Fear is not justifiable when all you need is a little knowledge.

We are at a time once again where the media is inundating the masses with false rhetoric about firearms, how they are used, how many people own, shoot, kill, purchase them etc., as long as it isn’t gang related. Because you know, gang violence just happens. It’s a gang thing. In that midst, another person with a bad motive goes on a spree with a knife. But where is the hype?

Let’s talk about this.

I grabbed two items in my kitchen that were a mere feet from each other at the time I'm writing this. I was having lunch. Steak and pew pew nuggets… yum. Yes, the pistol is loaded. No, it's not pointed at anything I am willing to lose.. we are getting a new roof this week anyway.

Why does one of these items cause more hysteria than another? And yes, it is hysteria because neither of these are scary and neither item will murder, slay, maim, brutalize, bludgeon, blow apart, shock, slice n dice, puncture or traumatize on their own free will. These items must be in the hands of someone who wants to inflict harm or pain.

With regards to mental illness, someone who desires to do these things to their fellow species has a head disorder. Now, in no way shape or form does this particular form of disorder have anything to do with anyone else who has been diagnosed with any other form of mental disorder. A pill does not make you a killer. Stopping pills abruptly, has any slew of adverse effects and it can be different for every single one of us. Killing by any means, other than a horrible nonintententional accident is not a disease, it is a choice. It is a choice that can be made whether you have a mental illness or not.

Laws and regulations, rules, good faith, morals and values DO NOT mean a thing to someone willing to inflict harm on others.

We already have a system in place to check on people purchasing firearms. I believe every sale should be subject to some form of record. Stores and gun shows should all be required to complete background checks. And the VAST majority of these places and events already do this. Box stores generally go above and beyond with policies stricter than current laws. Private parties write bills-of-sale or bills-of-transfer should anything wrong occur down the line. Good law abiding citizens already do this regardless of who is watching.

Do our firearms need to be registered? Absolutely not. It is not anyone else's business what I as a law abiding citizen own, especially when it is a family heirloom that has been handed down and simply graces the wall of my house or sits quietly in the dark of my gun safe neglected. The number of rounds of ammunition I own, purchase or build on my own is also no one's business. Besides, the firearms that I have purchased are already on record somewhere for 20 years. Yes. That is a law.

Black guns. Whoa. Did someone say big black scary guns? Why do they have to be black? They come in every color nowadays.

Enter the Armalite Rifle. This is not, I repeat not, a military grade weapon. It is a semi-automatic modern sporting rifle that is used for everything from target shooting to hunting, home defence and competition shooting. Whoa. Scary. They are only scary if you’re on the barrel end because you broke into someone's house and they happen to be home. And of course, they don’t want you there.

Remember folks, guns don't pull their own trigger. They don’t murder anyone. People pull triggers. People murder. And when you’re in a firearm class you learn about the 21 foot rule. You can shoot someone who is 21 feet away and if they are coming at you with a knife, they still have time to kill you before they fall down.

Now let’s get to the knife thing. I’m wielding a tool that has caused more finger cuts than there are plankton in the sea. Could I have chosen a scarier knife? You bet yer keister. This measly little steak knife ain’t nothing compared to the knife I use to skin and dress and animal. Let’s go hunting.

Let’s get surgical, surgical. I wanna get surgical, surgical. Never mind. The anti-vaxxers will get tetanus.

I digress. Again.

So with so many countries around the world with extremely tight firearm laws, why do they still have mass murders? Well let’s see. They have knives. Or cars. Or trucks. Or bombs. Or acid. Or rope. Blah blah blah. You want my steak knives now too? Come on.

Let’s be reasonable. There used to be nation wide firearm education. It used to be taught in schools and thankfully, some schools are bringing those classes back. A firearm used to be necessary for survival and to some families, it still is. And in order to be accurate and ethical in providing for your family, you need to practice. Hence people started having competitions and the circle goes round and round. Spin me right round baby.

But but but the 2nd Amendment doesn’t say assault weapons. Excuse me. What in the hell is an assault weapon anyway? I can assault you with a spoon if I wanted to. So you want me to register my spoons now huh. Good luck.

" I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon" said the Sheriff of Nottingham.

I digress again. So many great references here!

Seriously. Assault is an action, not an inanimate object.

The 2nd Amendment was put in place to protect us from our government and never mentions what we can or cannot use to do that. Our forefathers were tired of Redcoat incestual monarchies which is why our great nation was founded. And for those of you saying machine guns were not around in 1791 when the 2nd was written, you need to learn some history.

Enter the Puckle gun (invented in the U.K., land of our forefathers). The Puckle was patented in 1718 and could fire 9 rounds per minute as opposed to the 3 that could exit a musket by a skilled operator. It was mounted on a tripod and operated as a flint lock revolver. Saying our forefathers had no idea of anything more advanced than a musket is ludacris.

Crow sandwiches anyone? Anyone? They’re free. Everyone loves free crow.

So again I ask. Why the hype over firearms and not knives? They are both equally unmotivated and just lay there like your eagerness to exercise… until someone picks them up.

If you are scared, then ask someone you trust to teach you so you have an understanding about how firearms work, what our current laws are and how you can be a part of the solution rather than a voice against it simply because you refuse to understand. I hestitate to recommend any internet searches. So many sites can lead you astray. And on a final note, send me a message and let's discuss. As much as I don’t understand the fear, I realize people have it and I’d like to fix that.

Until next time, my guns still won’t have murdered anyone and my knife will probably slice my finger.

Cheers.