Posted on 08/04/2007 10:30:58 AM PDT by 2nd amendment mama
In the aftermath of the Petit family slayings in Cheshire, we all reached for explanations: How do human beings sink this low? How could this tragedy have been prevented? Why? There are so many nagging questions. They all need to be asked. And maybe some old arguments need to be hashed out again.
Why not a more stringent "three strikes and you're out" law in this state? Connecticut's version is so weak that it's more like "30 strikes and we'll think about it while you strike again."
Why not speed up the criminal trial process for repeat violent offenders? Get them off the streets. It's been proposed many times. Most people agree it should be done. It never happens.
Can't we better monitor the probation process?
Can't we do a better job of predicting -- figuring out which non-violent criminals are about to turn violent?
Are home alarms really effective?
How about dogs?
But somehow all of these ideas pale before the barbarity of this particular crime.
That is why one old question is worth asking again. It is this: What if the Second Amendment is for real? Is it possible that it should it be revered, just like the First Amendment?
Sam Ervin said, "The Constitution should be taken like mountain whiskey -- undiluted and untaxed." Maybe that applies to all of the Constitution.
Is it possible that the Second Amendment is not a quaint and antiquated remnant of a world that will never return, but an idea as relevant and sound today as when it was written?
Is it possible that we are not talking about the right of the government to form a militia when there is no standing army, but the right of the individual to defend himself, or herself, against both tyranny and lawlessness? Maybe we are talking about the right of self-defense -- the right of the individual to take up arms against a government that wants to oppress, be it foreign or domestic. And the right of the individual to defend himself against criminals, brutes, and barbarians when local police seem unable to stop them.
Might the Second Amendment matter almost as much as the First?
I think the answer is yes.
And just like the First, the Second is practical, newly relevant, and far wiser than the watered-down alternatives.
I don't think George Bush wants to impose martial law on his fellow citizens. But he has diluted habeas corpus. And he has enlarged Big Brother. You have to stop and think about a government that wants to control the thoughts and behavior of its people.
Should such a government be permitted to disarm them as well?
And whereas the reform of the criminal justice system along some of the lines suggested above (a real "three strikes" law and faster trials for violent offenders) would not have saved the lives of Jennifer, and Hayley, and Michaela Petit, a gun might have.
I don't say it would have.
I say it might have.
Had Dr. William Petit had access to a gun and known how to use it, he might have been able to dispatch the two perpetrators, who were armed with only an air gun and ropes.
Moreover, the three victims here were women.
What if Mrs. Hawke-Petit had been trained in the use of firearms? Suppose she had been able to get to a gun after her husband was beaten into unconsciousness by the invaders? Or when she was forced to take one captor to the bank to fetch him money?
It's worth thinking about.
Women and children are now the major targets of predators in our society. Government is not protecting them very well. Many professional women who work in cities know this and take courses in self-defense. A gun may be the only realistic self-defense against the sort of criminals we are talking about here.
And if a few women took care of a few thugs in cases like this; if a few stories like this one ended in a different way -- with a woman blowing one of these brutes to kingdom come -- it might be a deterrent. Lives upon lives might be spared.
A friend of mine said: "The gun nuts are back."
They are.
And they are right.
Mind you, we are talking about arming people who are trained and know how to use a weapon.
No one should have a gun who has not been trained.
Just as one gets training in handling a boat, motorcycle, or car, one must learn how to use and safely store a gun. (The National Rifle Association maintains an extensive national network of programs in firearms training and education.)
And, obviously, no one would be forced to own a gun.
A second caveat: Encouraging citizens to arm themselves is no "answer" to crimes like the Petit murders.
An "answer" does not exist.
But it is one of several remedies when we are faced with palpable evil.
All possible remedies should be on the table:
-- Various reforms of the justice system, like a real three-strike-law for predatory offenders.
-- Better psychological treatment for troubled youth.
-- Religious training, in both love and self-restraint, especially when people are young.
-- Prison programs that both retain the hard core and educate the educable.
-- More and better home alarm systems.
-- More cops visible in more neighborhoods.
