Rights bring responsibilities

I have written about this before, and I see it needs repeating, although the person in question won't get it, maybe someone else will.

I grew up in a bad neighborhood. Everyone in the household owned a gun, or several (I had three). I was a darn good shot, and if anyone was going to try to harm me, my two friends , Smith and Wesson, where there to show them, that wasn't such a great idea.

Our forefathers put the" right to bear arms" in our constitution because they recognized that any  country that was not armed, could be easily taken over by a crazy ruler and his forces.Sometimes outsiders, sometimes their own!  It had happened to them, and many other places at that time in history, it still happens today.

Now, in the world there is so much insanity, the person with the right to do something, can actually be the problem. This isn't a majority, thank goodness, but there sure are people out there that make it difficult for law abiding people. People who know their rights AND their responsibilities.

Case in point. A man with a permit for a gun and to carry, straps a gun on his hip and goes to the zoo. Why? Because he can. No reason given, just becasue he can. Was he using any brain cells in this decision? None that I can see.

He upset parents, children, and zoo employees . He was asked nicely to conceal the weapon. Not go home, not put it in his car, just conceal it. Did he? No, again any good reason for that...same answer. No. The police were called and he started carrying on about his rights,yelling and scaring people more, so much so, many left the zoo.

Just because you have a right to do something, does not mean you should do it. Rights also carries with them a set of responsibilities. This man had no need to bring that gun to the zoo, and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for him to display it.

This is a person who is insecure, paranoid, needs attention, or has an issue with his own manliness....or all of the above. All personality types who are the last people who should own a gun.Now he wants to sue the city, and many are saying that was his intent all along. The funny thing is he had to get an attorney from miles and miles away to take his case.

We do have rights, but we also ONLY have those rights AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT INFRINGE UPON THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. So if the people are the zoo are afraid (reasonably or not, it doesn't matter), your have to put your gun away. We have to use common sense, decorum, and not endanger anyone while exercising our rights.

It is people like this man who make it difficult for smart gun owners to own, carry and use their weapons. It is people like him who make people want stricter gun laws. It is people like him who get escorted out of the zoo.

All this man had to do was conceal his weapon. No one was taking it away or telling him he couldn't carry it, but his selfishness made a scene that caused families and their children to leave the zoo.

Know your rights, but know your responsibilities too. Exercise your rights, but not to step all over others. Be responsible, polite, and considerate. And for goodness sakes, keep your gun out of the kid's places.

Peshaui Wequashimese




(c) 2011 Dr. R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission