I have to thank Sean Sorrentino of An NC Gun Blog* for pointing out this opinion article from one Kasie Strickland in the Pickens, SC Sentinel.

Typically, we do not re-post entire editorials from other media organizations, but I have a real concern that if we don’t post the entire article today that it may very well be deleted out of embarrassment tomorrow.

As you read, this, please keep in mind that this person not only votes, but that someone in a higher editorial position thought that this opinion was worth sharing.

No one is coming for your guns … yet

I’m sure I lost a lot of readers right off the bat with my headline, but for those of you who are willing to hear me out (and if you are still reading I am going to assume that you are), let me explain my position to you.

Gun control is an absolute joke in this country. Background checks are all well and good, but if you can turn around and sell the gun to your neighbor without one, they’re utterly pointless. Assault weapons being sold to the general public is ridiculous. Nobody needs an AR15 to shoot a deer. And this whole open carry movement just terrifies me.

It seems to me that while some people are so adamant about their Second Amendment rights, they’ve forgotten all about my First Amendment ones — specifically my right to life. Sorry, that should trump your “right” to sling a semi-automatic weapon over your shoulder and sit in the booth next me at a restaurant.

Gun control is a political platform utilized by both parties to pander to the masses and garner votes. It sickens me that human lives are the cost of winning an election nowadays.

Because this is a column, inherently an opinion piece, I’m not going to pull out a bunch of stats and quotes to support my cause (although they are abundant.) But there is one that I can’t let go. The majority of people I talk to seem to think that President Obama is “out to get your guns” when in reality, the first Bush administration had stricter gun laws.

In fact, two of the most critical gun control measures that ever passed took place in the 1990s: 1993’s Brady Bill and 1994’s Assault Weapons Ban — both passed by a Republican president (George H.W. Bush) with the help of strong vocal support by former President Reagan.

The reality is that our forefathers in 1791 had no idea about the weapons technology we would have in the future. The notion that the constitution is static is absurd. This is why they are called “amendments” so that they can be amended to keep up with the times.

Mass shootings have almost become common place in today’s media, and every time one happens the same rhetoric is replayed: “Now is a time of mourning, and not an appropriate time to discuss gun control.”

So, my question is: when is the appropriate time? When do we as a society decide to finally catch up with the rest of the modern world and say enough? What exactly are you defending with your “well regulated militia?” Because I guarantee that whatever you may have in your personal arsenal is a joke compared to what the most well funded military on the planet has to bring to the field.

As much as I would like to, I am not calling for the complete disarming of the American public. What I would like to see are some reasonable restrictions put into place.

For starters, registration. This seems obvious to me. When you sell your car, the registration of the car follows it from owner to owner — it should be no less for firearms. Licensing to own a gun would then logically follow. I don’t have a problem with hunting rifles or family heirloom pieces either.

I’m not overly fond of handguns, but I’ve learned to pick my battles. This “open carry” nonsense has to stop. Everyone wants to strap on a six shooter like Wyatt Earp, but they forget that the gunfight at the OK Corral took place because Earp was trying to enforce the town’s ordinance banning guns.

America, for all her technological advances, is in reality a very young nation. Perhaps in time, as our country grows in age and experience, we will finally see the error of our ways and begin to make amends. If we can only get through this rebellious teenager phase, we might even stand a chance.

I do feel slightly guilty for capturing all of Ms. Strickland’s opinion piece here, so to make up for that, I’ve posted my reply to Ms. Strickland in the comments of her post.

* I had fun doing a podcast with Sean several weeks ago, but forgot to pass along the link. If you’ve ever wondered what my southern drawl sounds like, here you go. I start yapping at about 14:30, and yes, I need a new mic.