WE MUST BALANCE GUN RIGHTS-AGAINST RIGHT TO GO TO SCHOOL SAFELY

THERE IS NO GOOD ARGUMENT FROM THE RIGHT.

 THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTE RIGHTS! WE HAVE A RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH— BUT WITH SENSIBLE LIMITS. WE HAVE A RIGHT TO ASSEMBLY BUT NOT TO RIOT. AND WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DRIVE AN AUTO BUT WE CAN NOT DIRVE IT ANYWHERE. NO SIDEWALKS. AND WE MUST BE LICENCED TO DRIVE A CAR...BUT ANYONE CAN SIMPLY BUY A BATTLEFILED WEAPON THOUSANDS OF TIMES MORE DANGEROUS THAN A VEHICLE WITH NOTHING BUT A BEATING PULSE.

 PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD ACT TO PROTECT SCHOOL CHILDREN BY BANNING BATTLEFIELD WEAPONS!

 The nonsense arguments from Fox News do not hold water. More stringent and better background checks do not work. And arming teachers is a laughable solution. Making schools citidels of fear with armed guards and police is both expensive and counter productive. Such a “solution” does not solve the problem for children on the way to school or after school or create a proper environment for education. We must limit the access to the kinds of weapons that can be used in mass killings to the police, and our military. Citizens have no absolute right any kind of weapon—to own or use flame throwers or anti tank weapons. The government must balance the rights of gun owners and of those who may be impacted by those who own guns..

 OUR CHILDREN’S RIGHT TO A SAFE SCHOOL TOPS THE “RIGHT” TO OWN AN AR 15.

 The AR 15 is not and was not designed as a target rifle, or a hunting rifle. Removing it from sale would not infringe on anyone’s right to legitimate uses for guns. The AR15 (and other similar weapons) was originally designed as a battlefield weapon. The M16 (and AR15) was engineered and planned as an effective response to the preeminent Russian assault weapon or the time the Ak 47 of the Vietnam era.

 The AR15  in both its military and domestic guise is an actual assault weapon. In its  semi automatic form it remains an quntiessential assault weapon.  In fact, in battle the M16 (precursor of the AR15) was used almost exclusively in its semi-automatic (“legal”) form to protect its barrel from frictional heat and possible disasstrous failure (a potentially fatal consequence for a front line trooper).

 No one is asking for a ban on all legitimate hunting or target weapons....only those weapons which are designed for mass killing. Keep your shotguns, long hunting guns, your true target rifles. But let us protect the rights of our youngsters to go to shchool safely.

 The right to “bear arms” does not mean citizens have the “right” to bear any and all types of arms. That “right” of ownership and use  must be balanced with the legitimate rights of other citizens. The right to life...to secure places of assembly for work or pleasure— and the right of our school children to a safe school environment. As well as the right to an education without fear.

 The time has come to  ban of all weapons of war from the hands of civilians. We must follow the lead of Austrailia—an English speaking nation with a similar culture and history which, after the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 (in which 35 were killed and 23 wounded by a man firing a semi-automatic AR15 assault style weapon) instituted the National Firearms Agreement (NFA).  The government categorized weapons into classes and controlled access. Restricted weapons included all military weapons, machine guns, rocket launchers, full automatic, and self loading rifles, flame throwers and anti tank weapons.

 There are five classes of weapons in the NFA. One of the categories (D) restricts all self loading centerfire rifles, shotguns and pump action shot guns with a magazine capacity or more than five rounds or cartridges only to government agencies, occupational shooters, and certain farmers.

Since 1996 there have been no gun related mass shootings in Australia. In fact they have one of the lowest rates of gun deaths in the world.  Our rate of gun deaths per 100,000 citizens is almost exactly 30 times the Aussie rate.  Gun control works.