Sentenced to Silence by Society — The Idea of Guns & Self Protection
The right of owning a gun, according to the Second Amendment, is seemingly controversial to many. The world is continuously being split up into two separate sides — the left and the right. One side is all for the Second Amendment, the other advocates for changing the Constitution completely. The left is commending to only allow guns to be used by the law enforcement but are also pushing to defund the police.
According to Samantha Raphelson in her article;
“A Harvard University analysis of figures from the National Crime Victimization Survey [showed that], people defended themselves with a gun in nearly 0.9 percent of crimes from 2007 to 2011.”
Raphelson also expresse[d] something Mike Weisser once said, a firearms instructor and author of the blog ‘Mike The Gun Guy.’ He says, “Many people who carry a gun aren’t properly trained to use it in [self defense ways]. Even if someone wanted to use a gun in self-defense, they probably wouldn’t be very successful.”
As a country, every day, we are constantly seeing news in the media about restricting guns and suppressing the second amendment. Yet, many are unaware of Czechoslovakia and their dynamic government. According to the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action), in their article;
“On July 13th [2020] the Czech government announced that it endorsed a plan to enshrine the right of individuals to use a firearm to defend themselves and others in the central European nation’s Constitution.”
Also according to the NRA-ILA, “Last September, 35 members of the Czech Senate introduced legislation to amend the Czech Constitution’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.”
The senators noted in a document that, “The current proposal… strengthens the fundamental rights of individuals. The proposal itself introduces a constitutional enshrinement of the right to defense with arms.” The item goes on to explain, “Given the importance of the right to life, which is the most basic right, because without life other human rights cannot be fulfilled, the proposal considers it appropriate to symbolically elevate this right to the constitutional level.”
Guns. This word strikes many people with a multitude of different emotions. The first one being fear. The second one, associating guns with violence. The third, many people are simply misunderstood. Like the St. Louis couple who were charged with a felony for pulling guns at protesters in front of their mansion, they were also misunderstood.
Within Jim Salter’s article;
Not even halfway through his article, he writes, “Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who are white, are both personal injury attorneys in their 60s.” We are already beginning an article with racial disparities. Proving that in most media, the main focus is on race.
In the image, both Mark and Patricia McCloskey can be seen holding two guns in protection of their $1.5 million home in the Central West End of St. Louis.
The circuit Attorney Kim Gardner expressed that, “It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner — that is unlawful in the city of St. Louis.” She also suggested that both Mark and Patricia should attend a, “Diversion program such as community service rather than jail time.”
A diversion program is simply a fancy word for a rehabilitation program. It’s unfortunate that both Mark and Patricia will have to attend this program to help ‘remedy their behavior’ when all they had done was protect their home in a calming manner.
According to the McCloskey’s, Salter continues to express that they, “Support the First Amendment right of every citizen to have their voice and opinion heard. [Although,] this right, however, must be balanced with the Second Amendment and Missouri law, which entitle each of us to protect our home and family from potential threats.”
Despite the controversy, if the left side has the right to protest for what they believe in, the right side should be able to as well. In January of this year, according to Gregory S. Schneider, Laura Vozzella, Michael E. Miller, Patricia Sullivan and Hannah Natanson, in their article;
“[In Richmond Virginia] Thousands of gun-rights advocates packed the streets around the Virginia Capitol on Monday, bristling with weapons, flags and threats of insurrection but never erupting into the violence authorities had feared.”
Schneider, Vozzella, Miller, Sullivan, and Natanson continue to express that, “Protesters without firearms filed through 17 metal detectors at a single entrance to Capitol Square, where about 6,000 people cheered fiery speeches on the Second Amendment.”
According to Brian Doherty in his article;
“[Many students around the country participated in a walk out in support of the Second Amendment called ‘Stand for the Second’ in] response to the March 14th, 2018 National School Walkout in support of gun control.”
Now, in 2020, it is much more difficult to advocate for what we believe in, if you do not follow the herd mentality and or agree with the media, because everyone will badger you. Some may even become fired from their jobs like Chelsy Zelasko who was fired from her job over her political beliefs.
According to Lia Eustachewich, in her article;
“[Chelsy Zelasko had posed semi-nude photos] with American flags and guns and was fired from her job as a private school teacher.”
Also acording to Eustachewich, “Chelsy Zelasko filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the Grove School in [Madison] Connecticut, saying she lost her teaching job after parents found out about the racy photoshoot and complained.”
Zelasko also states that the photos were meant to, “Encourage others to get out and vote.”
The photos were posted on a website by the name of Better Than The Weekend and featured, “Six photos of the 27-year-old in the buff, some with her draped in the American flag, others with her holding assault rifles, and an interview in which she voices support for Trump.”
She also expresses her opinions about Trump and says, “He’s going to create jobs for the middle, working class by eliminating the ability to outsource jobs to other countries,” she said. “He’s going to protect the Second Amendment. He’s going to protect my right to keep automatic weapons.”
Unfortunately, Zelasko was fired as her freedom of expression was not accepted at the Grove School.
We see another story of someone being fired for their beliefs and even for saving someone’s life in Peter Holley’s article;
According to Holley, “Didarul Sarder lost his job for pulling a gun to rescue a woman who was being stabbed to death, but he never regretted his split-second decision.”
Sarder told the Fox affiliate WJBK that, he would, “Do it all over again [I chose to] save this woman’s life over a job. I can get another job.”
Fortunately for him, Holley expressed that, “The 32-year-old has been offered his job back after his bosses at a General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich., reversed their unpopular decision, allowing the valet service supervisor to return to work.”
This decision was praised by Warren Mayor Jim Fouts, who called Sarder a “hero” and noted that Sarder had, “A valid concealed pistol license and ‘probably saved’ a ‘woman from being murdered.’”
Warren Major Jim Fouts also states that, “Had he not legally exercised his second amendment rights this woman would probably not be with us today.”
The idea of Guns and Self Protection is sadly misinterpreted by many. When some advocate for the Second Amendment, they are not only ambushed by individuals on the left, but are sentenced to silence by society.
What can we do to fix this? How can we allow people to speak their minds and have separate opinions without destruction being caused for our differences?
