| I remember back to the days when I was a boy. My | | | | intent on killing as many people as possible was |
| family lived in a two story house and my bedroom | | | | stopped by a legally licensed, concealed gun carrying |
| was in the corner of the basement with no windows. | | | | private security guard. You won't hear much on the |
| My parents resided on the main floor. I remember | | | | popular media about the heroic act of Jeanne Assam |
| sleeping upstairs on the couch until I was about ten | | | | but she used her firearm to prevent a lot of blood |
| years old. Why, because I was afraid to sleep in my | | | | shed! |
| own room. I can't really remember what I was afraid | | | | Kenneth K. Hammond, an off duty police officer, was |
| of or what finally motivated me to move to my own | | | | in the Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City when an |
| bed but I know that it was an irrational fear. I think | | | | evil person went of a shooting rampage. He was |
| the gun haters have an irrational fear of guns | | | | carrying his gun in a gun free zone and was able to |
| prompting them to attempt to eliminate the | | | | limit the bloodshed last February. |
| perceived threat through gun control legislation. | | | | Joel Myrick stopped the violence at the Pearl |
| Guns are a tool, plain and simple. They are really no | | | | Mississippi schools by using his gun, in a gun free zone |
| different than a hammer except instead of driving | | | | mind you, to stop a student from killing more people |
| nails they expel lead at high velocities. This fact | | | | in 1997. |
| makes fearing a gun as silly as fearing a hammer. The | | | | If you fear guns, confront that fear don't jump to |
| fear, or hatred as the case may be, should be aimed | | | | the conclusion that gun control is the antidote for |
| at the inanimate object, rather it should be aimed at | | | | your fear. Visit a local gun shop, talk to the |
| the person using the tool. This has prompted me to | | | | salesperson, learn about guns and gun safety. Once |
| coin the phrase we don't need gun control, we need | | | | you are comfortable there try a few, many gun |
| evil people control. | | | | ranges will allow you to rent a gun for a short time. |
| A tool is no better or worse than the person wielding | | | | Getting more comfortable, take a gun safety class, |
| it. Take the aforementioned examples of a gun and a | | | | the NRA sanctions several really good classes to get |
| hammer. The hammer can be used by a Habitat for | | | | you into the shooting sports. If you are fortunate |
| Humanity volunteer to build a beautiful home. That | | | | enough to live in a state that allows concealed carry, |
| hammer can drive the nails that keep the roof over a | | | | take that class too, even if you never plan on "going |
| formerly homeless person's head. That hammer can | | | | heavy" you'll still learn. The most important thing that |
| be used to drive a nail that can hold the walls up so | | | | you can ever do is remember that guns aren't bad, |
| that a cold winter wind won't freeze a child. That | | | | only the the way they are used can be bad. Keep |
| hammer can also be used to smash your thumb, | | | | that in mind when you hear about more gun control |
| believe me I know this all too well! | | | | legislation, especially in the new White House |
| A gun can be used of good as well! Take a couple | | | | Administration. |
| recent examples. In early December an evil person | | | | |