ARIZONA SHOOTING

What can be said that hasn't been said already on the tragic shooting in Arizona? As most of you know by now Arizona Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords was the assassination target of a deranged shooter that left her in critical condition, killed 6 people including a federal Judge and a 9 year old girl, as well as injuring a dozen more.

Tragic is an understatement in my opinion.

While this definitely qualifies as a tragedy I would like to point out that another tragedy is forthcoming. No this will not include taking lives but most certainly would include changing many of them. As in most things I fully expect this Congress, and this Government, to use this case to gain even more control over our freedoms.

Why would I go in this direction after such an event? Simple really.

The cost of freedom is never free but we must fight each and everyday to maintain it. In short we cannot make laws that will take away the freedoms of the many because of the illegal actuions of the few.

We cannot and will never be able to legislate the actions of a mentally deranged individual such as the shooter Jared Loughner. You cannot regulate the actions of folks who refuse, or are incapable of knowing the difference, to obey the law. We will always have and have always had nuts like this.

JFK was assassinated, Ronald Reagan was the victim of an assassination attempt that left James Brady disabled, John Lennon and the list goes on and on.

Each act was heinous, but each act was done by a self self serving individual for their own gains.

The anti gun proponents will say "see this is why we must ban all assault weapons and automatic weapons etc." Yet this event was carried out by a lone gunman with a single 9 mm pistol. We cannot take away each and every gun in America and nowhere have I seen any assault weapon being used.

Outlawing guns would only empower the criminal element and make law abiding citizens an easier target.

Hell I carry a 9mm myself.

Loughner passed the background checks to own the weapon yet now we are getting stories from folks all over, including an ex teacher who said he was fearful everyday Loughner may have a gun, and yet nothing substantial was done about it.

The signs were there and noticed by those in authority over Loughner yet he still never had anything on his background check to show he was not able to purchase a gun. Someone failed the test here and this tragedy was very probably preventable.

This article has more on why: Gabrielle Giffords Shot.

My fear now is Congress and what their knee jerk reactionary response will be.This is where we are headed.

I have often wondered how Kentucky fared with other States, such as Arizona or say Texas, who are supposedly the biggest gun owners in the land so I decided to see just how many background checks are performed each year across the Nation. I wanted to see how Arizona and Texas, both known for liberal gun laws, fared in comparison to Kentucky. We are known for avid hunters you know. What I found in the numbers surprised me.

In the year 2009 Arizona shows a background check total of 215,379. Texas? 1,014,015. You would think they would lead the nation wouldn't you, based on preconceived perceptions right? I thought so myself.

Want to know which state has the most background checks?

Kentucky by more than double at 2,189,578 http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/state-totals_1998-2010-2.

What does all this mean? Good question but for me it means simply that there are a lot of gun owners out there and more being purchased each day. For whatever reason Jared Loughner chose to create a tragic event. From all reports I have read it was an intentional and premeditated act of violence.

Loughner was the weapon, not the gun, and innocent people suffered for it. Trying to take away guns would only empower the criminal and not the law abiding citizens who take responsibility for weapons very seriously.

As we are finding more and more each day these tragedies are tragic mainly because they are done by sick twisted individuals. In this case the signs were so obvious and yet nothing was done to prevent it by those who saw the signs.

Until we as a people are willing to get involved and raise awareness to these possibilities we will continue having to face these type of events. The real tragedy is how far we as a people have fallen that created the opportunity for someone like Loughner to be able to pull this off. Hell he even posted it all on the web. People read it and looked at it.

Then they forgot about it.

It is time to change the moral culture of our America that would allow such an act. We must get back to the inherent trust, and mutual respect for one another. Our very future is at stake.

We must seek a better America. An America built on mutual respect and common goals. One that empowers each of us, neighbors, family, and friends, working together to protect and serve the greater good.

Mankind.

My prayers are with all who have suffered from this tragedy in Arizona.

Godspeed in your healing.