My deer rifle holds six bullets. My friends generally get their deer with one shot, maybe two. We don’t use assault rifles. Ducks, turkey, grouse, pheasant hunters — one or two shots.
When our U.S. Constitution, 1789, and Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, 1791, were enacted, guns only fired one shot.
One shot? No more. Today, one shooter can kill lots of people. Virginia Tech, 2007 — 32. Sandy Hook Elementary School, 2012 — 20. Pulse Nightclub, 2016 — 49. Las Vegas Outdoor Concert, 2017 — 58 killed. Our founding fathers never imagined such slaughter. The Second Amendment was meant to prevent tyrannical leaders from using the federal army against American citizens. They never dreamt it might allow insane or hateful individuals to kill dozens of people in minutes. I believe our founding fathers would have supported protecting our citizens from tyrannical leaders and also from the slaughter of innocents by civilians.
Is there no middle ground regarding the right to bear arms? An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans and Americans polled believe that common sense gun control laws are needed. Can we maintain our right to bear arms while also seeking to assure others’ right to life?
Our Crow Wing County Board has been asked to declare this a “sanctuary” county which may not then enforce future gun control laws legally passed by our state or federal elected representatives. If we want to be exempt from state or federal laws regarding gun ownership, when will we also then refrain from enforcing state or federal laws regarding DUI, speed, employment, racial discrimination, LGBTQ protections, women’s rights, the environment, voting rights, free speech?
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I hope that our County Board will vote to keep us one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Darrell Pedersen
Baxter
