Obama, Guns, and Responsibility

By Gary Orlando

Okay, so we have a new President, and the election was a contentious one. Regardless of what your feelings are on the matter, Barack Obama is our President and he is here to stay. Only time will tell if he does a good job. But he does deserve a chance and our respect.

One of the points of contention during the election was the issue of gun control. And the issue became even more heated after the election was decided. Why did a lot of people go out and buy guns before the election, and why do they continue to buy guns in record numbers? I don’t think it is because Obama is our first black President and people were worried about clashes between liberals and conservatives. I think a lot of it has to do with fear and wanting to be armed if something bad happens. I think the explanation for the mad rush to buy guns lies in the fact that people want to stock up while they still can.

President Obama has liberal ideals when it comes to guns and our second amendment rights. He is also seen as closely allying himself with a lot of the bigwigs in the Democrat party that are directly responsible for all the gun-control legislation enacted in the past, as well as laws they are trying to enact in the future.

I am concerned about my gun rights, but those who have purchased guns recently and blamed President Obama as being the single person most responsible for the highest gun sales ever need to do a little thinking. Gun ownership is a right that this great country affords us, and as much as I hate to say it, the liberal push for stricter gun control laws may be partly due to gun owners not being responsible enough.

Our forefathers fought and died for the right to own guns. Citizens not being allowed to exercise that right would be like not being allowed to vote, and it would be a slap in the face to our predecessors. So gun owners need to do whatever they can to protect and preserve that right. With the legal responsibilities of gun ownership today comes personal responsibility. What do I mean? Well, it's a two-part answer.

Part one: The last few years there have been way too many people dying when there was a gun involved, and regardless of the circumstances, it inevitably boiled down to the media crowing about "another senseless gun death due to gun violence." But where does personal responsibility come into play with all of this? It has to do with a responsible adult taking control of the immediate area or environment where that gun is located. Whether it be a home, car, business, or whatever - guns need to be kept away from those who are not responsible enough to possess them. It’s that plain and simple. Most of the shootings that I hear about involving minors almost always involve a gun that comes from their home.

Part two: Training, training, training, period. Owning a gun does not make you a responsible good shooter any more than owing a plane makes you a good pilot, or owning a fast car makes you good enough to drive in a NASCAR race. There is nothing inherent about gun safety or shooting. It is not in our genes, and it is not a natural talent; it must be painstakingly learned. That means dedicating a fair amount of time to learning something that will prevent you from hurting yourself or someone else. There are no shortcuts. If you are serious about your firearm ownership you must invest the time. The more you involve kids in shooting, the more you will remove the mysteries surrounding the subject of guns. If you teach kids to treat guns with respect and handle them safely, you will drastically reduce the likelihood of an accident.

There have been a number of domestic and global situations in the past few years that have combined to heighten the fears and worries of Americans, and more and more people have decided to obtain firearms for protection. The dramatic increase in the number of handgun sales recently is probably due to the threat of our new administration establishing stricter gun control laws.

If you are concerned about President Obama’s administration eventually whittling away at gun ownership rights, then by all means, buy guns now while you still have the chance. But keep in mind that although you have the right to own a gun - at least for now - along with that right comes responsibility that cannot and should not be ignored.