Safety and Respect

While doing some historical research I came across an interesting article which appeared in The Washington Post dated January 4, 1913.  The subject of the piece was a report given by Major General Leonard Wood, Army Chief of Staff, concerning improvement of the army. He mentioned several ways to accomplish this task which included getting rid of unfit officers, improving the canteen services and reorganizing the artillery branch.  I found the last statement of the article very telling in how our American society has changed.  It read, "Gen Wood strongly recommends the enactment of legislation pending in Congress for a certain amount of government support of rifle shooting in the public schools."

I graduated high school in 1972 and I can't honestly remember if my school had a rifle team or not.  I know they weren't uncommon at the time.  A quick check of the web shows high school rifle teams still exist as do college rifle teams.  Air rifles and .22 caliber rifles are used most commonly.

Does anyone remember any story about a rifle team member going berserk and killing or wounding others?

Times have certainly changed for the worse.

It isn't the firearm that causes the death and destruction at a shooting incident, it's the mental state of the person pulling the trigger.

Personal privacy concerns govern treatment for mental illness rather than public safety concerns. 

The movie industry and gaming industry have more power and effect on our society than we want to admit.

Topsy Turvy

It seems incongruous that law abiding gun owners have to listen to and be lectured by President Obama about what types of firearms and magazines they may possess in light of the fact that the president has the power to execute an American citizen without due process.  Also, he and other governmental officials are guarded by employees that not only possess high capacity magazines in their firearms but also have fully automatic weapons as well.

The killing of subjects that are believed to be dangerous to the United States is being done on a continuous basis with the help of drone aircraft.  Sources now indicate that under Obama's watch more have been killed in the name of national security than under the Bush administration, even to the point of killing an American citizen without utilizing the constitutional  guarantees of due process.  Where is the public outcry? 

Bush- Cheney evil: Obama - Biden good. 

This is an extremely sad commentary on today's society.

Many Americans remain smug and unfeeling that law abiding firearms owners are having their constitutional rights to firearms possession eroded away by law and regulation.  The same people sit idly by when a American citizen is executed without due process by the president.  How long will it take until those torpid spectators start to have their constitutional rights violated?

Oh, don't worry, "Some animals are more equal than others."  Which category do you belong to?  For now.  Enjoy it while it lasts.