THE CONSERVATIVE VIEW

BY RUSSELL TURNER

LIBERAL LOGIC?

Many years ago my father once told me that he never argues for or against anything unless he knows he is right. Unless we are playing a game of devil’s advocate I guess that idea applies to all of us. When you boil it down there are only two points of view, one being conservative and the other being liberal. Since I fall into the conservative camp, I consider my beliefs to be the correct ones. We conservatives believe in freedom and personal responsibility. I have the belief that it is next to impossible to stop some determined, demented person from doing bad things; many times we can only make them wish they had not done the deed. The most recent mass shooting in Texas shows the dilemma we face as a nation.

No sooner than the dust had settled there were individuals calling for more gun control. They fail to mention that the current laws would have prevented him from purchasing a firearm, but due to a clerical error by our government he was able to obtain a gun. The left also has its sights continually set upon the NRA; anytime something like this happens they are a convenient scapegoat. In this particular instance it was a local resident that came to the aid of the people in that church. It just happens that the man who put his life in jeopardy happened to be a NRA instructor who knew how to properly use a gun, and who had the Second Amendment which gave him the right to bear arms. Had it not been for the NRA instructor I am very sure that the death toll would have been much worse. I also remember the instance here in Oklahoma where a plant manager with his firearm was able to stop a murderous rampage by an individual who had already decapitated a co-worker. 

As a conservative I also believe in strong and swift punishment for anyone committing crimes against our citizens. Many states have laws that mandate harsher punishment when firearms are used. California was such a state, recently their moon beam governor Jerry Brown signed SB620. The bill lessens prison sentences for those convicted of a crime with a gun — on the grounds that such laws are hardest on minorities. The California Rifle and Pistol Association warned in September that SB620 would “favor criminals over law-abiding gun owners,” SB620 is nothing more than another short-sighted, feel-good “social justice” push by the left that, in effect, will act as something of a “get of jail free” card for criminals who use guns in their crimes. Instead of demanding harsh punishment for the individuals who use firearms in the commission of their crimes, they think that government run comprehensive rehabilitation is the answer. Fortunately I do not live in California; I just pray that their backwards logic remains on the left coast.

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