By Shari Spivack
New Jersey –-(Ammoland.com)- In response to the proposed 43 new restrictive gun laws in NJ – a state that already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
I was born and raised in Connecticut and moved to NJ over a decade ago to raise my children.
I am a social worker by training and a supporter of the Second Amendment.
When a tragedy hits your home state, even when you are far away and your children are safe – it hits hard. I cried for the parents, for the community, for the precious lives lost.
Like all parents, I want to shield my children from harm; I want to protect them from danger. I am ultimately responsible for all aspects of their health and well-being. I take my job seriously and I would not ask anyone else to do what I am not willing to do myself. Meaning like most parents, I would not think twice about positioning myself between danger and my children.
Years ago, long before I started my family, I was held up on the streets of Queens, NY in broad daylight. I was approached by a man who indicated his intent and then reached for my handbag. Incredulous that this was happening I pulled away from his reach. Thinking back, this was perhaps not the best choice because nothing is more precious than life, but in that bag was a favorite photo of my deceased grandfather, and in those days there were no backup copies at home on the computer. What happened next was that the man pulled his other hand out of his jacket pocket and showed me a gun. This time he didn’t need to reach for my handbag, he merely held out his empty hand and waited for me to hand my bag over to him. The unspoken message was that the presence of the gun in his hand gave him the balance of power in the situation.
Banning guns from law abiding citizens will not take this power away from a criminal intent on evil deeds.
The definition of a criminal is someone who does NOT follow laws. However the power of the perpetrated individual IS greatly diminished by enacting laws that take tools of self-defense away from law abiding members of society. Criminals are keenly aware when potential victims are defenseless; therefore enacting restrictive gun laws, only increases the balance of power in the criminals favor. Imagine if this did not occur in New York, but rather in a part of the country where it was very likely that anyone on the street that day could have been carrying a gun as well. How brazen would the mugger have been then?
There are many tragedies that occur every day, some involve guns and many do not. You cannot ban evil. I challenge our elected representatives to concentrate on how to better address the sad state of mental healthcare in the country. Turn the focus to the source of the problem. Guns are tools that are only used for evil when they are in the hands of someone with intent. And someone with intent will find the tools no matter what laws are in place.
Shari Spivack