-- Dobermans.
All of these approaches have merit.
So does self-defense.
None of these options "fix" a society that can produce human beings who torture and kill the defenseless for sport.
No one step or program can plug every hole in America's justice system, or its soul.
But there are times when a gun in the hands of a potential victim may save a life.
Let's admit -- since the murderers, and druggies, and psychos, and thieves already have guns -- that arming the peaceful, law-abiding, decent, and productive people, whether in a school, or a private home, or on the way to a parked car, is an option that also has merit.
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Keith C. Burris is editorial page editor of the Journal Inquirer.
Sorry..........My work here is done. Call me if ya want something else mess up right proper......:o)
Nite !
Whoa Cowboy . . . It is rare that I would impose the wrath of Humblegunner (or Squantos) on anyone! And I would never, ever impose the wrath upon my hero’s against each other.
Don’t give me that “wimmin” crap ~ blame it on the fact that you men folk don’t know how to communicate!
Guns are easy to use safely as long as you know and follow the safety rules.
Read the thread.
It was sarcasm.
Dang, this is getting old.
Hey - I know you have my back, which I am thankful for.
Good night my friend!
Yep, save that for the Poxy-clipse.
They told me I could use my wrath at the poxy-clipse.
Whatever the hell that is.
Well, as you can guess by my screen name, I chose the one that will keep me alive.....LOL
If you find one....ask if he has a brother...I'm looking too...LOL
“Those who are not willing to give an inch of their liberty have no place in a place where there are other people; because just to be in a place like that, everybody has to give a little.”
*
“Are you kidding? Who the hell decides how much? You? Jorge Bush?”
*
This was the comment I was responding to when the pro-liberty censors decided I was insulting his wife and child.
No, I was insulting the silliness of his argument.
The social contract is one we all agree to, and *it* decides how much liberty we surrender to each other. If you don’t agree with it, you do not belong in our society.
What I was saying was that if he used a gun instead of surrendering any of his liberty with his wife, how ludicrous it would be. The same with his kids, using his gun because their rooms were a mess. Ludicrous.
He has to surrender some of his liberty to even have a wife or children. He cannot settle 99.9999999% of his disputes with a gun.
But this doesn’t mean that jack booted thugs rule his life, either.
Hopefully, some of you will get to read this before Mr Pro-Liberty hits the “abuse” button again, totally missing the irony there.
Oleg Volk’s site is the perfect place to send any friend or family member wondering about buying a first gun. It’s really excellent.
It’s just typical liberal projection. They don’t have enough self control to trust themselves around firearms, and they think that everyone else is just as lacking in self-control.
Actually, I'd like to see you up against either of the Eaker kids.
Insult 'em all you want.
For about 22 seconds.
They have been taught restraint.
Wow - good editorial. I used to work in Meriden (next door to Cheshire) in the late 70s - very quiet little place.
I used to live in Wallingford and had friends in Cheshire. Cheshire is a great town. What most people don’t want to realize is that this can happen anywhere and we need to be responsible for our own safety.
Nice, also, to see that they’re coming to their senses, a little bit, in Connecticut.
The Constitution State.
(Welcome to the party, pal!)
How's the pheasant hunting in your area? (kansas?)
I ain’t a scured of you, I ain’t never been scured.
This is the comment when I was referring to when I, hit the abuse button.
You did insult his wife (ME) and his children (MY CHILDERN) by insuating we were evil.
You also, apparently missed the point Eaker was trying to make. "There are times when sweet talk does not work!"
It is obvious to me that you are not a gun person, nor do you care about the 2nd amendment.
I do not need a gun to win an arguement with my husband, nor do I need one to make sure my children's rooms are clean. Mutual respect & the fear of Mom will take care of that.
What you don't seem to get is, if a BadGuy tries to attack me or my family ~ the fear of Mom does not mean squat. The fear of my Glock has a whole new meaning.
Trust me when I say, 'Do Not Mess With My Family!'.
and if you don’t have a good dog, it will be on your nightstand after you are dead. Man’s best friend is an security alarm that needs no batteries.
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