Is “Gun Control” The Answer?
I’m not quite sure how to even start this blog. In this picture is my third daughter Meghan (I have five,) and my nephew Derek. I posted this picture because I felt it best depicted the Ansel family hunting heritage. I have five brothers, and we have nineteen kids between us. Those nineteen have twenty seven (27) children, and still counting, between them. With son-in-laws, and daughter-in-laws thrown in, not to forget my mom there are seventy three (73) of us gun-toten citizens in our family. Collectively we own over 100 rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, and pistols! All of our sons, and several grandsons, have taken the “hunter safety course” required by the state of Michigan in order to obtain a hunting license. Several of the women in the family have also taken this course. Three of my brothers are policemen, so firearms have always been part of what this family is all about. I took the hunter safety course myself when I was a boy scout, and I think it should be a mandatory class, taught somewhere along the line, while are kids are in junior high. The focus is on hunter/gun safety and the “PROPER” use of firearms.
I guess where I’m going with this is the fact that over the last sixty three (63) years we have not had one (1) incident concerning the improper use of a firearm. I honestly don’t think we owe that statistic to “luck!” The six Ansel brothers, our children, grandchildren, and friends of the family have been taught the proper respect due these weapons that can be used for “good or “evil!” Proper firearms training is important, but we Ansel’s have had some excellent training from our mother also. She always taught us to be sensitive to the needs of others, and to never be selfish. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” was the way she brought us up. To this day my mother would give you her last dollar if you had need of it. She inherited this most generous and wonderful attribute from her father Kelly Greer, my Canadian grandfather. I guess the point I’m trying to make is proper training, along with proper morals, leads to proper living.
The carnage of taking innocents lives does not compute in my brain! In one violent selfish act the potential to make a difference in this” troubled” world is gone, and many lives are shattered forever. You can outlaw guns, knives, ball bats, rocks, crowbars, beer bottles, and a hundred other “weapons,” but until you get to the evil, behind the act, it will continue! When are we going to learn to be our “brothers keeper” and respect one another as a precious gift? Continue to uphold in prayer the families of this latest incident of evil, random, violence.
Mike
February 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I couldn’t agree more with this post Mike.
I just think that society today is on a definite downturn because of that lack of self discipline and education that existed in days past.
I think it is all attributed to society’s disconnection from mother nature and simple discipline. We have become a “me” society. It is sad, but hopefully if people wake up, they can see what is happening around them, and do something about it.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Economics are the root of all evil. Mom and dad both working to keep up with the Jonses. Nobody at home to teach the children right and wrong. Government thinking they need to step in to fill the void left by parents who do the work at work, but do not take the time to do the work at home. ( I know someone is going to be ticked by that, but its true)
I didn’t need an instructor to tell me that guns weren’t toys, but actual weapons, that had to be treated with respect and care. My father had that installed in my head yrs before taking my course at one of the sportsmen’s clubs here in the county.
Course back then, I guess the older generations were a bit smarter, WE KNEW THAT BUGS BUNNY WASN’T REAL, and didn’t need some bureaucrat telling us the damage it was doing to future generations.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Great post Mike. I’ve never thought gun control was the answer. As responsible gun owners demonstrate every day, the gun isn’t the problem. The problem is that troubled people get hold of guns and do harm with them.
Training people to respect firearms and how to use them properly is far more likely to help curtail accidental shootings and gun crime. Banning guns just ensures that more people will be ignorant about how guns work and how to use them safely.