In the Star, as in the popular media, there seems to be an opinion that guns are bad. There seems to be an opinion that the best way to stop crime is to ban guns. This opinion could not be further from the truth.

To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, “A man with a gun is a free man.” In Miami, where gun possession and concealment laws have been made less restrictive, there has been a substantial drop in crime. If the police can’t guarantee your safety 100 percent, then honest, law-abiding citizens need guns. And then, who would want to give the police the kind of power they would need to guarantee your safety.

I unequivocally oppose banning guns. I unequivocally oppose weapon registration. What you may be asking is, “What’s wrong with registration?” Registration is just the first step on the short road to confiscation. “Nonsense,” a good amendment person would say, “That’s just NRA propaganda!” In New York City a law was passed requiring registration for so-called “assault weapons.” A few year later the city confiscated all registered weapons. Not one crime was committed with any of those weapons. As a result thousands of law abiding citizens were disarmed and not one criminal was similarly disarmed.

We are guaranteed the right to bear arms. This is needed for the security of a free state. This is not because of hunting or Indian raids, or even crime. The Second Amendment gives the citizens one last resort against government tyranny.

Joe Brender

Junior

History