The recent Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh has really affected me. I have mixed feelings about our gun laws to begin with, as many of us do.
Should we have the Right to Bear Arms, as our Second Amendment states, ratified on December 15, 1791?
I remember years ago, being on a date with the late comedian David Brenner. We were at a lovely West Side restaurant, long gone, called Nanny Rose that had black match books with pink roses on the front. David, who was at his most famous, always ordered a Chef’s Salad because so many fans approached him for autographs, his food would get cold.
That night when he got up to take off his blazer, I saw a gun shoved in the back of his pants. A little shocked, I asked, why on earth he was carrying one?
“I have two words for ya,” he said, without pause, “John Lennon.”
Lennon, in 1980, was killed at age 40, by Mark David Chapman who bought his Charter Arms .38 Special for $169 in Honolulu, Hawaii with a permit and no questions asked, hiding it in his luggage en route to New York City with the intent to shoot Mr. Lennon.
Imagine, to quote John.
That wasn’t the first time a gun popped into my life unexpectedly. I was 16 in high school, when a local cop’s son stole his father’s gun, then along with a friend, went around town in a convertible on a shooting spree.
Frederick Santoro, known as Ricky, was killed as he stood in line at a popular hamburger place in Bridgeport, Connecticut called Jeff’s Patio.
Ricky was just 17, about to go into the Navy.
He was my first death, and doubly disturbing because he was also my first kiss in the back of Maryjane Andrasick’s forest green Pontiac when I was 15.
I remember the wake at the Mullins and Redgate Funeral Home, the cheapest place there was. When I went to pay my respects, what I saw was a giant doll looking nothing like Ricky. His family, without means, inspired the local church to pick up the cost. I also recall giving money towards a headstone that I’m sure still rests at St. Michael’s Cemetery that says—
A Tribute From All My Friends.
But back to The Right to Bear Arms.
We live in very precarious times, there’s no question of this, so I understand the need to protect ourselves and those we love.
I do feel, it should be much harder than it is to obtain a gun with an extensive check on the person who wishes to purchase one. In other words, if you show up with cash at noon, you shouldn’t be walking out with a .38 at ten minutes past.
Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Red Lake, Pulse Nightclub, Charleston Church, Stoneman Douglas High School, and now Tree of Life Synagogue, battlefields all hallowed ground, mewl in agreement.
In my chronic naivete, I’ll never understand why the powers that be, don’t see this as clearly as I do.
Yes, we have The Right to Bear Arms, whether it’s to protect ourselves, our family or our Chef’s Salad, but responsibly, to insure the safety of all our citizens, especially the children.
An American, and a Lady, who cares. 
PS…Don’t forget to vote.
Susannah
When the second amendment was written, there were no weapons of mass destruction that could be used by a single person. A canon required teamwork. The right to bear arms is for self protection and hunting. No one needs an uzi to shoot a deer. Regular firearms can and have caused enough damage in the wrong hands.
Background checks and a waiting period are also a no-brainer.
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I loved this little litany Skinny. especially, no one needs an Uzi to shoot a deer. sigh
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I’m with Skinny. It’s like giving ballistic missiles to the masses. Such senseless killing.
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Tomorrow looms. Wonder what, or if anything, will change for the better. We’ll just have to stay tuned.
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Regarding the second amendment I think hunting was the furthest thing from the founding fathers minds .
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Be nice. I don’t think they’d be too happy with what’s been taking place.
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Yes but at the same token I don’t think they’d be happy with the results of the reigns of Stalin Hitler Mussolini Pol Pot or Mao Who disarmed all of their population before they kicked the boot in.
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Well, God forbid one of your grandchildren is in school one day and some unhinged individual who never had a background check before he bought his gun started randomly firing into a class of tiny innocents.
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The founders by the way, were a lot smarter than you obviously give them credit for. I think Ross you need to ponder this more. Just my opinion.
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I certainly don’t think we should disarm our populace. But I do believe there should be restrictions on the types of firearms issued and that there should be thorough background checks and a waiting period.
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Ignore him Skinny. He didn’t even bother to read the piece because that’s what it was about. I loved what you wrote.
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Reblogged this on Kindredspirit23's Blog and commented:
I do believe in the 2nd amendment and for several reasons. I am not a member of the NRA, don’t even own a gun. However, I always grew up around them and felt safer, for the most part. What I do see, however, is a basic inability to ferret out the ones who are mentally unsettled enough not to own a weapon. What I know is that there is always a way and, cliche, though it may sound: if we outlaw guns, the only ones with guns will be the outlaws.
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I too feel it should be harder to own one. I don’t feel it interferes with anyone’s Constitutional rights. You can’t get angry and think it’s perfectly okay to go shoot a bunch of innocent people at a random temple. As an example. It’s gotten frightening and will only get worse if something doesn’t change. You don’t need to be a political genius to see that. Thanks for reblogging the piece.
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Want to thank you again for reblogging my piece because I can see, more people read it. Very appreciated.
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Glad to do it. You are a fine writer with a good mind. More people should see it.
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Thank you.
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most welcome
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Our founding fathers were just breaking from
The bondage’s of the most powerful empire in the world , they achieved freedom from a yoke of bondage they had no clue what was to befall them . They were thinking about hunting ?? They were facing uncharted territory but they’re really holding to certain absolute truths , globalism is a tyranny and tax on the soul of men . Socialism =communism One is a stepping stone to the next .
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Did you even read the piece or just go straight to the comments?
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Ooops I meant to say globalism = communism 😊
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We have very strict controls on firearms and, although we’re far from perfect (Dunblaine, Hungerford, Whitehaven, &c), we’re in a much better state than you. Our police service do not routinely carry firearms. I think that speaks volumes.
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I’m cheered to hear that. We’re in trouble here. Those denying it were dropped on their head.
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Not “dropped on head” but “tripped over wallet”. As ever, someone is getting rich on the proceeds of other’s misery.
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It’s scary. Everyone’s on pins and needles because of election day. I don’t feel the same. Only because the powers that be lack integrity so who knows what machinations are in play. Now there’s a word.
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