Firearms Mistruths, Glocks & Slushies

Firearms Mistruths, Glocks & Slushies
By Shari Spivack

New Jersey –-(Ammoland.com)- Last week I took my 13 year old son to the range with me.

On the way home, after the guns were safely unloaded and appropriately locked in the trunk of our car, he was thanking me for taking him shooting and wanted to stop on the way home for a Slushie.

I told him no, we had to go directly home because that is the law in New Jersey.

Even though this wasn’t the first time I told him we would have to come straight home from the range, I realized how silly it must sound to him. Of course, I would love to stop and buy him a Slushie on the way home. I teach my children to follow the rules and to be law abiding citizens and contributors to society, but usually the rules make sense. Even if this is not always the case, usually there is a rhyme and a reason and often a lesson to be learned.

But how can I explain that the State of New Jersey has “granted” me a Firearms ID card so I can own a gun, and allows me to teach my son to shoot, but does not trust me to sit in my car in the Quick Chek parking lot for five minutes with the unloaded guns locked in the truck while he buys his Slushie.

It got me thinking about how there are so many firearms mistruths out there and how it affects people who have no knowledge of firearms. The public can be unknowingly controlled by the information disseminated by the media as they often neglect to provide the full picture. Of course this is nothing new, but to see intelligent people, buying into these mistruths is very disheartening.

Once a person actually starts talking about the issues, you can see that they are not as convinced in the safety net of “gun control” as they were lead to believe. I see it among my own friends, even those who have come shooting with me and enjoyed it. They tell me they still believe the answer to preventing crime lies in gun control – then they turn to me and it comes out that they do not know exactly what that means and want to know what my opinion is.

Shortly after the shooting in Arizona, there was a focus on Glocks in the media. I was blogging at the time and I saw the cover article in Bloomberg Businessweek was titled “The Killing Machine” (January 2011). The article detailed the history of the Glock and was a teaser for a book due out in 2012 about Gaston Glock and his invention. After reading the article, I saw that this was another example of firearms misinformation, a glaring title focusing on the Glock as an evil machine and the high capacity magazine as the real killer instead of the true killer, the one behind the gun. So I shared a bit in my blog about how I felt about my Glock.

The author states that Glocks are the favorites of U.S. cops, Second amendment enthusiasts and psychopaths.

My first thought when reading this was – really? Where would someone like me fit into that? U.S. cop – well, maybe in another life. Second amendment enthusiast – okay, but that is not why I bought my Glock. Psychopath? I won’t even go there. Where does a suburban soccer mom, PTA volunteer and NRA pistol instructor (indeed I did take the class) who likes to shoot for fun and own a firearm for self defense fit in? Why would it be important for a legally abiding citizen to fit into a predetermined box when choosing to purchase a firearm and certainly a particular brand of firearm? And further, what does an article like this say to its readers about their fellow citizens who are purchasing Glocks (and other firearms as well because to the non-initiated, what’s a Glock beyond a black gun?)

The article itself is not really disparaging to Glocks in particular and probably just offers more publicity for an already well purchased firearm. If you read the article closely, the author does not outright hold guns themselves responsible for the crimes in which they are used, however it is easy to take away that Glock began the semi automatic revolution which made crimes more prolific and devastating.

What bothered me most was what it implies about people who buy guns in general and what this type of press does to undermine the basic right all US citizens have to keep and bear arms. When I considered buying my first gun I was at a loss. As a new shooter I was confronted with so many choices and opinions – what would work best for me? The advice I got for purchasing my first, and at the time –only – firearm was to choose something semi automatic and that I would not be disappointed with the Glock 19. And having tried a few handguns since, my Glock still tops the list.

The lightweight polymer frame fits my small hand nicely. The 5.5 lb trigger pull works for me. The Glock is easy to take apart and clean – four parts total. And actually to break it down even further and clean the firing pin is a piece of cake. I am fairly obsessive about cleaning after shooting, but I understand, with a Glock this is hardly necessary. The Glock turns out to be a pretty good choice for someone like me – someone who is not a cop and is not buying a gun for anything but legal use.

So I guess, according to this article you can group me together with the cops and second amendment enthusiasts if you like, (but not the psychopaths please) because I favor my Glock. But keep in mind what press like this says about firearms owners in general. Especially what a sensational article like this leaves out about firearms owners, for example – a number you probably didn’t hear reported the week of the Tucsan shooting – 84,999,987 gun owners didn’t kill anyone that week! (shootingdivas on facebook)

If you come from the assumption that the state is trying to protect its residents in some way with it is firearms laws, then making that point adds what should be the basis for reasonable access to firearms purchasing and transporting/carrying. A law taking this statistic into account might make more sense to a 13 year old and make it perfectly fine to stop for a Slushie or anyplace else on the way home from the range.

Responsible citizens should not be denied the right to keep and bear arms (with all the rights that inherently go along with it) and without any distinction beyond what is afforded to us in the US constitution.

About:
New Jersey Second Amendment Society – Our mission is to promote the free exercise of Second Amendment rights within the community and Legislature of New Jersey, to educate the community regarding the enjoyable, safe, and responsible use of firearms, and to engender a sense of camaraderie and fellowship among the members and their families. Visit: www.nj2as.com