Thread: Power of the Second Amendment Helps to Guard All of Us

It's not news that I don't want a gun in my house. It's also no secret that I will defend your right to have a gun if you want one.

I believe in the Second Amendment, but I am selfish, too. I'll tell you why in a bit.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms. I do not want an unarmed citizenry, despite the price we pay in gun violence and gun accidents each year. That's a road I never want to have to travel.

A citizenry that cannot defend itself against a government gone wrong is a conquered citizenry. A citizenry that has no way to fight against a leader who believes one race is superior to another is a dead citizenry. History has proved that to us in countless ways and around the world.

The notion that jackbooted thugs, under the color of authority, could ever begin to bend the masses to their will by sheer force is not one I ever want to entertain. Weapons, I have to admit, help level the playing field.

Aside from that -- and here is the selfish part -- when responsible gun owners have weapons in their homes and use them defensively, that helps me.

It's sad to think that some people believe they can go into other people's homes or businesses and take whatever they want. It's a shame and it's wrong. Stealing, robbing, cheating, lying -- all are wrong. There is no value system that approves of those things. There is no religion that permits those actions. There is no law that makes it OK.

So while it is tragic that several young men were hurt and killed recently while breaking into area homes, they were wrong to do so. Perhaps they were young and foolish and did not understand that the consequences could be injury or death. It's too bad they just didn't stay home those nights.

My heart grieves for the families who have lost a loved one. Even in these circumstances, they were someone's son, brother, father or friend, and they were loved.

The homeowners who used guns to protect themselves and their homes helped me and every other homeowner who doesn't want to have a gun. They sent a message: People will protect their own, and it could cost you your life. We know we can't always count on the police to be there on time, so we must be able to count on ourselves.

Intruders are unlikely to know which house on the block has a gun in it and an owner willing to use it.

Even as you read this, never underestimate anything. Just because I don't want a gun in my home doesn't mean there isn't one.

I pray that I am never faced with the choice of shooting an intruder. I pray that I am never in a position, however right I may be, who must live with the thought that I took someone's life.

I also pray that if that time comes and I must protect my family, I can pull the trigger and live with the consequences.

But here's the real answer to all of that: Don't break the law. Don't steal or break into homes, and you'll likely never face the end of a gun barrel.

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/2010 ... ON/8080319

By the way, unlike the writer, I DO have guns in my house.