Thinking clearly about gun policy isn’t easy.  It’s a highly complex subject with heavy emotional baggage.  These are ingredients for error and acrimony.  And in the case of guns, often strong condemnation of those supporting private ownership of guns.  

Susan Vass, aka, Ammo Grrrll, or AG, is a columnist I enjoy and respect.  Her “Thoughts from the AMMO line” appear each Friday on the POWERLINE blog. https://www.powerlineblog.com/.   Here is my understanding of the terrain she fearlessly enters. 

Consider two contrasting statements: First,

“How could any good person buy a gun?”  It’s assumed that law enforcement and predator control agents are excused—as are private security who protect the rich and famous.  Private parties, no.  

Second, here’s a contrasting position: “Ideally, responsible, physically and mentally competent adults should be comfortable with weapons.”  Why this declaration?  Because America’s founders understood that every society wants security from both roving and stationary bandits.  Roving bandits may be muggers, gang members, or carjackers. 

Stationary bandits are those elected to office or sanctioned by governments.  They are practically and conceptually the more difficult to handle.   Contrast a corrupt zoning official with a gun toting carjacker.  Both threaten your person and property-- but you can’t legally shoot the official.  

It’s no surprise all the Democratic presidential candidates support stronger federal gun control measures.  That position is popular with their base.  The Kaiser Foundation reports 85% of Democrats back a national gun registry.  This means the feds should be able to identify all owners of firearms.   And then what? Germany 1938.

Seven in ten Democrats support mandatory buybacks of assault rifles.  Even Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, one candidate concerned about her party nominating a socialist for President, “…will introduce gun violence legislation including putting universal background checks in place, closing the gun show loophole, and banning bump stocks, assault weapons and high capacity magazines”.

Consider another Minnesotan.  Ammo Grrrll (AG) is a Minnesotan transplanted to Arizona.  On February 7, 2020, she explored “the deep meaning of the RUGER SHIRT” on her POWELINE blog.   

AG wrote: “Last Wednesday, I had a really good day at the Tactical Range…. Your weapon is really sighted in and seems to be almost incapable of missing the x-ring. You are -- IN THE ZONE. That’s when it’s fun…..”

AG says:  “The Ruger shirt is one of my favorite garments since it is Western-style with two pockets, long sleeves and white, for protection from the Arizona sun. A Marriott Courtyard bartender in the state of Washington spotted it and told me she had a grandson named “Ruger.” I asked if he had a little sister named “Kimber,” and to my surprise, she got the joke….

AG continued, "The produce manager and I talked about the impressive Virginia Second Amendment rally. We agreed that the Gun Grabbers will never give up."  There are different motives from several nefarious players, but the bottom line is they need a defenseless, disarmed populace to succeed. It will not happen here. Not ever. We are Americans, plain and simple. One of the few things Obama was ever right about is that we “cling” to our guns and our God….”

The web is a great source of columns and I read several every day.  I’m alert to by-lines and due to Susan Vass, I TGIF.   Her Friday columns are collected in five volumes of Amazon Books.   Number six will soon be available.  

PS. Here is my recommendation if you’d like grandchildren to learn gun safety.  These, an Ithaca and a Savage, are single shot 22s.  No semiautomatics until they are at least in junior high.