LETTER: Good citizens deserve guns

Editor,

Gun ownership is a very personal and emotional topic for many of us. While my personal views are just that – personal, I believe we should take into consideration what has happened in the countries of many of our friends in relation to this topic.

Australia and England have seen tremendous increases in the level of violent crime since they voted to limit the rights of their citizens to own firearms. The problem has reached a point where innocent homeowners are being prosecuted for defending their own homes. Many Canadians are rethinking their gun registration process and laws for similar reasons.

Throughout the world we have watched as various areas of conflict have created “safe havens” under the protection of an international force, only to see people living in these areas fall victim to genocide and torture, rape and murder. History is full of these examples. Hence the commonly used phrase “when we make guns illegal, only criminals will have guns.”

As we walk down this path as a nation, let’s learn from the lessons of history, both old and new, good and bad. Remembering that our Founding Fathers not only formed the greatest nation in the world, but created a system of government that allowed us to build on their success and modify our laws as we saw fit.

I think we as individuals need to use every means at our disposal to avoid the need for deadly force. The training programs mandated by many states for concealed weapons holders go to great lengths to teach this to their students. They encourage them to run away if they can, reminding them that possessions are cheap, life is not, lock yourself in a bedroom and call 911. Use deadly force to protect yourself, your family and fellow citizens only as a last resort. I agree we should take the time to learn how to protect ourselves; learn how to escape and run away whenever possible, but recognize that there are times when people may not have a choice, and give them a choice they can “live with.”

John Sites