Dear National Rifle Association.
I am sure that your leadership is viewing the events at Sandy Hook this past weekend the same way the rest of the country is, tragic, horrific, needless and sad. Many of your membership are educators and countless members parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts of school children. I am sure you will mourn with the families of the victims as they are laid to rest this week. Then I imagine you will go on the defensive as you prepare for a governmental and public outcry to restrict your second amendment rights.
I write you today to discourage the last action. Now let me explain that I am neither a gun or anti gun zealot. I am only zealous for a few things, like Homeschooling,
The Chicago White Sox and
Sterzing's Potato Chips and not zealous enough in others like personal holiness. That is to say I usually don't have a horse in the race which is gun rights.
However, since I do have a wife who is a school psychologist who sees caring for the children in her school as one of her callings for God much like the School Psychologist killed at Sandy Hook and since I have a first grader who loves to draw and encourage people like at least one of the 20 first graders shot multiple times at Sandy Hook and since I myself would do anything in my power to protect and shield children from danger like the heroic educators living and dead at Sandy Hook, I am putting a horse in this particular race.
It is important and fundamental that the N.R.A. be at the helm of protecting not only your right to bear arms but also the safety and well being of the citizenry that you bear arms for. Last year I attended one of your young hunters traiining classes with my son. He was trained in orienteering, archery and other hunting skills. He was also taught gun safety and the idea that guns, bullets, bows and arrows are tools to be used properly.
That educational wing of yor advocacy group not the legal wing need to be in the forefront in the weeks and months to come after this national tragedy which hopefully is not just another domino in the gun related tragedies of recent memory.
And when it comes to the legal wing, surely some concessions can be made for the saftety of all. If the N.R.A became known as a force for regulating gun use along side advocating the safe use of guns for recreation, by, provision for and protection of our loved ones this would go a long way into strenghting your image in the 21st century. The time for carrying a big stick will come, now is the time for walking softly.
Love,'
Dave
