OP-ED: Why I support Gun Rights in America

Being an American is a gift. I thank God every single day that I ‘won the lottery’ by being born in thegreatest country on earth- The United States of America. That being said, it is noted that the concept of unbridled ‘American exceptionalism’ and the notion of the ‘American Dream’ are the driving force behind her word renounced reputation of ingenuity, uniqueness and our system of values and beliefs guaranteed in the greatest written document since The Bible- The United States Constitution. As such, it is my duty as an American to protect and defend the freedoms graciously afforded to me as a lawabiding citizen; and, accordingly, below, infra, is a non-exhaustive list of six reasons why I vehemently oppose ‘gun control’ and instead, fully support our God-given right to bear arms.

1. Gun Rights are protected by the Second Amendment and banning or limiting individual
   freedoms from undue government interference is unconstitutional. Banning a constitutionally protected, legally enforceable ‘right’ by elected members of the legislative and/or executive branches of government is immoral, wrong, ineffective and unconstitutional. As such, said tyranny directly contradicts the original intent of our great country’s Founding Fathers and is fundamentally undemocratic. For example, as a country, we don’t prima facie ban ‘free speech’ simply because some people may say untrue and defamatory things about others; nor, do we ban ‘religious freedom’ simply because we don’t agree with a particular religion’s practices or beliefs. America is a melting pot of beliefs, religions, race, creeds, etc. and it is only through adversity that we will continue to succeed as a nation- together, as one.
2. Furthermore, as Americans, having Constitutionally entrenched ‘gun rights’ helps protect our other individual rights and freedoms- i.e. ‘civil rights’- enumerated in The Bill of Rights.
3. Strict ‘gun control’ legislation does nothing to address and mitigate crime. Dually, neither, do ‘gun control’ laws prevent recidivism amongst criminals- as neither fail to address that violence and mental health are two of the leading causes of ‘crime’ in the United States. A gun, by itself, is simply a tool a criminal may or may not use through committing the actus reus of a ‘crime’ and should not be blamed for it’s commission therein. Criminal accountability needs to begin with the criminal and punished by enforcing pre-existing laws already on the books- not by limiting access to and/or outright banning private gun ownership entirely. For example, criminals who want a gun will do everything in their power to obtain access to said guns- which are usually obtained illegally or through untraceable ‘straw purchases’ from the trunk of a car in a dark alley- regardless of whether or not there are strict or new gun control laws. Only the law abiding, average American- i.e. future crime victims- will obey the ban. Criminals, by definition, have no interest in following the law and will smuggle in guns as needed- even in countries like Australia that have a near-complete ban on gun-ownership. In the UK, 3-D printing technology affords the more sophisticated gangs to manufacture their own ‘ghost guns’ as needed- and this proves that criminals are incredibly resourceful and will have immediate access to guns regardless of the consequences, regardless of what laws and regulations are passed.
4. For the most part, the overwhelming majority of gun owners in America are law-abiding citizens and ‘guns’ are categorically rarely ever used in a crime. In fact, the greater part of gun-related crime is committed by people who are already prohibited from gun ownership due to a domestic violence conviction and/or applicable felony; or, who would not be deterred by gun control’ laws. A misdemeanor gun possession charge fails to deter a criminal about to sell drugs, sexually assault, commit involuntary manslaughter or robbery- as, for the most part, most criminals are not prima facie contributing, tax-paying members of society during this timeframe.
   However, otherwise law-abiding citizens are the only Americans deterred by gun control
   legislation as lawful gun ownership would allow for their exclusive enjoyment of the hobby of target practice, hunting and home defense in their inalienable rights in the pursuit of happiness and achieving the ‘American Dream’.
5. Gun ownership and proper training, together, are the greatest equalizer. As Americans, the right to self-defense and defense of others (for example, family) evens out the playing field for potential victims and mitigates, generally preventing, victimhood all together. Firearms allow for the physically weaker and ‘smaller’ Americans- such as the disabled, elderly, women and those who are less physically strong – to protect and defend themselves from physically stronger, better conditioned attackers. Limiting access to and, even worse, taking away guns from they physically weaker members of society puts this minority population at a severe disadvantage, relative to their physically stronger aggressors twice their size. Moreover, this specific demographic may be intentionally targeted by criminals as an ‘easier target’ who won’t ‘fight back’ and a criminal who is willing to assault or rob an elderly woman will be substantially more willing to violate ‘gun control’ laws as fear of getting caught and arrested fails to deter and prevent violent crimes- which puts the purported victim at an even greater disadvantage.
6. I am my own first responder and cannot rely on the police nor a home security system to
   protect nor defend me when time is of the essence. For example, I sleep soundly at night
   knowing that I could effectively use a firearm to defend my family’s lives as it will take on average 7-10 minutes for the local police department to arrive at my house and protect us.
   Several minutes can be a matter of life or death, and if a criminal is already in my home- I am not willing to take that risk. A firearm, when stored safely and cleaned regularly, is the most effective tool to immediately thwart a criminal, home-invader before they could commit intentional physical harm against my family members inside my home. My gun (and the proper training) would, worse case scenario, be used to protect my family from grievous bodily harm or even death as its sheer ‘stopping power’ mitigates, if not eliminates entirely, the ‘surprise’ element favoring the criminal.

Come and take it.

In Liberty,

Kristie Tertel

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