Jeff Hague of Ellendale is the president and legislative liaison of the Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association.
This is in response to a letter from Mr. Peter Graffagnino (“We must stop looking away from mass shootings”).
I would agree with Mr. Graffagnino that the incident in Shreveport, Louisiana, was an absolute horrific tragedy. However, the source he quotes, Kris Brown, the president of BRADY Against Gun Violence, is extremely short on substance. The only policy that the Brady group advocates for is the disarming of law-abiding citizens.
As I have said repeatedly, it is not the object that is the problem; it is the person who illegally utilizes the object — in this case, a firearm — to inflict harm. The answer for the Brady group and other organizations like it is to make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Every new “gun control” law that is passed by intellectually challenged legislators in blue states is the result of previous attempts being abject failures. Banning certain firearms, restricting magazine capacities and requiring onerous regulations to purchase firearms do nothing to deter criminals. By definition, criminals do not obey laws.
A 2019 survey of prison inmates by Dr. Mariel Alper and Lauren Glaze shows that, among prisoners, 90% did not obtain firearms from retail sources. Only about 1.3% obtained guns from retail sources, and only 0.8% obtained them from gun shows. About 78.8% of crime guns come from family or friends, or are illegally obtained.
As I have said previously, until the criminals are held accountable, violent crime will not decrease significantly. In the vast majority of the mass shootings over the past several years, mental health was the issue.
The Delaware Statistical Analysis Center stated in 2021 (the latest stats available) that about 80% of victims of shootings had several past firearm violation convictions and that 90% of the suspects also had prior convictions. That is reflective of gang members shooting gang members.
Yes, Mr. Graffagnino, the Second Amendment was created for specific reasons, as were the other nine amendments in the Bill of Rights. That was to enshrine into law those inalienable rights that we, as people, have been given, to keep the government from infringing on them.
Following your reasoning, cellphones and computers should also be outlawed, since they were not considered by the Founding Fathers.
Yes, many other countries highly restrict firearm ownership by the populace, as did conquering dictators. The result is that, in many countries, posting an unacceptable tweet or message will result in prison time. Remember, our Constitution is unique, and that’s one reason this republic has lasted 250 years.
I, for one, believe in the right to keep and bear arms, as do the millions of law-abiding citizens throughout the country who help keep us safe from criminals.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
