Posted on 12.10.2018

Common Sense and Understanding vs. Obstinance and Politics

As one who I feel has at least a cursory knowledge of both sides of the gun control issue, I offer my humble opinion of the situation and the seemingly implacable positions that have been taken up by each.

In the first place, I will not deal with the fringe elements of either camp here, as I feel that it is unproductive and you cannot reason with anybody who doesn’t have the ability to see at least a modicum of both sides of an argument, but just to the – hopefully - reasonable folks who really want to address the unreasonable amount of gun violence that brutalizes our nation.

Okay, a few words to those of you who approach this many-sided conundrum from a pie in the sky, idealistic direction.

If you were able to confiscate everything that fires a projectile short of an air rifle, you will, BY NO MEANS, do away with violence in America, because the violent will always find a way to do violence with whatever weapon at hand.

For instance, there have been almost forty-thousand knife attacks in the UK and Wales the first six months of 2018 and for a nation that has not allowed private gun ownership in many years there were 2,544 cases of gun crime in London from April 2016-April 2017 according to BBC, and there have been almost twenty-five hundred gun crimes in London in this year alone.

I know everybody has heard the old phrase, “when you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns”. I know, I know, it’s been overused and misused, but stop and consider for a moment.

Is there anybody foolish enough to think that, even if all law-abiding citizens would honestly and voluntarily turn over every firearm they own that the violent gangs, street thugs, psychopaths and anti-American political fanatics would surrender theirs?

Can you disarm the Mexican drug cartels, organized crime or ferret out the groups of insurrectionists like the ones David Koresh led to their deaths in Waco Texas a few years ago?

I also understand and sympathize with the apprehensions of the honest gun owners in America who keep guns for sport and protection and who fervently and rightfully believe that their rights to do so are protected by the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

But the Second Amendment goes a step farther than just sport shooting and personal protection, it was amended to the constitution by men who had just stood up to and defeated a foreign and oppressive country who tried to annex America, make it a vassal nation to the British Crown, to conceive and enforce our laws, take away our individual rights and sovereignty.

So, the Second Amendment intends for American citizens to be able to defend themselves from oppression, terrorism and invasion.

It was said that a famous Japanese Admiral was asked, after the destruction of our Pacific Naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, why Japan would not land troops on the West Coast of America and invade.

His answer, “Because there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass”.

With the laxity of our immigration policies and the porous condition of our southern border there is a near certainty there are sleeper cells of Islamic terrorists in our country, and should they decide to take it to the streets, if all guns were confiscated, what would we fend them off with, water pistols?

The other side of the coin and the reticence of legal gun owners to even discuss anything that smacks of gun control is simple, distrust of government and their “give ‘em an inch and they’ll take a mile” overkill and the fact that most of them know about as much about guns as a hog knows about an airplane.

So how do these two seemingly intransigent groups ever even have a civilized conversation about our gun problems?

First of all, “gun control” is a misnomer, because in reality, it’s not the gun, but the person holding it that has to be controlled and that involves opening a very complicated, convoluted and controversial can of creepy crawly things, involving civil rights and a large gaggle of ACLU lawyers.

In my opinion, the first thing that needs to be done is for the two sides to find some common ground, which is a foregone conclusion, because what everybody wants is to keep guns out of the hands of people use them to hurt and kill innocent people.

If that can be accomplished, actually the big problem is a series of smaller problems and should be dealt with individually.

Basically, a lot of the problems could be solved by enforcing laws that already exist.

Unscrupulous and illegal gun dealers need to be dealt with and that’s a good starting place, to put sharper teeth in current laws, shut these people down and get them off the street.

Eliminate the ability of “straw buyers” who buy guns and pass them along illegally, as is the case in the Obama-Holder Fast and Furious debacle.

Harden security at our schools by whatever measures it takes to keep children safe, and if this requires armed personnel and metal detectors, so be it.

I know I have just scraped the tip of a very large iceberg here, but at least it gives us something to think about.

