas. (You get the picture…) If these folks fear for their safety, pass background checks, learn to use the weapon properly, what is your objection?  There could be an incident?  Well, you do nearly all the same thing with vehicles and there are still accidents.

No solution is perfect, but neither is the NRA’s “slippery slope” argument while children are being murdered in droves nor is the “Australia bans all guns” example that my left likes to hold up.  The President is NOT out to take your guns.  If you TRULY believe that you have way too much Kool-Aid in your system.  And if you REALLY think that all gun owners want free fire zones, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

BOTH sides need to realize that there CAN be middle ground.  You HAVE to be able to find it.  You know what that entails?  Stop name calling, start talking and actually do some God damn listening.  The realization that there is a right to bear arms in this country but also that NOT anything goes.

Background check our brains out.  Make us wait a week.  Require any purchaser of a gun to have a card that says they passed a gun safety and ownership class and are entitled to own one.  But people ARE entitled to own one.  Not ALL people and not just ANY weapon, but c’mon, there is middle ground here.

Stop your damn pandering - BOTH SIDES - and ante up an answer.

Shut up, find a solution and DO something because apparently everyone's favorite solution of sending heartfelt “thoughts and prayers” to the increasing cavalcade of victims of mass shootings is not working.