LOCAL

The gun debate will get nowhere while there's so much yelling

Bill Gindlesperger
Columnist

Guns.

That word gets a lot of folks riled up.

As people are killed everyday across our country, excuses fly. It’s the foreigners. The illegal aliens. The Democrats. Put them all in jail or send them back to where they came from. Just don’t take my guns.

In fact. I received the following email from someone who told me that he was ready to go to war. I am not sure what that means. He also said that I am committing treason for wanting to talk about sensible solutions to some of our gun problems.

FedsOnMyBack, 
Subject: SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.
Im ready to go to war unless ALL gun control laws are repealed. Your attempts at treason are the exact reasons we need guns. If you gave a s**t about your kids you wouldnt be pushing for war.

Treason? For putting forth the idea that together we might work to resolve the problem of our fellow citizens being slaughtered by people misusing guns.

Then there is the person who wrote to me to say that if I don’t like it, I should leave the country. Guns are patriotic and the American way.

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Well. I am sorry. We can do better. (And I am not leaving.)

Killing adults and children is not right. What we need is toned-down discussion that results in reasonable safeguards. That is the American way.

I have never advocated for guns being taken away from law-abiding citizens.

Rather I have advocated for discussion on solving our national crisis. How we might figure out together how to temper the improper use of guns. Whether for murder, suicide, or threatening others.

I do not have the answers. But there has to be common ground. That assists our police in solving cases where a gun is used. That keeps guns out of the hands of quacks. That protects women from crazy men with guns. That provides training in the use of firearms before actually owning one. That requires registration of ownership and responsibility for how the gun is used. And any other ideas that might save lives.

I do not want to take guns away. I do not want to take guns from law abiding citizens. And I do not need anyone to remind me that the right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to our United States Constitution.

The truth is that the Second Amendment is not being threatened. Those who make money by selling memberships, soliciting donations, agitating and talking about protecting gun rights seem to waive this threat around like it is real. It is not.

Here’s why.

The Second Amendment was ratified by the States and authenticated by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. It reads “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” It was ratified on December 15, 1791, as part of the Bill of Rights.

In recent years the United States Supreme Court determined and confirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to bear arms. Although there is a rich court history (including at the Supreme Court) that confirms the ability of each State to regulate guns as long as an individual’s right to bear firearms is not infringed.

This long court history of review and defining has served to strengthen the Second Amendment.

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To get rid of an Amendment is difficult. Only one Amendment, the 18th Amendment that established prohibition, was later repealed by the States.

For this to happen, the Constitution’s Article V requires that an Amendment be proposed by two-thirds of the House and Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. It is up to the States to approve a new Amendment, with three-quarters of the States voting to ratifying it.

Gun regulations are a different matter with States retaining their own rights. But your rights to own a firearm is guaranteed in the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Since 1791.

And open discussion about any regulatory improvements - or ideas on how to protect ourselves from errant shooters or killers - will not open the door to the repeal of the Second Amendment.

Repealing the Second Amendment has as much chance of becoming a reality as your accidentally shooting yourself in the same foot twice on the same day.

Civil conversation is all I am advocating. It seems to me that there are many intelligent people on both sides of this gun issue. And that together we might be able to figure out how to reduce gun related suicides, murders, threats and other misuse of guns. Maybe protect some police officers and first responders while we are at it.

Why is that civil discourse so difficult?

Let’s get back down to earth. Take a deep breath. And work together to solve a national crisis. How do we effectively deal with the problem of people hurting themselves and other people with guns?

Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Shippensburg University trustee and founder of eLynxx Solutions that provides Print Buyer’s Software for procuring and managing direct mail, marketing, promo and print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, published author and talk radio commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com