Las Vegas Mass Shooting
So Las Vegas became the unfortunate location of the biggest mass shooting in US history. It is a place I am more than familiar with. A vibrant city with the motto "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". Unfortunately this will not be the case as this incident with not only spur on public gun debate but also change the way the world thinks of and remembers Sin City.
The gun debate is a tricky one.....The US is founded upon the right to bear arms and I have heard several opinions regarding taxing the users of firearms that will fund a scheme that will pay out to victims of gun violence. This I think will only make it more palatable to the gun advocates who will then be able to sleep in their beds at night because they have done their bit to justify owning such weapons.
I think it should be focused on the ability for the general public to acquire automatic or even semi-automatic weapons for personal use. I have owned a handgun for a number of years and thoroughly enjoy shooting down at the range. At the range I get to experience firing all manner of weapons but also over time I have become extremely efficient and effective in firing my handgun.
Do I have this weapon for enjoyment....yes. Do I have it for personal protection.....yes. However in all the scenarios I can come up with I feel that if I cannot protect myself with my handgun then something has gone drastically wrong. Would possession of an automatic weapon change the outcome of any of these scenarios probably not....If I am up against an adversary armed only with a handgun, taking out the advantage of surprise, I know that my skill and proficiency would prevail.....the majority of the time. That is all I can ask for....no more no less.
Anyone who thinks they need an arsenal of weapons is misplaced and must have a mindset based on watching too many movies. There can be no valid argument that requires an individual to possess multiple automatic weapons. Life is not like the movies.
However one must remember that handguns can be responsible for multiple shootings if in the hands of a tactical operator who is a skilled marksman. But the distance that this individual must operate in is far less and therefore the ability for law enforcement to react is much more decisive and clinical when they respond.
The only individuals who should have possession of and access to these types of firearms are law enforcement and the military. Well trained individuals who are instilled with the necessary training to protect the community and the will power to often run into instead of away from danger. Lets leave the carrying of these weapons to these men and women.
In addition I know that the proposed legal possession of 'silencers' is now at the forefront also. I don't know that any individual with an ounce of common sense would think that that is a good idea.....I think I will just leave it at that. Had Paddock been armed with weapons that had silencers then the death toll would have been considerably higher....much higher that is an undeniable fact.
If we have the addition of silencers as the only thing that "changes" after the Las Vegas shooting then we are all doomed. As a global community we will have to accept that these things will continue to happen and the scale of devastation will continue to grow.
I have not forgotten about the city of Las Vegas and its people which are only a small part of what happened, the victims and survivors quite rightly being center stage. It is a vibrant place where people go to chase their dreams and fantasy. It will take time for LV to get over this but I know that one city in particular will recover and get back to its usual self...that city is Las Vegas.
I do hope for the first time in a long long time that common sense prevails in all of this...
The gun debate is a tricky one.....The US is founded upon the right to bear arms and I have heard several opinions regarding taxing the users of firearms that will fund a scheme that will pay out to victims of gun violence. This I think will only make it more palatable to the gun advocates who will then be able to sleep in their beds at night because they have done their bit to justify owning such weapons.
I think it should be focused on the ability for the general public to acquire automatic or even semi-automatic weapons for personal use. I have owned a handgun for a number of years and thoroughly enjoy shooting down at the range. At the range I get to experience firing all manner of weapons but also over time I have become extremely efficient and effective in firing my handgun.
Do I have this weapon for enjoyment....yes. Do I have it for personal protection.....yes. However in all the scenarios I can come up with I feel that if I cannot protect myself with my handgun then something has gone drastically wrong. Would possession of an automatic weapon change the outcome of any of these scenarios probably not....If I am up against an adversary armed only with a handgun, taking out the advantage of surprise, I know that my skill and proficiency would prevail.....the majority of the time. That is all I can ask for....no more no less.
Anyone who thinks they need an arsenal of weapons is misplaced and must have a mindset based on watching too many movies. There can be no valid argument that requires an individual to possess multiple automatic weapons. Life is not like the movies.
However one must remember that handguns can be responsible for multiple shootings if in the hands of a tactical operator who is a skilled marksman. But the distance that this individual must operate in is far less and therefore the ability for law enforcement to react is much more decisive and clinical when they respond.
The only individuals who should have possession of and access to these types of firearms are law enforcement and the military. Well trained individuals who are instilled with the necessary training to protect the community and the will power to often run into instead of away from danger. Lets leave the carrying of these weapons to these men and women.
In addition I know that the proposed legal possession of 'silencers' is now at the forefront also. I don't know that any individual with an ounce of common sense would think that that is a good idea.....I think I will just leave it at that. Had Paddock been armed with weapons that had silencers then the death toll would have been considerably higher....much higher that is an undeniable fact.
If we have the addition of silencers as the only thing that "changes" after the Las Vegas shooting then we are all doomed. As a global community we will have to accept that these things will continue to happen and the scale of devastation will continue to grow.
I have not forgotten about the city of Las Vegas and its people which are only a small part of what happened, the victims and survivors quite rightly being center stage. It is a vibrant place where people go to chase their dreams and fantasy. It will take time for LV to get over this but I know that one city in particular will recover and get back to its usual self...that city is Las Vegas.
I do hope for the first time in a long long time that common sense prevails in all of this...
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