In Response to John Saxton’s Letter Subtitled Rush to Arms Makes No Sense, Proves Deadly

rifles A letter caught my eye in the lower break room where I work yesterday. I often scan the paper during brief breaks to see what’s going on locally and in Missouri, and to look for different newsworthy items to offer commentary to. I knew John Saxton, who lives in the Springfield and St. Louis areas, deserved my two cents after reading his John McCain middle-of-the-road letter to the Springfield News Leader.

Saxton, a McCain supporter and hardworking campaign volunteer, commented on the post Obama gun buying hysteria:

First, by way of introduction, let me say I volunteered and worked for John McCain’s campaign as much as almost anyone in Springfield, St. Louis and St. Charles counties, but I continue to be amazed by what I read of the “gun buying hysteria” that has gone on post election. I either don’t understand what Americans are afraid of or why those that have guns need to buy so many more.

Look at what guns have produced this year in the St. Louis area where I live and work about half my time. Just in the law enforcement or public service community we saw: the Kirkwood City Council shootings by a “complainer” of city codes who killed two police officers by total surprise coming up from behind on the first and concealing his gun with a sign on the second; neither had a chance. Also killed were a public works director, two council members and ultimately the mayor who died months later. Then Maplewood has a 21-year-old firefighter getting out of the fire truck shot and killed by a supposedly law-abiding normal citizen who just happens to start a fire so he can shoot a first responder. Next comes Sgt. King of the University City police department who’s just sitting in his patrol car just off a busy Delmar Avenue (similar to streets around the Square) and is shot at point-blank range. Sgt. King, the department’s firearms trainer, had no chance to defend himself in this point-blank assault through the car window. The last to die in this shooting spree was a St. Louis fireman who stopped to help who he thought was a stranded motorist who turned out to be a carjacker. The city fireman was shot in the chest; he had no chance.

The common theme in all of these killings was death by gun and in looking at these killings the only instrument which allowed these terrible results were the gun. The Kirkwood policemen were taken out by gunman “Cookie” Thornton coming up on the first officer from either the direct rear or at least a rear (45 degree) approach. As I said the second officer seated in the council chamber saw a well known complainer show up with some sign from which he wielded his handgun. No chance. Both fireman were shot basically right after they exited their respective vehicles. No chance. And even our police firearms instructor didn’t even have a chance to draw his own gun; he simply didn’t have a chance.

And if you think you’d have come out better than these trained professional police officers I’ve got some McCain-Palin bumper stickers to sell you. More likely all these extra guns are going to cause more of what you all see and read about. The murder-suicides, the 2-year-old dying with his father’s gun, the 8-year-old shooting the father and friend with his new “gift” from dad, the shooting over the football game outcome and/or the food order by a different father and son. Or in my area the continued robberies and street murders.

More guns certainly don’t make things safer for law enforcement officers. In my belief none of those public servants – certainly not the police officers with their hundreds of hours of firearms training – would have been killed by any other method than by gun. What or who are we afraid of and why this love affair with guns?

Mr. Saxton’s first mistake is that he points the finger at guns, not the “supposedly law abiding citizens” he cites which obviously aren’t law abiding citizens. Did you catch that? He writes of a man who sets fire to something so he can shoot a first responder as a “supposedly law abiding citizen”. I don’t understand how he could classify this person even closely to law abiding. This individual sounds like an arsonist and a murderer, not someone like me who obeys the law and respects life.

In Mr. Saxton’s first paragraph, he describes his support for McCain wearing it as it’s a badge of honor in hopes he will earn ethos with us bitter clingers, you know the ones he about to call no good because we love our guns. Obviously, Mr. Saxton is a little politically out of touch and too middle-of-the-road to understand the issue here, so let me explain it to him.

Mr. Saxton, in case you have forgotten, the founding fathers gave us the right to bear arms in order to protect us from a strong central government, which walks all over the Constitution. Although, the crimes you described are tragedies, attacking Americans who love their country and are tired of seeing the Constitution ripped to shreds every time they turn around is not going to sit well with us law abiding bitter clingers. Maybe the fact that our government is out of control is the real reason Americans have started to go into a gun hysteria.

Our Federal Government robs the states of the powers the founding fathers set up. Our union was to be individual states brought together as one for commerce and defense (My blog on secession, which you should read, explains this.). Our forefathers never anticipated the abundance of taxes forced upon us, bailing out corporations and banks, printing money to do so, or let’s go back even further, turning control of our money to the Federal Reserve, and elections being stolen by unfair recounts. These are reasons for states to secede from the union, and our firearms were the rights granted to do that. We have a right to protect the Constitution and our rights. I have no doubts that part of this increase in gun sales is to avoid new taxes on guns and ammo.

I hope it doesn’t come to that. It’s happened once before, and the outcome was tragic. What would be more tragic than that, would be to buy into your logic Mr. Saxton. Once our right to bear arms is taken from us, and there are places they have successfully done it, what are you going to do to protect your right to write into a newspaper Mr. Saxton?

In your last paragraph, you claim more guns don’t make it safer for law enforcement officials. Let me correct you. More criminals don’t make it safer for law enforcement officials. If you want to complain, complain about how soft the criminal justice system is. Complain there are governors in this country that are looking to let dangerous criminals out of jail because the state is beyond their budgets. Complain about how much they are spending to allow this to happen. Don’t complain that more guns lead more danger for law enforcement. I have friends in law enforcement that will knock that out of your sky, Mr. Saxton. Everywhere that conceal and carry laws exists, crime goes down.

I’d expect a liberal paper to print your letter, Mr. Saxton. I guess you weren’t expecting me. Mr. Saxton, it’s a Constitutional responsibility to arm ourselves. Think about that.

Originally Published at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom

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