Amarillo College Ranger

Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: Religion & Politics

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According to the U.S. Constitution, we, the people, are guaranteed certain unalienable rights, or rights that cannot be taken away from us, rights that we are entitled to as human beings that the government should not interfere with. Those rights include freedom of speech, press and assembly, freedom to choose and practice the religion we believe to be correct, freedom to question the government through petition and the freedom to carry a nine-caliber hand cannon on our hips, just in case we need to protect ourselves.

All of those make perfect sense to me, except the last. Why is a person given the right to own something whose purpose is to end life?

In Texas, any person 18 or older who isn't convicted of a felony or Class A misdemeanor can purchase and carry a gun without a license and without having to register the weapon. The only exception is that handguns require a permit to carry them. So generally, anyone of age without a criminal record can get a gun. It bothers me to think that anyone, no matter how responsible, can possess a gun.

I understand the need for shotguns and rifles in cases of hunting. Animals are at human disposal for our needs, and a shotgun is an efficient way of going about obtaining those needs. I also understand that not all people are trustworthy, law-abiding citizens. There are murderers and rapists out there, armed and ready to commit violent crimes against others, but I don't think giving almost anyone the right to carry a firearm for protection is going to make that OK.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 419,640 non-fatal violent crimes were committed with a firearm (9 percent) in 2005, including 477,040 victims. However, in 2004, a startling 66 percent of the 16,137 homicides were committed with a firearm. The BJS also states that, "homicides of teens and young adults are more likely to be committed with a gun than homicides of persons of other ages." So these 18-year-olds whose first felony might be a gun crime are lawfully given the right to have that gun. It seems irresponsible to me for the government to give this right without discretion.

I'm not in favor of outlawing guns. In some cases, I can see just reason for someone to own a gun. My father owns a gun, though I've never seen it, and he keeps it unloaded when not in use. I myself have fired a gun, with supervision, for sport. I, however, do not believe the government should allow someone to own a gun so easily.

Weapons should be registered, and the holder should be trained and licensed to purchase and own them.

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