Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

Want to shoot 'dangerous toys'? Join the U.S. Army

TO THE EDITORS:

People have been debating the true meaning of the Second Amendment for a very long time. Sadly, the wisdom of our Founding Fathers in writing this portion of the Constitution is lost on many.

This amendment was written for the protection of a young nation without the means to pay for a standing army. Ignorant of this fact, many in our generation think this amendment was written to give them the right to buy all the dangerous toys they want.

Thousands of people die in our country each year because the manufacturers of these killing machines, in order to make a profit, stoke paranoia and play on what seems like patriotism. People, who argue for their right to keep as many guns as they want, say they have a right to protect themselves from the threat of an invasion by a foreign country, a lame and transparent excuse believed only by the most gullible.

The obvious fact is that this country stands about as much chance of being invaded as the moon stands of being colonized by Martians. We have the strongest military in the world. The thought that we need guns in case our government turns on us is equally ignorant, because there is no way a bunch of gun-toting rednecks is going to survive a stand-off with the armed forces of the United States military.

So what do we have? A bunch of self-centered, self-serving and callous individuals blindly defending their supposed right to own these tools of war. I hear some of the more ignorant ranting that the "republic" will rise up if "they" try to take our guns. In America, we use ballots, not bullets, and it is called democracy.

You want to shoot weapons? Join the military and serve your country with training and a reason to use the weapons.

Brian Gray

Conestoga