as part of my effort to post more...

... I'm going to try to post more personal topics than political topics. Politics is exceptionally irritating and draining, for me.

Politics is such a torment that I advise everyone I love not to mix with it. -Thomas Jefferson

The system is so broken, and intentionally so, and yet most people don't see that they're simply being divisive (I do NOT use the word in the traditional media usage) to maintain power.

But today is a political topic. Unfortunately- in more than one sense.

Firearm ownership in America has become highly politicized, and it really shouldn't be. All of this talk of "interpreting the Second Amendment" and how pro-firearm people are interpreting it incorrectly is just bunk. There are no interpretations possible other than the plain text that is written, especially if you take any time to read anything that the founding fathers of the nation wrote about it. No free citizen of the United States of America shall be prevented from owning a firearm.

The key word there is "free". If you're a criminal, sorry, your right to arm yourself is gone. Mentally ill and hospitalized? No longer "free".

And, really, that's what this "debate" centers on. One side cries out, "Violent crime is on the rise!" While I reply, "And you've helped quite enough, thank you." By demonizing and stereotyping gun owners and anyone who is pro-second amendment as violent nutballs (and they've done a damn good job of it), it has become commonplace in my experience for many people to react negatively to anyone who owns a firearm and so much as mentions it in passing. This leads to a reduced amount of firearm owners and leads to increased crime.

Proof? The seven lowest crime states in America are Right To Carry states, meaning that their state laws provide for what I stated above- free citizens have the right to arm themselves. 24 states have adopted "shall issue" laws for gun permits for citizens since the violent crime peak of 1991. About 90 million more legally owned firearms are in civilian hands today than in 1991, and America's murder rate has dropped to a 43 year low- dropping by 46%. The total violent crime rate in America has decreased 41%, to a 35 year low. I took a look at the preliminary UCR from the FBI, and the statistics there show that crime has dropped again from 2008-2009, across the board. As determined by John Lott and David Mustard, when concealed carry laws went into effect, murders fell by 8.5%, rapes fell by 5%, and assaults fell by 7%.

National surveys of police officers show that they support concealed handgun laws by 3 to 1.

Florida has issued more than 1.7 million permits, more than any other state, and has revoked only 167, or 0.01% due to firearms related crimes by the citizens carrying permits.

Catch that? 0.01% of people who receive gun carry permits (in Florida, at least) commit crimes relating to their firearms. 0.01%. 0.01%! One hundreth of one percent!

Firearms used in crimes are used by criminals who obtain them illegally, not by law-abiding citizens who exercise their constitutional right to arm themselves and protect themselves from criminals.

Anti-gun laws only restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens; the supposed targets of the anti-gun laws, violent criminals, are already living outside the law anyway... what makes anyone think they'll obey this one law when they ignore the rest of them?

I think I'll cut this one short today. I could fill a book with my frustrations on this one topic alone.

In any case, I'll close with this message to the politicians:

DON'T TREAD ON ME.

Sites I borrowed from to write the post:

http://www.nraila.org/
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/