GUNS:

I grew up in the country when guns were a part of your life, you hunted for squirrels, rabbits, ducks for food, plus you used traps to catch other animals. A rifle and shotgun stood in the corner of the hall, along with a rod and reel and cane fishing poles. They were removed for hunting and fishing, only. Fowls we shot that we didn’t eat were hawks. You had to protect your chickens. Now they have a law against shooting hawks – I have anyway. When I grew up I no longer shot animals or at them, other than rabbits in the garden, coyotes who were after a newborn calf, skunks out roaming around in the daytime, as they were usually rabid and snakes, any kind!

When I grew up and worked I carried a pistol in my purse, as I worked late and took money to the bank to drop in the night deposit. When I traveled I carried a gun. There have been times when I felt I might have to use it. A friend who worked for the Texas Highway Department told me to never stop for anyone, even a highway patrol car on the highway, to keep driving until I came to an open service station, pull in and wait for them. When you are alone on the road, you are your only protection and you better be prepared. I was taught as a child how to use a gun. When I had children of my own I taught them how to use a gun and shoot it and what it was for. Both girls and neither one would ever shoot an animal, except a snake or a rat. One was an instructor for NRA for 20 years, she taught women friends how to shot and use their weapons for protection, until the NRA became so political – she removed her life membership, both NRA and TSRA.

Guns are for hunting and self-protection. The only use for guns as a hobby is target practice and shooting clay pigeons and both are harmless. Hunters should never kill an animal that they want eat. Killing defenseless animals just to stuff their heads or show off their horns is senseless.

Protection for self and property, that’s another ballgame. All homeowners, especially if you live alone, should have a gun and know how to use it, plus you need a good watchdog or burglar alarm. I used my shotgun against a pipeline company who decided they could just come on my property without my permission and lay a pipeline. Of course they had the Railroad Commission to back them up, but I had my shotgun and I didn’t care if it had been the President of the United States, when I said don’t set foot on my property I meant it and they didn’t, but they went on the neighbors property and drilled under me. But, had they set foot on my property I would have shot them! There are lots of laws I believe in and many I don’t. One, even if you are the government of a state or a country, they should not allow corporations to take advantage of the citizens for any reason, especially for greed. That makes them the criminals.

These are the laws that I don’t like. People in power who want to take advantage of the citizens, have the laws changed to suit their needs, so the “Eminent Domain”. It is the same as the criminal element having guns, other than for protection and hunting – to take advantage of people for their greed. It is sad that we have a criminal element in our congress that allow the NRA to lobby for corporations who manufacture all kinds of guns/weapons, to sell to citizens under the guise of the 2nd Amendment.

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and BEAR ARMS, shall not be infringed.

Let’s take into consideration when this amendment was written in 1791. I don’t think at that time we had, a well-regulated Militia, so at times citizens were called upon to bring their weapons and help in the defense of their territory, town or state in cases of emergencies, in other words the right to BEAR ARMS. Just as appointed Marshall’s or a Sheriff could call upon the citizens to join a Posse, and use their own weapons to hunt down outlaws – it was legal. Like the old western saying, “Load your weapon, saddle your horse and protect your castle”, some of us still believe that.

Once the country was more settled and we did have a well-regulated Militia, there was no longer a need to call upon the citizens to COME AND BEAR ARMS – TO BEAR ARMS IS A MILITARY TERM. Citizens have always been able to own guns! But are no longer required to BEAR ARMS by their elected officials, but some people still believe – THAT THE RIGHT TO OWN GUNS IS THE SAME AS THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS – AND IT REALLY AND TRULY IS NOT! You never hear a hunter say, I’m going to bear arms and kill a deer!

Many people have a penchant for collecting guns – all kinds of guns, just to own them, but never use them - they are collectors, like people collect stamps, art, cars, jewelry and many other things. I have seen some strange collections by people that were of no use to the ordinary people. People collect comic books and baseball cards! Men, who collect guns and were in the military in WWII, brought back a German Mauser rifle and an Italian carbine and collected other types of weapons, such as a Thompson sub-machine gun. All type of military weapons should be outlawed and, never sold on the open market for any reason. And any organization that lobby’s congress for permission to do so, should be jailed along with the congressmen who gives their permission.

Most of the citizens of this country are reasonable people and should own weapons for reasonable purposes – hunting, self-protection and hobby only. If they want to BEAR ARMS, draft them into the military, but I don’t even believe in that, as it gives them permission to kill another human being. I hate war, which is caused by power and greed.