As a 20-year military veteran — with multiple qualifications of and significant training in arms and its management — I fully believe that NO civilian has the need for — and should not be available to acquire — the AK/AR-15, any rapid fire weaponry or its ammunition. My awareness of this issue stems back to the days of President Ronald Reagan in October 1988 who said:
“I do not believe in taking away the right of the citizen for sporting, for hunting and so forth, or for home defense. But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for defense of a home.”
Reagan even joined former Presidents Ford and Carter in seeking control of repeating weapons. In my opinion the Democratic-led Congress, with signature by President Bill Clinton, rightly banned military grade weapons. To its shame, I also believe that the Republican-led Congress in cahoots with President George H. W. Bush, failed the Republic and its citizens by not reauthorizing the ban.
I became more convinced of this since the Columbine massacre, Sandy Hook, Denver, Charleston and Orlando. These events were by ‘deranged individuals’. Significantly, they had access to weapons and unlimited ammunition designed to kill repeatedly and quickly.
The fact is that we in the U.S. have basically lax control and thus have as a the result an almost 11:100,000 deaths rate — the highest rate of all developed nations — convinces me that we need to do better.
The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States includes this oft left out preamble when talking a it gun control: “A well-regulated…”. My personal belief is that “well-regulated” should be applied to future weapons purchases en toto; and all current and future ammunition purchases– particularly those of repeating firearms.
The purchase restriction should exist since the number of guns (over 300 million according to the Congressional Research Agency) is almost 94 percent that of yet owned by less than 25 percent, of the population. Significantly, gun ownership has more than quadrupled from 1986 to present, with gun sales increasing more than 50 percent per annum since the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012.
Having lived in countries both liberal and almost draconian in their access to weaponry of any kind by its citizens I know effective weapons legislation DOES have an impact. A simple search on the Internet will confirm this statement.
B. Howard Penix is a resident of the Village of Buttonwood.
