Hi all,
This is a totally random rant about potentially offensive new gun control policies. I will usually restrict my commentaries to less touchy subjects.
I recently read an article about gun control on Facebook that was put out by WesternJournalism.com. I'm not entirely crazy about guns, but I believe that any stable, law-abiding American citizen deserves to own one, if they choose. I believe that there should be restrictions, within reason. It may be good to have certain "red flag" circumstances universally accepted. For instance, If someone wants to buy a whole stockpile of weapons, all in one day, that should raise a red flag. I think there should be a limit on the number and types of weapons that can be purchased in single day, month, and calendar year, but with no restrictions on ammo. (Just a side note, here... Has anyone noticed how difficult it is find ammo? I've heard numerous complaints about that.) I think that people should always take a gun safety course before purchasing a weapon. These are undoubtedly unpopular opinions in certain circles. I don't care. Their should be at least some limits in place to discourage dangerous individuals from purchasing weapons. Of course, that does nothing to stem the tide of illegally obtained weapons. But, those types of weapons are an entirely separate issue. Here, I'm only talking about obtaining a gun, legally, from a reputable gun store, and the strange new gun control policies that are being implemented to monitor the process.
I'm not one to make everything about race, quite the opposite. Some people think that race is the motivation for everything that happens, everywhere. This annoys me. Not every situation is worthy of playing the race card. In this case, it's the government that is playing a race card. I'm just calling them on it, so, don't shoot the messenger. This seems to me, to be the most racially divided administration we've ever had. Instead of bringing different groups together, this administration is tearing them apart. Here is a perfect example of this administrations racially divisive policies. There is a new law that the government has devised, which requires you to state your race and ethnicity on the forms that must be filled out when you legally purchase a gun from a reputable store. African-American, caucasian, hispanic, non-hispanic, Native American, or a pacific islander, those are generally your choices your choices on forms like these. Race and ethnicity are two different things, apparently, and require different boxes. I fail to understand exactly how they differ, but, for legal purposes, they do. And, it IS a legal issue, since, if these forms are not filled out completely, and correctly, there can be legal consequences. The store owner could be investigated, fined, invaded and searched, simply for not filling out these forms. He could even go to jail for non-compliance, and his business can be shut down. That response seems a bit harsh, since, the forms are time consuming, and confusing, even for customers and store owners who have the best intentions of filling them out correctly.
At face value, for many people, this would not be a problem. They would just check a box and move on. Not me, obviously, hence the rant. The main question for me is, why does the government care? Why would the powers that be, invest so much money, time, and manpower, into the practice of racially categorizing gun owners? Why should your race and ethnicity be important when you buy a gun? If I've never been arrested, or had any criminal convictions, and suffer from no psychological instability, what difference does my skin color make? How does it factor into their judgment of whether or not I should be allowed to own a firearm, as is my constitutionally guaranteed right?
The choices on the form itself are a problem for me, too. It's one of those ridiculous "choose one race only" types of forms. What box do people of mixed heritage check? Having delved into the depths of my genealogy, I know that there is more to my story than meets the eye. I'm white as a cotton ball, but my 7th great grandparents were African American slaves. I also have some Native American heritage from my 9th great grandmother, among others. I traced another branch of my lineage all the way back King David, which certainly helped to explain some of my physical traits. I am also Irish, which my grandfather told me, negates everything else that I might be. I'm a Mayflower descendant, and therefore, the latest addition in a long line of pasty white British people. So, I'd say that I'm as mixed as people come. I know that when most people look at me, they will never see me as anything other than white, but, I feel conflicted when I look in the mirror. I see very dark unruly hair framing pale skin, heavy eyebrows and arm hair, noticeable posterior curves, small narrow eyes, high cheekbones, and a nose that makes some people automatically assume that I'm Jewish. None of these things are bad, mind you, though they seem like a somewhat incongruous set of physical traits. Never the less, I like myself just the way I am. (Ok, I wouldn't mind dropping a few pounds, and losing some of the hair! Other than that, I'm good.) When I look in the mirror, I see a diverse history smiling back at me. What would the government see, if they looked at me? How would they categorize me? And, why should I be forced to choose one box over another?
What is the government hoping to discover on this fact finding mission? Do they have a certain profile in mind? Would I fit the profile? Maybe the government intends to target middle-easterners, or people who are part of a terrorist organization, etc. No, they don't. Apparently, they don't ask you about any of that. They don't care if you're a member of the islamic brotherhood, or any other organization that is hostile to the United States. All they want to know, is: are you African-American, caucasian, hispanic, non-hispanic, Native American, or a pacific islander? What on earth would they do with that information? I don't know if I'd ever want to own a gun, (not a big fan of loud noises) but I'd love to go into a gun store and fill out the form, just so I can check off ALL the boxes. I'm not even sure why these stupid boxes get my blood boiling, but they do. I guess, I simply object to being crammed into a box. That, and it makes me wonder, after they unceremoniously stuff me into a box, what then?
Thanks for reading! I welcome all constructive criticisms and appropriate comments. Keep the comments clean, please; profanity will be deleted.
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