What do you think about the Second Amendment? Do you think the Sandy Hook crowd should have heckled?

[Cafe Steph]

Sandy Hook Dad Heckled By Gun Lovers & They Should Be Ashamed

Posted by Kiri Blakeley on January 29, 2013 

A father who lost his 6-year-old son in the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was actually heckled by gun advocates. Heckled! How on earth do you dredge up enough yuck from your soul to be able to heckle a guy who lost his child in the most horrific manner possible? Well, some gun lovers managed. Because they love their guns more than their humanity. When Neil Heslin, who lost his son Jesse in the Newtown killings, testified before a local hearing on gun control, he asked a simple, reasonable question: WHY does anyone need an assault rifle? You'd think gun lovers would have a good answer for this. You'd think they would have researched, prepared, passionately and intelligently reasoned for why assault weapons are a necessary thing for your average person. But instead they heckled.

So what did they heckle? When Neil asked why people need assault weapons, the brilliant (sarcasm) gun enthusiasts yelled, "Second Amendment! Second Amendment!" drowning out the devastated dad.

Neil stayed classy and replied: "We're all entitled to our own opinions and I respect their opinions and their thoughts. But I wish they'd respect mine and give it a little bit of thought."

I don't expect Second Amendment buffs to be able to think rationally or critically about this matter, but here's the truth. Amendments get altered, changed, even repealed. Just because it's an amendment doesn't make it sacred. Let's see ... ever hear of the 16th Amendment? That allows the government to collect income tax. But guess what? There are seven states that don't collect income tax! Shocker.

Ever hear of the 18th Amendment? That abolishes the sale of alcohol. But lo! That unpopular Amendment was repealed entirely by something called the 21st Amendment.

There's the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment." Yet I'm willing to bet a lot of these Second Amendment lovers are just fine with strapping someone down and administering a lethal injection into their veins. The 15th Amendment established suffrage for men of different races. But conveniently left out women. That didn't happen for another 50 years.

Additionally, other Amendments, such as the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, isn't a sweeping, anything-goes, black-and-white rule. You can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded place when there's no fire just because you have freedom of speech. Try yelling "Bomb!" on a plane and then standing behind the First Amendment. It won't get you very far.

So an Amendment is not sacred, my friends. The right to bear arms doesn't necessarily mean the right to bear an AK-47 any more than it means you can stock a nuclear weapon or a cannon. Deal with it.

What do you think about the Second Amendment? Do you think the crowd should have heckled?

[zinniadaisy]

I think the measures proposed by our President, which are mainly enforcing the gun laws already on the books, and trying to find a permanent director of the ATF so firearms CAN be policed effectively, are NOT going to bring an end to the 2nd amendment, which, to put things in context, was written at a time when the US had no standing army and they did rely on citizens to act in those roles.

I am a gun owner and I'm aware  I'll still have access to my fire arm I have to defend my home.   I think there should be a ban on assault weapons for the general public - those firearms were developed for military use, not so my crazy uncle in the backwoods of East Texas can establish his arsenal in case the 'feds come a knockin' (true story)...

I also think that anyone trying to make a legitimate point in an argument, loses that argument when they act like an asshole like these people did by interrupting this father while he was making his statements.

[areyouatroll]

I believe its 96% of gun relates crimes are committed with hand guns..if anything, handguns should be outlawed. Or they are trying for 10 rounds, nothing over ten....but you are only allowed to hunt with three so shouldn't we limit it to three? What would someone need ten for then...?

Also, the 2nd amendment was made so that the people can protect themselves from big government. The first step to take over a country, is to disarm the citizens.

It's a slippery slope my friend. a lot of anti 'assault rifle' people say, if it can save just a few lives...but what about freedom of speech? Tons of people have been killed because of freedom of speech. People argue, get upset, things escalate....if you could save just a few lives, then should we limit freedom of speech too?

Quoting MomofHDFandNWF:

No, the grieving father should not have been heckled at.... that should go with out saying!

After all of this happened, I asked my DH (because - I will admit - I know NOTHING about guns) "Hun, what can you tell me about an AR-15?"  He said "Well, what do you wan to know?"  I understand the 2nd amendment and I understand the right to own guns, and I am not trying to take away the 2nd amendment rights of anyone, really I am not. 

But, can anyone without going "anon" and without hollering about "it's my right" explain to me why the heck you need an assault rifle in your possession?  I am having a hard time "listening " to the rantings of gun enthusiasts who are insistent on keeping their assault rifles, when there are plenty of other guns out there.

I also agree that there needs to be better background checks done on people buying guns.  Do you realize out of the 61 mass murders that were carried out with fire arms most of the killers obtained the weapon legally?  We, as a noation, need to come up with a better way to screen those that are buying this weapons and then maybe killing like this will start to slow down.  But, where there is a will, there is a way; and as sure as I am sitting here, people will continue to find ways to kill if they really feel "justified" or feel "the need" to do so.

[TheLadyAmalthea]

That is just disrespectful. I believe in the right to have guns, but what these people did is just sick.

