| The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution | | | | with select American manufacturing companies, |
| guarantees every American the right to bear | | | | these companies for the work they would be |
| arms. Has any law ever been so ambiguous? | | | | required to do would pay these prisoners |
| What are arms? What does it mean to bear | | | | minimum wage. The product they create would |
| them? At least with the first amendment we | | | | then be infused into mainstream American |
| know exactly where we stand: Freedom of | | | | commerce. In return for these jobs, the prisoners |
| speech. It couldn't be any clearer. But, the right to | | | | would pay the government for their room and |
| bear arms leaves the second amendment open | | | | board, and any security, medical, and utility fees. |
| to different interpretations. We need gun permits | | | | If the prisoner has any dependents, their |
| to carry a concealed weapon. Do we need knife | | | | paycheck would reflect that deduction. Cut off |
| permits? No. Yet both can, and often do, cause | | | | from society, these prisons would be a society of |
| death. We can own a gun, or a rifle, or a | | | | their own. Away from us forever.Crime control, |
| sub-machine gun, or a machete, and dozens of | | | | rather than a gun control, is a stricter and more |
| other tools to kill, even our own bare hands. So, | | | | effective deterrent than the failed alternatives. It |
| gun control is a debate in our country that makes | | | | would not just deter murder with guns, it would |
| no sense unless you broaden the ban or | | | | deter murder with any type of weapon, as well |
| acceptance to include all instruments of | | | | as rape, aggravated assault - ALL felonies. It |
| death.According to Population Stats, America has | | | | would reduce crime and get these criminals off |
| the highest crime rate in the world. Everyday 30 | | | | America's streets once and for all, saving the |
| people in the United States are murdered by a | | | | American taxpayer substantially in law |
| gunshot. That means 11,000 people. However, | | | | enforcement: Money that will instead be used to |
| there are more than 25,000 murders each year in | | | | build and staff these new prisons. Our safety is |
| the United States. In other industrialized countries, | | | | what we have to take care of - what we must |
| Germany has 381 each year, France 255, Great | | | | take care of - before we do anything else. We |
| Britain 68, Australia 65, and Japan 39. Based on | | | | owe it to our children.We teach our children to |
| population to make it a fair assessment, it turns | | | | have pride in America. We teach our children |
| out to be guns in America murder 1 out of 25,916 | | | | safety first. We teach our children about good |
| people every year. Compared to Canada where | | | | and evil, right versus wrong. What must our |
| the amount is 1 out of 190,387, and 1 out of | | | | children be thinking when they see murder after |
| 864,546 in Great Britain, and only 1 out of | | | | murder on the news, and walking the streets with |
| 3,254,508 in Japan, America is the killing field of | | | | the fear of a drive by shooting, or of being |
| the world.Gun expert Robert J. Spitzer, political | | | | abducted? We are raising a society born of fear |
| science professor at SUNY Cortland and author of | | | | and mistrust. This is why we need a stricter |
| the book The Politics of Gun Control points to | | | | crime bill. This is why we must - we have no |
| America's 'mixed ethnicity.' "Our diverse cultural | | | | other choice - take back our country from these |
| background, composed of many different ethnic, | | | | criminals.Yes, Americans should be able to have |
| religious, social, and other groups leads to | | | | handguns in their home for protection, as long as |
| inter-group rivalries, suspicion, hatred, fear, and | | | | it is responsibly locked up and away from children. |
| sometimes violence,' Professor Spitzer said. "Most | | | | Yes, Americans should be able to have rifles to |
| other Western nations, by comparison, are more | | | | hunt for food. However, these are still weapons |
| homogeneous than the U.S."Which brings us back | | | | of destruction and they must be registered with |
| to the thesis that America does not need a gun | | | | personal background checks. There is absolutely |
| control law; it needs a crime control law.The | | | | no need or reason for any person, other than law |
| number one concern in America today is safety: | | | | enforcement and the military to have assault |
| Safety from terrorists, safety from drugs and | | | | weapons that are aimed to violently kill masses of |
| violent drug dealers, safety from gangs, and | | | | people. We must compromise through common |
| safety from those whose evil ways affect our | | | | sense. We must understand and follow the true |
| lives and our children's lives everyday. However, | | | | intent of our forefathers when they penned the |
| we have no safety of which to speak. Our police | | | | second amendment to the Constitution.All it takes |
| departments are as overwhelmed by the size of | | | | is the determination, the moral strength of our |
| the enemy as are our troops in Iraq. Without | | | | elected representatives, to enact tougher laws, so |
| safety, we are prisoners of our own society. | | | | we can finally take back our country and make it |
| Safety and security are more important than any | | | | a safe haven once again for every American |
| other issue, for, without it, we cease to live. We | | | | man, woman, and child.Bruce Schwartz is a political |
| merely exist. We must first feel safe, and be | | | | activist and author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, |
| safe, before we can think about curing our other | | | | THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, the story of a |
| ills. With 14,000 of the homicides each year being | | | | nationwide terrorist attack, which ignites a race |
| committed without guns (11,000 with), we must | | | | class war seven days before the American |
| look at the bigger picture.We must build more | | | | presidential election. He has also written other |
| maximum-security prisons. Enough so that | | | | novels, three children's books, and six musicals. He |
| everyone convicted of first-degree homicide, or | | | | is presently writing the screenplay for THE |
| of a felony three times, is sent there for the rest | | | | TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, as well as a weekly |
| of their life, without any chance of parole. (There | | | | TV dramedy. He has received numerous |
| is no reason to spend millions of dollars on each | | | | accolades for his writing. His site is offering a |
| death row prisoner's appeals that last ten years | | | | 3-day, 2-night vacation to one of 90 destinations |
| or longer when it has been proven not to be a | | | | (no time share, no sales pitch of any kind) for |
| deterrent and when housing them is substantially | | | | buying a copy of this timely and topical novel. He |
| much less expensive.)Within a federal partnership | | | | will also autograph the book for you. |