I just have a quick story and then some thoughts.

When I was 17 years old, I was at a friend of a friend’s house. I knew this kid, we had hung out before, but we had kind of a strange relationship because we only made fun of each other in a dry, semi-humorous way.

That afternoon when I walked into his living room with some of my friends, he pulled out a shotgun and aimed it point-blank at my chest.

I just smiled and said, “Go ahead, make my day.”

Well, we just laughed it off a bit, he withdrew the gun, and we walked into the kitchen as the barrel was pointed towards the ceiling.

In the kitchen, I drank a V-8. I was the master of burping (and I still am), and I distinctly recall burping so hard that a little bit of the red drink came out my nose. Interesting…

We spent about 10 minutes talking about the gun and various other stimulating conversations that teenagers usually have. Wanting a change of environment, we started to make our way back toward the living room.

BOOM! The shotgun went off. I was still standing. I looked over my shoulder searching for the bloody hole in my back. I felt no pain, but I was in shock.

The action of the shotgun accidentally going off and the racing thoughts in my head only took a second.

I quickly realized I wasn’t hit. The hole was in the ceiling, but guessing by the position of the gun and the new entranceway to the attic, the shot’s trajectory screamed by my head within 6 inches.

Even though this kid was an idiot, and I was as well for encouraging his reckless behavior of “showing off” with a gun, I still believe that the vast majority of guns do more to protect Americans than not.

An armed society is a protected society, and just because a few folks get themselves killed because of ignorance or disrespect for the gun or even from sadistic violence is not enough justification for the government to step in with THEIR pointed-guns saying, “Okay nice people, it’s time to put ‘em down; you don’t need that gun. We will protect you just fine.”

They say this through the barrel of a rifle. Does anyone not see the hypocrisy?

Let’s compare California to New Hampshire.

That west coast state is notorious for having violent crimes with guns, and it’s the 6th highest for gun homicides per 100,000. Whenever I think of LA, I can’t help but associate it with gangs of criminals carrying guns. When we look at the statistics, California has one of the highest rates of gun homicides but it’s one of the toughest states to own a gun or to legally carry one in public (I don’t know…is it even possible for a person to open-carry in Cali?).

Now when you go to New Hampshire, it’s a state without any connotations of violent gun crimes. And the statistics back this up as a fact. This east coast state is the absolute lowest for gun homicides per 100,000! Yet many ordinary people can openly walk around with a gun strapped to their hip for all the world to see.

Back to my earlier point: an armed society is a protected society. I believe the main reason New Hampshire is safer comes from the idea that criminals will think twice before doing some harm to another because he doesn’t know if the potential victim is packing heat or if someone else nearby is armed.

But in California, the criminal is willing to bet that the only people with guns are fellow criminals and police (which are almost the same). So if the crazy guy with a gun avoids the cops and other thugs, then he will feel confident in robbing a store or mugging some random person.

No one is openly carrying in California like they can and do in New Hampshire!

The only truly scary thing in this world is when a bunch of petrified people get together and try to control another group with the threat of violence all in the name of safety. The anti-gun groups want to use the government to stop good people from having and using guns. Don’t they realize that the government will stop the use of guns by using guns themselves? This is sick!

Taking away guns is not ideal for the common good. Did it work for California? What’s the situation like in New Hampshire?

It’s a no brainer, people!

Even though my head probably came closer to being blown off than your head ever will, I still want guns in the hands of people who want them. If more respectable people had guns, I would feel safer in LA.

And if I walked into a Starbucks in New Hampshire, I would know that if a thug came in and started picking people off, the guy enjoying a coffee next to me might put a stop to the situation.

Would you have that kind of protection in California? And remember, the cops will not protect you; they will only come and clean up your bullet-ridden body. We can protect ourselves (and our neighbors) better than they can and ever could!

Your Friend in Liberty,

John Buchanan

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