Usually when I post a blog I tend to want to keep to the fluffy bunny type stuff. Raine, Bob, Tri, Vel, well everyone really, does such an amazing job at all the heavy lifting that I am in awe of how you all tackle such serious and important topics on a daily basis and make it understandable to the lay person. Lately though, with the Martin case, the recent anniversary of Virginia Tech, the ever present thought that we could lose our President to the violence of hate, and so much more, guns and their owners have me more than concerned.

There are lots of things I don’t understand about the need for owning a gun. I suppose the main reason would be that I don’t harbor the need to actually kill something, unless it’s a crazy, uber-sized monster in a video game and I have an awesome sword that is. Despite my lack of homicidal shoot out tendencies I do believe in a citizen’s right to own a firearm, it’s their choice if they want the responsibility of a weapon. And I do mean responsibility.

I’ve been wondering if people who purchase firearms really understand that they now own the power to stop the heart of something living. With one shot they can take someone or something out of this world. That’s a power that shouldn’t ever be taken lightly. As Uncle Ben once told Peter Parker, “with great power comes great responsibility”, although I’ve heard some guy named Voltaire said it first.

Some people think (prove that they don’t Fake News) that owning a gun makes them the big dog on the block and that it commands respect if they can wave it around in someone’s face to scare the tar out of them. This is not a good reason and you don’t get respect because you have a gun, face it you like the fear it instills in people.

Some people hunt, I get that, I understand, it puts food on the table. If done correctly, with respect for the animals and nature and the proper hunting licenses I see no real problem with it. Unless you are one of those hunt-for-sport types that like to kill animals to say you can and mount their heads on your wall. Canned hunting is vile and such a waste of the beautiful lives these animals could have had in the wild.

Now what about those who want a gun for protection? I don’t get it, but I suppose there are some people who feel it makes them less of a victim if they know they have access to a gun. Personally I have a baseball bat that’s collecting dust under my bed, works about the same in my book. Plus I don’t have to worry about it falling into the “wrong hands”.

What I don’t get is why a segment of gun owners are so adamant against safety in purchasing, training and owning a weapon. No one is infringing on the “right to bear arms”, though I suspect it wasn’t really meant for how we use it today. Why can we as a society not demand that if you are going to by a gun (even at gun shows) there must be at least background check?

With all the laws these days about how you can carry guns into national parks, bars, churches, and pretty much anywhere, as a non-gun owner I don’t really feel very safe from all these gun-toting people. Gun rights people often say that if more people could carry guns anywhere they want we’d be safer. But I don’t know who you are and what gun training you’ve had, or hadn’t. Why should I trust you with a gun in public?

If you Mr. or Ms. Gun Owner what us non-owners to feel safe with your decision to own a weapon I propose this –

1) Background checks that have a section on why you want to own a gun – is there something in your background that would disqualify you? Why are you scared of it?

2) A waiting period – why do you need a gun in 5 minutes?

3) Training classes before you can take your gun home – How do we as a society know you will act in a safe manner? Don’t you want to be safe and know how to properly operate and use your weapon?

4) Licensing – I have to have a license to drive a car (which if driven in an unsafe manner can be a weapon too) why should you not have a license so that society as a whole knows who belongs to what firearm.

5) Yearly Re-training – Just like any skill you must keep up on the latest laws and technology, why do you find that a problem.

Maybe I’m way out on left base or just rambling my way through the thought, but these are not unreasonable requests to ask of people who chose to own a gun.

And now for something fluffy -

Baby Cheetahs at the National Zoo!