With yesterday’s killings of so many people at Virginia Tech there is bound to be a debate in this country over gun control again.

A couple of years ago I got it into my head that shooting at a shooting range would be a good sport, so my husband bought a semi-automatic .22 caliber pistol. He also bought one for himself but had several pistols and rifles he had previously owned and that were passed on to him by his father.

Neither of us ever thought of killing game animals, and have no desire to do so now. It was just strictly target shooting at an approved range after we went to an NRA class on handling weapons.

Our weapons are hidden even from me, but they have locks on them that go through the chamber that holds the clip. We did load a couple of clips a few months ago when our neighbor was alone for several weeks while her husband travelled, and she had heard some activity outside her house at night. We told her to use her cell phone and call us if she needed us. It probably would have taken 15 minutes at least to get any weapon ready to shoot, but at least we made her feel safer.

I’m not bragging, but I will tell you when I left the shooting range the bull had no more eye to shoot. It was completely shot out.

Arguments take place all the time about the meaning of the Second Amendment. It does state something to the effect that since a militia is required we should have the right to bear arms.

Would gun control have stopped the madman who went on a rampage here or in Columbine or anywhere else?

I doubt it. Those who carry weapons legally seldom use them for anything but shooting game or self-protection.

Those who want to go out and kill a large number of people couldn’t care less if they are breaking the law by carrying a weapon because they intend to use the weapon to break even more laws.

If the students or teachers on the campus of VTI had had permits to carry weapons and did so, how many people could have been saved from this man who was obviously angry at something and satisfied to kill, even to the point of killing himself?

This guy had 2 9 mm pistols and was armed to the teeth with ammunition. I have shot my husband’s 9 mm pistol a couple of times and I can tell you they are loud and have one heck of a kick to them.

Gun control would only keep weapons out of the hands of those with honest intentions and the ones who want to commit crimes would always find a way to get a weapon.

All we can do now is pray for the survivors and the families of those who lost loved ones, along with the families of the survivors whether they were shot or not.

Written by ~J~

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