[areyouatroll]

I agree with your last paragraph. The rest I disagree with.

Quoting zinniadaisy:

I think the measures proposed by our President, which are mainly enforcing the gun laws already on the books, and trying to find a permanent director of the ATF so firearms CAN be policed effectively, are NOT going to bring an end to the 2nd amendment, which, to put things in context, was written at a time when the US had no standing army and they did rely on citizens to act in those roles.

I am a gun owner and I'm aware  I'll still have access to my fire arm I have to defend my home.   I think there should be a ban on assault weapons for the general public - those firearms were developed for military use, not so my crazy uncle in the backwoods of East Texas can establish his arsenal in case the 'feds come a knockin' (true story)...

I also think that anyone trying to make a legitimate point in an argument, loses that argument when they act like an asshole like these people did by interrupting this father while he was making his statements.

[Anonymous]

Bet they were a bunch of DUMBASSES who thought the shooting was fake. They probably didn't feel the need to take into consideration the fact that the man lost his son, but felt that it doesn't matter because it "didn't happen".

[jtsmommie0104]

This man should not have been harrassed by anyone after the lost of his son, that's tacky and heartless.

Most shootings are with hand guns, 9mm or a 22 easy to get off the streets. Someone is more likely to grab a hand gun to shoot someone then an AR.

I have shot with AR's 9mms, .22cals and some people play tennis, some people play chess, I grew up shooting with my dad and I have the right to do so.  Laws on obtaining may need to change so that it is more extensive however.

[Deanna155]

The heckling is disgusting!  What happened at Sandy Hook was unspeakable, and my heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families and friends.  No one should say anything cruel to those who are suffering; it is wrong on so many levels!

The problem with gun control, is that the only people who will obey the laws are law-abiding citizens.  Criminals will not register their guns or give them up.  

Taking away assault weapons will not solve the problem.  Having a high-capacity magazine can be helpful to someone who needs to defend herself and her children against multiple attackers (i.e., home invasion by a group of ill-intentioned men).  It happens- and stricter gun laws will only make that problem worse.

I think that the problem of mass violence goes deeper than just having guns available for use.  The glorification of violence in our society (movies, music, etc.) is, I think, a large part of the problem.  Violence will never go away entirely; but if an unstable person has been inundated with blood-and-guts entertainment his whole life, then he will be more likely to do harm to himself and/or others.  That person will not need a gun to cause problems- there are many ways to hurt and kill.

[Anonymous]

Here is the thing, an assult rifle is no different then the long guns they are allowing other then pure cosmetics. I personally have no need for a rifle or gun in general, it is just how asinine these proposals are that make me want them fought. They have already tried this shit and it did nothing. Some areas, it made situations worse. But I will point out that the specifically mentioned amendments are to allow certain things. The state tax, those states have a balanced budget so they do not collect but if they need to the option is there so crappy selling point on changing the amendments. The alcohol prohibition stuff, see what happens when you forbid citizens... it doesn't work, so another crappy selling point, that coming from somone who hates that we are so freely allowed to drink alcohol. You'd think the author of this could have done better but she sounds just as ignorant as the hecklers. Id like someone who is actually familiar with guns, and better yet these tragedies to tell me what is so bad about "assault rifles" (because that is just a fancy name concocted to get people on the side of pointlessly banning them.) Its so pointless, and all this damn gun demonizing only takes the attention away from the REAL problems. As cliche as it might be, it is a brilliant point as to how stupid this all is, we next need to go after silverware and enhanced cars.

[Wonderwoman1432]

Give me a solid reason why the majority of law abiding citezins should be punished for the actions of a few nut bags? That is collectivism and it isn't fair we face great danger if guns are banned. Feinstein has said multiple times that she plans to ban "all guns". First they ban a few guns here and there turning law abiding citezins into criminals then they ban some more and before you know it the American public has no means to protect themselves. Assault riffles are meant to defend us against tyranny. Guess who's being invaded by the Chinese??? We are. China just bought an oil plant in Texas, next they will have. Military base...and next who knows... 

Quoting lnrmom:

No they should not have heckled and any time gun advocates start hollering "because it's fun" or "2nd Ammendment" I shut down completely. Give me a solid reason why someone would need a magazine of 100? I mean seriously?

[Anonymous]

Exactly. That and most gun violence is done by those who are already criminals (aka, the ones who don't care about laws and wont care about these laws, aka the ones that people may need to defend themselfs from one day.) Look at the numbers, everyone acts like the sandy hook case is a typical and it is not, those cases only put a fraction of those numbers in the system AND in most of those cases, these new measures would not have done a damn thing.

Quoting jtsmommie0104:

This man should not have been harrassed by anyone after the lost of his son, that's tacky and heartless.

Most shootings are with hand guns, 9mm or a 22 easy to get off the streets. Someone is more likely to grab a hand gun to shoot someone then an AR.

I have shot with AR's 9mms, .22cals and some people play tennis, some people play chess, I grew up shooting with my dad and I have the right to do so.  Laws on obtaining may need to change so that it is more extensive however.