As a lifetime member of the NRA and a legal gun owner all my adult life, I believe that all reasonable interested parties would be glad to see a civilized and reasonable dialogue started on this most pressing issue.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

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Comments

My Cold Dead Fingers
Amen, Amen & Amen Charlie I will surrender my guns when they pry them from my cold dead fingers, Jesus said in Luke 22:36 King James Version 36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. That is good enough for me because God does not change, for He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Yesterday sword equate todays gun, God Bless the South Carolina woman who legally shot and killed an escaped prisoner in her home last week. We have to many gun laws on the books and some think that we need to ban bumps stocks and not grandfather in existing ones, me personally would like to congratulate the Texan that developed and patented it, I own three and they are nothing except another example American exceptionalism in design, quality and performance. The Democrats want to take your guns just like Nazi Germany so that they can take your life next. Not talking bad against our police who dedicate their lives to protecting us, but who really believes that they can get to you quick enough when you are confronted by some tattooed, baggy britches thug who is demon possessed and so high on drugs that only one thing will stop him and that is a bullet.....nuff said God Bless Plowboy
Posted by Plowboy
Gun control
Mr. Daniels, That is about the most reasonable post on the subject I have read in a long time. Thank you. This world need more common sense like what you shared with us.
Posted by Don
Firearms
Charlie, long time fan... and most owners of firearms believe everything you just stated. the problem is the Liberals want the guns...they don't want to try to take care of the mentally unbalanced that would shoot others. you know as well as I do that more lives are saved by responsible gun owners every day, than by those that are mentally off and conduct school shootings... Thanks...for speaking for us!
Posted by For_My_
Gun control
Hey from Bladen County, Charlie. I live amongst all your cousins! As a former school social worker, my primary concern is school safety. To me this is a simple problem to solve. And I am not the smartest bulb in the package!! Our children deserve the same protection that the president, congress and supreme court get. There should be gated entrances to school and all should have an armed guard present. As many have stated we have veterans who already have the best training for the job! Some folks feel I am extreme in my thinking, but I feel that extreme thinking is what we need when it comes to protecting our children!!! Later, Charlie!!!!
Posted by Jan
I agree with the cut of Plowboy's Jib
It was unarmed, imprisoned Jews who were slaughtered in Europe. guns are a must. Adults need to make certain of their children's maturity before they initiate them into responsible gun ownership of course, but as the children grow up they should take their places along the line of vigilance .
Posted by Allan
Gun Control
Charlie, if an old Southern Boy like you can understand and write so well about the subject, why can’t the leaders that we elect in Washington understand? Maybe you need to give them so schooling. Love reading your posts. Every one of them are so true and to the point. God Bless you, Charlie Daniels, and God Bless the USA.
Posted by Michael
quote
Pretty sure that Japanese Admiral quote didn't happen.
Posted by Jeff
Common Sense and Understanding vs. Obstinance and Politics
I'm from the opposite camp when it comes to guns, but I've realized that the fight to curb gun violence is futile, at least in terms of coming to a common sense middle ground. I think Charlie makes valid points, I'd only add that strengthening the current gun laws and acting on them would likely be more than enough to contain the problem, i.e. mandatory minimum of 20 years if you're a felon ...due to a violent crime, a thug with an illegal mod .. same sentence. Someone who's deemed mentally unfit (how we figure that out is another question), same penalties but likely time to be served in a psych ward. And, no more straw purchases. Regulation does not preclude the 2nd Amendment, being deadly serious about the repurcussions if you're caught with a gun illegally should do the trick, at least curb the gun violence we're seeing all too often. It won't completely stop it, nothing will.
Posted by Chet
Your reasoned approach.
But that is not what the left wants -- reason. It is taboo. I’d rather live with guns than without them. I know that is repugnant to liberals(progressives). But the left would never get the utopia they yearn for even if they abolished the 2nd Amendment, which they would have to do to satisfy them. Like they say, that dog just don’t hunt. ~NIMOC
Posted by Jeff
Swiss Example
“It was said that a famous Japanese Admiral was asked, after the destruction of our Pacific Naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, why Japan would not land troops on the West Coast of America and invade. His answer, "Because there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass".” I once heard something similar about why the Nazis wouldn't invade Switzerland. -- Tru Cola
Posted by Tru
guns are simply tools
Canadians have plenty of guns just not open carry, only criminals in Canada brandish handguns which is why I agree that law-abiding Americans should be allowed to own and carry sidearms. The reason citizens remain free is they have the means to defend themselves against tyranny and injustice. Canadians share almost all American civil liberty views and we abhor groups who try to take away our freedom by decree or coercion. Trump has done everything to shake the tree now free peoples need to clean the jungle of the tyranny of globalists and evil doers. Seen your band when I was a youth in Alberta and always liked your message of truth and freedom.
Posted by Michael