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We indicated earlier how heartening it is to be establishing a community and how we have been experiencing an increase in reader feedback and interaction.

The tragic Charleston, South Carolina shooting was on June 17.  On June 18, 32963, our local newsweekly, published a full page ad, on page 53 page, for “The New NRA ™ Revolver, “Built on a Fully-Functional Ruger .44 Magnum; 24 KT plated;” with only 100 being made for Florida. “Limited Quantities / Reserve Yours Now! / 1-877-887-4867.”

After seeing the ad, we emailed a few of our readers to see what they thought about the timing of the add, and the add in general.  Here is the reader interaction:

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

The estimated total number of firearms available to civilians in the U.S. is approximately 310 million: 114 million handguns, 110 million rifles, and 86 million shotguns.

Some militia!”

“And your point is?”

“My point is that there are too many guns in absolute terms, and too many in particular, that is, in the hands of the irresponsible, the nut cases, and wannabe Navy Seals, Marines, or Soldiers. At a minimum, there should be a national registry of handguns especially, but the NRA has Americans fearful that their Second Amendment rights will be taken away. It wasn’t too many years ago when the NRA believed in a national registry. The only thing that’s changed is that the gun manufacturers lobby promulgates this fear in order to sell more guns.”

“Man through the ages has tried to figure out why evil is and how to stop it – and that search will never end. The crazy guy in Charleston could have rolled a homemade bomb into the church and done the same damage. Other factors like physician confidentiality (airplane pilot flies plane into mountain side) and difficulties in forced admittance to psych wards and others have made it harder to isolate and stop crazy, evil people from hurting others and themselves.

Deciding who gets what guns in this country puts too much power into the hands of the corruptible and those seeking power over us all. It only takes one gun in the hands of a nut to kill people – who is to say how many is too many…you?

Statistics clearly show nationally and internationally, wherever there are gun control restrictions, murder rates are highest. Detroit and DC come to mind. Second Amendment rights cannot and should not be changed or taken away. There are other solutions. Penalties could be increased for murders that result from the deadly use of weapons. I assure you the number of murders would decrease.

It is certainly the right of gun manufacturers to sell more guns, just as car manufacturers have the right to sell more cars, along with producers of liquor and drugs, all of whom have the right to advertise as capitalists to increase sales.
Temperate and proper use of each of these products originates in core values and education that among other things, teaches right from wrong. Both of these standards are largely missing not only from the murder capitals of the world, but all too often in other communities as well.

We have a certain number of sick people in our society and always will. Add to that the rampant use of drugs and absence of a moral compass and you have a recipe that further enables the nut cases to inflict their evil upon civil society.

One would hope to assess the solutions with a balanced perspective which would include considering the consequences of proposals that would incrementally disarm our police and military. Let’s see how long we have to wait for those politicians who are pedaling gun control to relinquish their use of body guards and high security protection.”

“This conversation could go on and on, as it has for years. At least this particular one has been civilized. As Rudyard Kipling wrote, “East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.” As a former Marine, I learned many things, but the one item that stands out is: bullets put holes in all kinds of things.”

“I think if we took this discussion over to a public arena we would all get a lot more out of it. These are all great points. I’d trust a random fellow out on the street before I’d trust a politician.

If High School academics can generate 10,000 Facebook impressions, 5,000 web hits etc. what do you think this very discussion can do?”

“Please accept my respect and my thanks to you, and all veterans including those on this email thread for your service to our country. I thank you all for the civil discourse as concerned citizens who want only to increase the safety, security and protection of fellow citizens. This includes the freedom we are blessed with due to the founders and fighters who laid the foundation for us.
Sending a hardy HAPPY FATHER’S DAY wish.”

Our only comment: “Yes, what an unexpected and terrific civil discourse.”