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We should be able to protect ourselves

To the editor:

Most gun control debates devolve into arguments about gun safety or hunting, but the real issue is whether or not we trust the citizens of our nation with deadly force. The tragedy of gun accidents and the joys and benefits of hunting are minor sideshows compared to the gravity of this discussion.

The American people have always recognized the right to self-defense. Congress is forbidden to stop citizens from owning weapons because we understand that people deserve the ability to protect themselves. Just as the federal government needs the power to defend the people it serves with a strong military, so too individual citizens deserve the ability to defend their own lives and those of their families in emergencies.

The recent mass shootings around our country are terrible and deserve thought, reflection and action, but should not be used to try to justify disarming law-abiding citizens. In nations where guns are heavily regulated or outlawed, similar tragedies still happen with illegally obtained guns or with other weapons like knives. The current laws against terrorism did not stop the Paris attacks this past November.

Our gun laws and procedures provide a safety net to prevent both the mentally ill and convicted felons from obtaining firearms. If one is determined however, they can steal a gun or illegally obtain one from a black-market dealer. Outlawing weapons will not suddenly stop this; the buyers and sellers already have no respect for laws and morality.

Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro implemented strict and aggressive gun control laws, and more recently ISIS has done the same. An armed populace could stand in the way of these men trampling the dignity of their citizens. In America, we have been blessed to be free of such men, but there is no guarantee they will not one day come. It would be unrealistic to think we are immune from this threat. The history of the world provides a stark warning otherwise.

Guns can be used for good or used for evil, just like every human invention. Our free society should focus on helping others use guns morally and responsibly. Taking away guns from everyone won’t stop murderers or thieves; if this strategy worked, we would have no drug problems in our communities. To stop the violence, we need to reach out to the lonely, the angry and the desperate by loving and helping them, especially those who are mentally ill or have no one. We need to patiently and lovingly help those who are likely to commit violence, through both dialogue and care. Disarming the peaceful members of our communities and making them defenseless against thugs and criminals will not help that in the least.

Michael Schmiesing

Steubenville

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