Sunday
April 14th
Letter to the Editor
A rhetorical question..
After reading your editorial, ‘Are rights ever wrong?’ , I’ve reached the conclusion that there has been a shift in your position on 2nd Amendment rights. So allow me to ask you a rhetorical question. Of all the people you know, are you really OK with the amount of liquor they purchase on a monthly basis? You will note I did not say ‘consume’ but purchase for whatever reason.
It is a matter of record that there are far more deaths on our roads from alcohol related accidents in which many innocent children die. Why not pass a law that says that ALL vehicles on the road will be operated by a designated driver and there will be zero tolerance for any driver suspected of consuming even one drink before stepping behind the wheel. The arresting authority will be mandated, by law, to have blood drawn at the scene of any driver, of any vehicle, involved in an accident where injury has occurred.
Let’s apply this reasoning to our 2nd Amendment. Suppose you suspect your neighbor of owning an illegal firearm as defined by our anti-firearm regime. Why not encourage him/her to report this to the State Police for, say, a small reward of $500. Most of your readers don’t know that this law was recently signed into law in New York State under the SAFE act.
The SAFE act, Secure Ammunition & Firearms Enforcement act encourages state residents to report “illegal” gun owners in exchange for a $500 reward. New Yorkers can call a “Gun Tip Line” if they believe someone they know has an illegal gun, according to CBS6Albany.com. Hotline calls are answered by state police and tips are referred to local law enforcement.
Reminiscent of programs in Cuba or the former Soviet Union, the “reward for turning in your neighbor” program is another example of overreaching by an anti-freedom, power-hungry State administration. It is outrageous, and it is un-American. These Gestapo like tactics were once employed in Germany during the thirties when true Germans were asked to report anyone harboring Jews or in the Soviet Union if your neighbor wasn’t on board with the Stalinist regime.
If there was ever a need for unrestricted ownership of firearms in our Country today it is apparent by the machinations of the Obama regime. Some will argue that there is a vast difference between a drunk driver and private ownership of a firearm and they are right. In the case of a social drinker you take one person off the road. In the case of unrestricted gun control you enslave a Country.
Louis Call
New Bern, NC 28562