BLOGS

Gun ownership is protected by the Constitution

Blog: Werner Janssen's blog

I want to be honest with you. I’m not a Life Long member of the National Rifle Association. Life membership in the NRA seems to be a prerequisite for those seeking public approval. I never joined the NRA because I don’t own a gun. I receive no emotional enjoyment from the appearance or feel of a gun or the power of its action. I’m not against gun ownership. I value my friends being marksman and hunters.

I accept that within the limited restrictions established for purchasing guns everyone has the freedom to own and even in some states carry concealed weapons. I do question the need of carrying a gun in public. I see no justification to legalize canceled weapons. Politically, gun ownership has been such a hot button topic that politicians seem to be agreeing with any request initiated to increase the ease of gun ownership. The NRA is on a roll. I don’t blame them for taking advantage of a congress with approval ratings heading to zero.

Let’s not get into an argument concerning the fact that guns themselves don’t kill. There can be no argument, however, that guns in the hands of humans kill and injure. The last year I could find statistics indicated that in the U.S. 29,569 people were killed with guns during a 365 day period averaging 81 deaths by guns per day. During the same 365 day period 64,389 people were injured by guns averaging 176 people per day. Of those killed by guns over 16,000 were suicides and more than 11,000 were murders. I found no studies to clarify if increasing gun ownership might provide the safety that for many justify gun purchases. Will increased gun ownership reduce or increase the 16,000 suicides and 11,000 murders? Fear of the unknown and the preoccupation with our individual rights appear to motivate the desire to possess a gun.

It is reported that direct medical costs from gunshot wounds amount to more than six million dollars per day. Non fatal gunshot wounds are the leading cause of uninsured hospital stays in the United States. It is estimated that half of the costs involved with non fatal gunshot wounds are paid by the general public and amount to over one billion dollars per year. The constitution apparently provides the rights for gun ownership. Unfortunately, the constitution doesn’t address the level of wisdom and intelligence needed for the use and ownership of a gun. The human-gun partnership without doubt is very costly in terms of death, injury as well as pain and suffering. I suggest that the NRA put some of its effort and lobbying dollars in promoting the Public Option for future Health Reform consideration.

Comments

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JimboBear     1 year, 5 months ago

Werner, your "statistics" are staggering. So staggering in fact as to be rather unbelieveable. Seems to me that you should give your readers the ability to confirm the stated figures by sharing the source of your information with us.

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    1 year, 5 months ago

Considering there are around 80,000,000 guns in the US, your number seems insignificant. How many people were killed in cars or accidently by doctors? How many died by knife, baseball bat or jumping off bridges? Don't forget ropes and other hanging devices.

Oh, and by the way. Maybe I missed it but I didn't see anything in the WW about the US Supreme Court ruling against Chicago and their gun laws. Did I miss it or was it covered up/not news worthy by the WW?

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

Mark, take the chip off of your shoulder. No where in Werner's blog does he try and impose his beliefs and opinions on you. He is not proseltyizing. He is just using Constitutional Protect right of free speech to state his opinion. You don't like it. That's fine. Just be careful when you use your right to respond. Self rightousness never won any arguements. It just makes the speaker look like an idiot. That goes of zealots on both the left and right.

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Flamebike     1 year, 5 months ago

Obviously Werner NEVER served his country, or he'd have a much higher opinion of the weapon(s) we use for sport, hunting and protection.

Additionally, I think he does these blogs/posts just to raise the ire of the community and try to impress Mr. Woods with the numbers of us that respond to his irresponsible rantings.

Martin--Right On!!!!!

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LiveFREEorDIE     1 year, 5 months ago

I strongly believe in my 2nd Amendment rights, and I exercise them daily. I'm proud to be a member of the Constitutional Republic of the United States, and I will do my duty to protect our rights to self-defense and to form a well-armed militia if needed. United we stand against tyranny!

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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Flamebike     1 year, 5 months ago

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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lonedog3     1 year, 5 months ago

What werner needs to do to justify this is also include all deathe and injury from oh lets say drunk drivers, bad judgement mistakes by doctors ect ect. Also the stats need to be refined as to homany were criminally caused, not responsibile gun owners with secured weapons. You see werner it is easy to lump all the gun injuries into one hugh lump, (it is a favorite tactic of the liberals) and try to incite people to become part of the anti gun mentality. I think that if you just took all of the death and carnage caused by drunk drivers you would see that guns are very low in the overall cause of death and destruction. I think that the human-alcohol partnership has an even higher cost in death, injury, pain and suffering. So perhaps someone should put in some lobbying money towards the reform of that. Remember also--homayn gun deaths were caused and or directly a result of alcohol Werner? Where are your statistics on that?? Well?????

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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    1 year, 5 months ago

Mr. Janssen once again shows that he has no idea what hes talking about.

People don't need a reason to own or carry a gun.They don't have to justify anything.Its their right.

"It is reported that direct medical costs from gunshot wounds amount to more than six million dollars per day. Non fatal gunshot wounds are the leading cause of uninsured hospital stays in the United States. It is estimated that half of the costs involved with non fatal gunshot wounds are paid by the general public and amount to over one billion dollars per year. The constitution apparently provides the rights for gun ownership. Unfortunately, the constitution doesn’t address the level of wisdom and intelligence needed for the use and ownership of a gun."

You neglect to mention that the injuries you are referring to are caused by gangs which are targeting other gang members.These people lack wisdom or sound judgment to begin with and are criminals.There is no law that could ever be made that will effectively keep guns out of the hands of criminals.Just look to the UK and Australia for that proof.The fact is this has nothing to do with law abiding citizens which own the majority of firearms in the nation and do not commit crimes.

