Lobbies are the greatest danger to American democracy. They eliminate the importance of casting ballots by the majority of Americans. Legislators who owe their allegiance to contributions from big business will always fail to represent the electorate. One lobby well-known by the American people is the gun lobby which calls itself the National Rifle Association.

Once the prime advocate for gun safety and responsible gun ownership, the NRA virtually disbanded in 1976 and became a proponent for gun manufacturers and gun sellers. It has misled the uninformed for decades by suggesting that clear thinking Americans would repeal the second amendment; nothing could be further from the truth.

What intelligent and thoughtful Americans believe is that the safety of the American people must be the priority, and excessive profits for the gun industry be disregarded.

The Republican Party has ruled its supporters through fear tactics for the last 15 years. It supports the NRA and has proffered the falsehood that owning a gun is mandatory to protect homes and families.

The right to purchase a gun will never be repealed, but those who choose to own a lethal weapon must meet reasonable requirements. Background checks aid in assuring innocent people that the mentally challenged and those who have committed violent actions against others cannot purchase a weapon of mass destruction. These background checks must accompany ALL gun purchases.

Certain types of weapons should not be available to the average citizen. Assault rifles and high-output magazines were designed for use by the military. No one, with the exception of our men and women in uniform and law enforcement should have access to these WMD’s which have the capability of murdering dozens of individuals in a few seconds.

Hillary Clinton has made a promise to the American people that she will battle the NRA when she becomes the President of the United States.

“I am not here to make promises I can’t keep,” Clinton told the standing-room-only crowd at the Wilson-Gray YMCA in Hartford. “I’m here to tell you I will use every single minute of every day” looking for solutions to “change the gun culture. It’s just too easy for people to reach for a gun to settle their problems. It makes no sense.”

Secretary Clinton is 100 percent correct. Psychologists have proven that if a gun was not readily available when instances of anger occur, many of the 33,000 deaths per year caused by gun use would not have happened.

Our society has devolved into a nation filled with fear, anger, and hatred. Gone are the positive qualities of compassion, tolerance, and understanding. America can only become great once again if our people return to the principles of our founding fathers. We must reject politicians and religious extremists who preach hatred towards our fellow man, and thereby incite violent action.

The American people must reject those who hide behind ‘uniforms’ and spread negative emotional response. Politicians who wear an “R” on their clothing, and those who display the brand of “Christian” are not always representative of the label “American.” Politicians seek office for their own personal ambitions; frequently hiding behind the ‘Christian’ brand, when in fact they do not believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Owning a gun should be a privilege for many and not a right. Far too many innocent women and children lose their lives each year at the hands of an individual who legally purchased the gun that killed them.

America must embrace common sense and ignore the weakness of emotion if it is to survive and become great once again.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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