Teach the Second Amendment

            Families, communities, and nations are strengthened when the rising generation is taught the importance of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment acknowledges the right of We the People to protect ourselves from all dangers, including a rogue government. If parents want to protect their children from the indoctrination of leftists, then they must teach correct principles, with the right to self-protection being one of the most important.

            This week we saw and/or experienced what happens when people with an agenda is able to convince the rising generation to act. The same people who organized and implemented the Women’s March – think pink pussy hats – are the ones who convinced students to walk out of class in support of gun control. I have to give these organizers credit because they are apparently ditching the pink hats for the 2018 Women’s March.

            It seems that some of the rising generation was able to resist the indoctrination and stood firm on their principles. However, they were few, and some of them were punished. An unidentified student at the New Prague High School in Minnesota walked out of his high school with a sign that read, “Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People.” He was escorted off the school grounds by the principal because he did not have the required permission 24 hours in advance.

            A student in Washington State had the courage to address the students who walked out of her high school. She told her peers that they should use their energy to make a positive change. She expressed her belief that they should shun bullying and be more kind and accepting in order to make less popular students feel accepted and love.

            We can learn much from these two examples, but we must understand that they do not stand alone. However, we must recognize that they stand because they have courage. They have courage to stand alone because they have been taught correct principles and, therefore, are immune to the indoctrination of the left. Leftist have no concern for student safety but merely want to use this crisis to forward their agenda.

            This article by John G. Malcolm may be useful in teaching children about the Second Amendment. The article lists eight facts about gun violence in the United States.

1. Violent crime is down and has been on the decline for decades.

2. The principal (should be principle) public safety concerns with respect to guns are suicides and illegally owned handguns, not mass shootings.

3. A small number of factors significantly increase the likelihood that a person will be a victim of a gun-related homicide.

4. Gun-related murders are carried out by a predictable pool of people.

5. Higher-rates of gun ownership are not associated with higher rates of violent crime.

6. There is no clear relationship between strict gun control legislation and homicide or violent crime rates.

7. Legally owned firearms are used for lawful purposes much more often than they are used to commit crimes or suicide.

8. Concealed carry permit holders are not the problem, but they may be part of the solution.

            Malcolm continues his article by explaining each of the facts and sharing information to prove the truthfulness of the fact. I particularly like this statistic under Fact #1: “The number of nonfatal firearm crimes committed in 2011 was one-sixth the number committed in 1993.” This is an interesting statistic because gun ownership continually increased over the period of time when Barack Obama was in office, yet the crimes decreased.

            These two states are found under Fact #2: “Almost two-thirds of America’s annual gun deaths are suicides,” and “Most gun-related crimes are carried out with illegally owned firearms – as much as 80 percent according to some estimates.” How would more gun control laws lower this percentage?

            This statement is found under Fact #4: “According to studies, almost all mass public shooters have extensive histories of mental health issues (whether delusional/psychiatric or depression/anger), disturbing behaviors, or interpersonal violence.” More gun control laws will not solve this problem, but better enforcement of the laws on the books could help. Helping people to feel more included could also help.

            This statement is found under Fact #5: “Switzerland and Israel have much higher gun ownership rates than the United States but experience far fewer homicides and have much lower violent crime rates than many European nations with strict gun control laws.” Citizens in the two countries openly carry rifles on the streets and guard their schools.

            This statement is under Fact #6: “`Gun freedom’ states that score poorly, like New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho, and Oregon, have some of the lowest homicide rates. Conversely, `gun control-loving’ states that received high scores, like Maryland and Illinois, experience some of the nation’s highest homicide rates.” How can this statistic be true if gun control laws decrease shootings?

            Under Fact #7 we learn that “Barack Obama ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess existing research on gun violence.” The following information was in the compiled reports: “… firearms are used defensively hundreds of thousands of times every year.” This is an important acknowledgement! The reports also “acknowledge that studies directly assessing the effect of actual defensive uses of guns have found `consistently lower injury rates among gun-using crime victims compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies.” Crime victims who protect themselves are injured less often. 

           This statement in the report deserves its own paragraph: “Semi-automatic rifles (such as the AR-15) are commonly used as self-defense weapons in the homes of law-abiding citizens because they are easier to control than handguns, are more versatile than handguns, and offer the advantage of up to 30 rounds of protection.” Imagine that! People who buy rifles for self-protection have good reasons for preferring the AR-15! The author then lists seven different instances when a good guy with a gun stopped a crime.

            The rising generation is being influenced by the information that is shared in their communities. Parents and other leaders should insure that they receive correct information in order to resist the indoctrination by half-truths and non-truths. We can protect the Second Amendment, but we must teach the importance of it to the rising generation. When individuals understand the value of the right to keep and bear arms, they strengthen their families, communities, and nations.