Local Voices
Paul Orich
In response to Bob Malkas’s reference to More Guns Less Crime,
How does fitting a 19-year-old with an AR15 and multiple rounds of ammo AND body armor fit in with the above theme? No background checks? No waiting OR training to go through? Just ring it up and get another sale?
Wonder what the next 4th of July parade is going to look like in Highland Park?
One size does not fit all in this very critical situation, Mr Malkas, with all due respect. Our nation is an armed camp it seems, with way too many itchy trigger fingers.
If we continue to see the underclass as enemies of peace and tranquility, then the bloody mess we have will get bloodier.
As a nation we should invest in opening a highway to higher education not more guns to solve our problems.
Paul Orich
Local Voices is our version of “Letters to the Editor.” The opinions posted here are those of the writers, and posting them does not indicate endorsement by The Lansing Journal. We welcome input from fellow residents who have thoughtful things to say about topics that are important to our community. Send your submissions to The Lansing Journal with “Voices” in the subject line.
Thank you Paul for your articulate response. Once again the US goes against what is conventional wisdom all over the world and people are losing their lives because of it.
Agreed!
Well said Paul! I totally agree!
In response to Paul when an individual buys a long gun or pistol. One must first have a valid FOID card in order to even begin to purchase a weapon which does require a background check. There is also a waiting period per law so it’s not as simple as you claim. Instead of focusing all the attention to the weapon used why not focus on the cause that leads 18 to 20 yrs old to commit these crimes. That’s where we should start on the root cause.
The cause is because they are 18-20 years old, their brains are not fully developed until they are 25-27 years old. Mental health is not a big factor here, it’s the law and that has to change.
Paul, Imagine if five open carry citizens were down on the parade route?
Would someone feel emboldened to open fire on the citizens?
who is your underclass?!
I agree with Bob Malkas He does his research and know what he is talking about ! Very smart and educated. We can not just go out and buy a weapon without training or a weapon permit most states have a waiting period ! Criminals are the only ones that do not abide by this !
One can find statistics to support any particular point of view, I totally understand that. While I will not do any extensive degree of research to support this position, what I have SEEN is that Concealed Weapons Carriers (citizens legally allowed by permit to carrier a concealed weapon) are as a group regardless of race, sex, nationality or religion, one of the most law-abiding groups of citizens in this country. Please correct me if I’m wrong. While most gun owners are not Concealed Weapons Permit carriers (though 18 million are), criminals do not care what any of the laws are as they will ignore then entirely. Further tightening existing gun laws is of little value to criminals who commit crimes using weapons. What is needed is MANDATORY sentencing for those caught with illegal weapons and prosecutors who will enforce the law. Look at the list of crimes that Gov. Pritzker now proposes for charged criminals that will no longer require a cash bond be posted before their release back on the streets.
When I was a child I went to a family dairy farm deep into Indiana for the weekends in the summer along with my citified cousins. Our parents thought it was good for us all. Right inside the back door of the farm house was a loaded, single barreled leaning in the corner. We all saw it there and our wonder caught the eye of our uncle who picked up the gun and ushered us all back outside into the yard before we even had our shoes off. He held up the gun before us and said, “This is not a toy”, and walked back into the house with the gun leaving us standing in the yard. My aunt had to call us in for lunch as we stood there waiting for my uncle to return with some entertaining demonstration. He was sitting at the table eating when we all filed in, each one of us peeking behind the door to see if the gun was there. It was. That night it rained heavily with lightening and thunder. Those of us sleeping upstairs heard a commotion in the yard–dogs barking, men yelling, doors of trucks slamming, and gun shots. What I saw next has never left my memory. There in the flooded yard lay two coyote and a baby calf, dead. My aunt chased us all back to bed. In the morning we came down for breakfast before heading out to milk the cows and there in the corner in its rightful place was that shot gun. It protected my uncle’s livelihood that night and with it came a respect for its purpose where once was a curiosity shared by us visiting relatives. My uncle gave us knowledge of how precious life can be and how to protect our families, our homes, and our livelihoods from that which seeks to destroy.
In the case of the Highland Park shooter, he couldn’t secure his weapon of choice on his own so he enlisted the assistance of his father as a sponsor which allowed the shooter to purchase the firearm. We can all agree that senseless killing at the hands of people with army-grade weaponry in this country is devastating. There are laws in place to protect society. To remove or replace such assurances will not alter the decisions of the irresponsible. To state a fact or present a finding, as Mr. Malkas did in citing his source, is not condoning the action. If we can’t identify how are we ever able to prevent, let alone solve.
May God help us all.
Mary P you said it better than I did