Most gun owners support restrictions. Why aren’t their voices heard?

[Rafale]

62. I supported gun control for over four decades....

In that time, I have come to realize that gun control is fools gold. I've been in three wars and when not at war I've lived on both the west and east coast of the US, witnessing all kinds of crime. I've seen people stabbed and thrown off of buildings. I've witnessed mass murdering car bombs. I've seen criminals bypass gun laws by buying on the street in open air drug markets in cities with the toughest gun laws. I no longer believe any form of gun control works. I've asked myself why and at this point in my life I believe it is the nature of our culture, our fascination with violence and machismo. Honestly sometimes I agree with people when they ask me if background checks are a good idea because that's what they want to hear and few good people are openminded enough to hear the view I express here and now; sometimes I just don't want to be bothered by either rabid knee-jerk responses from the left and the right because neither the left nor the right understand why there is so much violence in the US.

Mental health is also a serious issue. Right now I know of several people with sever depression that should never own a gun (or a knife for that matter). Unless we live in a North Korea-like state, in which we watch & report on our neighbors when we see the slightest sign of deviance, I do not believe my state will ever know their mental condition for a background check. One of them I talked out of getting a gun, but I wonder if they will change their mind. Honesty, if I were a sick person, honestly I could mow down a dozen kids at a school bus stop. No one could stop me and this sort of thing has happened before. Our culture in this country is very much in need of healing. All the wars we are currently fighting abroad is also not helping. I can't take the President seriously about stopping gun violence when he takes actions daily that support every other kind of violence. When is it okay to kill US citizens without Due Process and use a killer robot in the sky? Why are we involved in everyone else's war around the entire globe? Weird. Why are you good people not protesting in the streets about all these wars (I wish you were)?

If I'm ever confronted with a life and death confrontation such as a home invasion, I hope that I have the opportunity to run. If I fail, I will protect myself. Hopefully none of you good people will take my right to self defense away with poorly written laws and misguided attempts to legislate something that has been unattainable in our violent culture.

I know you don't agree with me, but it sounded like maybe a couple of you had a serious question about "sensible" gun owners. This Afghanistan vet offered it up. Take care.

With respect,
R