Before posting such ludicrous garbage in the future please refrain from the disinformation and terror tactics.Stop surfing the Brady Campaign website.

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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joanne     1 year, 5 months ago

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    1 year, 5 months ago

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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psychoteacher     1 year, 5 months ago

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JimboBear     1 year, 5 months ago

Well Bob Knows . . . . since Martin didn't coment on your statement "Guns are a small subset of "ARMS!", I will. Since there are shot guns, long guns, and hand guns, wouldn't you say that pretty well covers all guns?

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

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Gator     1 year, 5 months ago

Werner, While you're "question[ing] the need of carrying a gun in public", just remember - . "When seconds count, the police are just minutes away!" .

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

Lonedog,

If you want to write a blog about the deaths of "bad judgement mistakes by doctors, drunk driver deaths'', than by all means do.

This was a blog about Werner questioning the need to carry a gun in public and that whether or not guns in the hands of humans kill or not. It wasn't too long ago that you were saying on here that you were against open carry in parks. And R Huges using non source (as usual) to spout off his agenda. The only source that was reliable was Ferd- he had facts.

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LeroyBrown     1 year, 5 months ago

A gun in the hands of evil, took the lives of five this weekend in a home in Arizona. However, a legal firearm in the possession a responsible owner within the home could of changed the outcome for a (former) Cashmere family this past weekend. As a pistol packin' momma .. I hope I never have to discharge my firearm in defense. But you better believe I won't hesitate if I that situation (heaven forbid) should ever occur.

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

Many times, with evil busting in the door, you don't have time to react. So that doesn't always work.

But thanks for that target practice picture you use for your surf name.

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

Feel free to name some? The cashmere family is one. Do I need to go on?

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

You, sir, were not getting my point. And you may have the last word.

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    1 year, 5 months ago

"Many times, with evil busting in the door, you don't have time to react. So that doesn't always work." .

It may not always work but it works more obtain than being unarmed. I would prefer having a chance to survive evil being armed rather than just rolling over and dying because I was unarmed.

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LeroyBrown     1 year, 5 months ago

"But thanks for that target practice picture you use for your surf name." Steven Lazard.

Steven, your comments are exactly why I execute my 2nd ammendment right!

Martin, thanks for the back-up!

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

You really do get your panties in a bunch, Martin. My comment was meant in NO way to take away the right to possess a gun. It was merely a statement re EVIL from the previous poster.

Did I ever say I didn't believe in my 2nd amendment right? I would guess you were more upset about my half governor comment.

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    1 year, 5 months ago

And to think I came on this thread to read an intelligent debate about gun rights. Whoever removed comments earlier should have kept right on deleting.

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    1 year, 5 months ago

And R Huges using non source (as usual) to spout off his agenda. The only source that was reliable was Ferd- he had facts.

So typical of you.No need for a source.Its like beating a dead horse.Its not my problem if you are too shallow to do research.I don't have to play by your rules.Its kind of obvious that most the gun injuries and deaths in this nation are the result of criminal activity in the form of gangs and drug dealers.Any big city hospital will be full of these people on any given day.To suggest the the majority of gun owners who carry are a danger or could jeopardize public safety is ludicrous.

And its not about an agenda.Its about Constitutional Rights.

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SteveML     1 year, 5 months ago

(Ron Huges)To suggest the the majority of gun owners who carry are a danger or could jeopardize public safety is ludicrous.


Again, your style is showing. Who said that?

Nobody wants to take away your rights, Ron. We want to leave all the amendments just as they are, right?

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    1 year, 5 months ago

If you had read the article you would have clearly seen that Mr. Janssen did by questioning the legal carry of a firearm and throwing in the whole propaganda about firearm related injuries and hospital expenses.

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commonsense     1 year, 5 months ago

Interesting Article,

Chandler man shoots, kills 2 suspected gang members

by Jim Walsh - Sept. 6, 2010 05:00 PM The Arizona Republic

"The intruder who punched out a Chandler man while stealing beer at a keg party picked the wrong victim. The man, who had been attempting to defend his wife during the beer theft, had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Fearing for his life and under attack, he pulled out a gun and fatally shot two men believed by police to be gang members early Sunday morning. "People in Arizona carry guns," said Detective David Ramer, a Chandler police spokesman. "You better be careful about who you are picking on." Ramer said police have concluded the shooter, who fears reprisals and whose name is not being released, acted in self-defense and have cleared him of any potential wrongdoing in the shooting deaths. The names of the two men who were shot to death also have not been released by police. The shootings occurred early Sunday morning in the 600 block of North Sunland Drive. A group of men showed up as uninvited guests at the keg party, paid a $2 admission fee, then became angry when the organizers started to shut the bash down, Ramer said. "They thought they weren't getting their money's worth," he said. The intruders were stealing the beer when they were confronted by a woman who had been attending the party, Ramer said. After the men started yelling at the woman, her husband attempted to come to her defense and was punched to the ground. "This guy was punched, he was attacked," Ramer said. When one of the intruders threatened the man with a gun, he pulled out his own gun and shot the two men to death, Ramer said. Police said they have documents confirming that the men are gang members. Ramer said the husband showed restraint during the incident and only fired when he was threatened with a gun. The man involved in the shooting had passed a concealed-weapons course, Ramer said. Although he had a permit, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill earlier this year to allow residents to carry concealed weapons without one. Chandler police have arrested seven other men and plan to recommend that they be charged not only with robbery but with murder because the slayings occurred during the commission of another crime, Ramer said."

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    1 year, 5 months ago

2 more thugs are off the streets for good and will never harm innocent people again.Just goes to show how guns can save the lives of law abiding citizens.

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