Plate: Let's lay down our right to bear arms

[Pred]

Oh lord....

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Most days, it is not at all hard to feel proud to be an American. But on days such as this, it is very difficult.

The pain that the parents of the slain students feel hits deep into everyone's hearts. At the University of California, Los Angeles, students are talking about little else. It is not that they feel especially vulnerable because they are students at a major university, as is Virginia Tech, but because they are (to be blunt) citizens of High Noon America.

"High Noon" is a famous film. The 1952 Western told the story of a town marshal (played by the superstar actor Gary Cooper) who is forced to eliminate a gang of killers by himself. They are eventually gunned down.

The use of guns is often the American technique of choice for all kinds of conflict resolution. Our famous Constitution, about which many of us are generally so proud, enshrines -- along with the right to freedom of speech, press, religion and assembly -- the right to own guns. That's an apples and oranges list if there ever was one.

Not all of us are so proud and triumphant about the gun-guarantee clause. The right to free speech, press, religion and assembly and so on seem to be working well, but the gun part, not so much.

Let me explain. Some misguided people will focus on the fact that the 23-year-old student who killed his classmates and others at Virginia Tech was ethnically Korean. This is one of those observations that's 99.99 percent irrelevant. What are we to make of the fact that he is Korean? Ban Ki-moon is also Korean! Our brilliant new United Nations secretary general has not only never fired a gun, it looks like he may have just put together a peace formula for civil war-wracked Sudan -- a formula that escaped his predecessor.

So let's just disregard all the hoopla about the race of the student responsible for the slayings. These students were not killed by a Korean, they were killed by a 9 mm handgun and a .22-caliber handgun.

In the nineties, the Los Angeles Times courageously endorsed an all-but-complete ban on privately owned guns, in an effort to greatly reduce their availability. By the time the series of editorials had concluded, the newspaper had received more angry letters and fiery faxes from the well-armed U.S. gun lobby than on any other issue during my privileged six-year tenure as the newspaper's editorial page editor.

But the paper, by the way, also received more supportive letters than on any other issue about which it editorialized during that era. The common sense of ordinary citizens told them that whatever Americans were and are good for, carrying around guns like costume jewelry was not on our Mature List of Notable Cultural Accomplishments.

"Guns don't kill people," goes the gun lobby's absurd mantra. Far fewer guns in America would logically result in far fewer deaths from people pulling the trigger. The probability of the Virginia Tech gun massacre happening would have been greatly reduced if guns weren't so easily available to ordinary citizens.

Foreigners sometimes believe that celebrities in America are more often the targets of gun violence than the rest of us. Not true. Celebrity shootings just make better news stories, so perhaps they seem common. They're not. All of us are targets because with so many guns swishing around our culture, no one is immune -- not even us non-celebrities.

When the great pop composer and legendary member of the Beatles John Lennon was shot in 1980 in New York, many in the foreign press tabbed it a war on celebrities. Now, some in the media will declare a war on students or some-such. This is all misplaced. The correct target of our concern needs to be guns. America has more than it can possibly handle. How many can our society handle? My opinion is: as close to zero as possible.

Last month, I was robbed at 10 in the evening in the alley behind my home. As I was carrying groceries inside, a man with a gun approached me where my car was parked. The gun he carried featured one of those red-dot laser beams, which he pointed right at my head.

Because I'm anything but a James Bond type, I quickly complied with all of his requests. Perhaps because of my rapid response (it is called surrender), he chose not to shoot me; but he just as easily could have. What was to stop him?

This occurred in Beverly Hills, a low-crime area dotted with upscale boutiques, restaurants and businesses -- a city best known perhaps for its glamour and celebrity sightings.

Oh, and police tell me the armed robber definitely was not Korean. Not that I would have known one way or the other: Basically the only thing I saw or can remember was the gun, with the red dot, pointed right at my head.

A near-death experience does focus the mind. We need to get rid of our guns.

[knightRider]

who wrote that???

[Pred]

Tom Plate

Plate: Let's lay down our right to bear arms - CNN.com

[Mooseman684]

Who wrote this ANTI-Constitutional Rhetoric ?
Guns just don't go on a Killing spree, and by this Idiots reasoning, then the Gun should be arrested and charged with a crime, NOT the person using it.
Thats like saying because your car goes faster than the speed limit, then the car should be Ticketed, not the driver...Blaming an inanimate object is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of.
Outlaw Spoons...They make people Fat !
Outlaw Scalpels...They make Doctors kill people in surgery!
Outlaw Electricity...it electrocutes people!
Outlaw swimming pools...they drown people!
Outlaw Knives...They stab people!

S.O.S.....
Rich

[samuel]

It is my opinion this is another article placed in the paper to intimidate someone but if guns are societys way of dealing with violent crime why arent citizens allowed to carry them in all circumstances?The big story about being robbed by a gun with a lazer is wierd.Lazers are ment to make a gun easier to align with the target.Why would a bad guy use a lazer if he is close enough to recieve whatever he is getting in the robbery?My opinion:This is a bunch of bull s### samuel.

[CrazyIvan]

So let's just disregard all the hoopla about the race of the student responsible for the slayings. These students were not killed by a Korean, they were killed by a 9 mm handgun and a .22-caliber handgun.

This just made me chuckle. What a doofus....really peeved me off at the same time. How can you expect logic from such a fool?

This occurred in Beverly Hills, a low-crime area dotted with upscale boutiques, restaurants and businesses -- a city best known perhaps for its glamour and celebrity sightings.

HAHAHA! Maybe we ought to get rid of the "glamour" and "celebrities" and get back to the way of teaching respect, honor, courage and love to our societies children. Get rid of this superficial outlook on life where "NOW" is the most important. We ought to rid our society of this "The government will save me" mentality. What a bunch of bunk!

This guy is a complete moron. I have never heard such mindless blabber in my life. He should be slapped and deported to Norway, where he can live freely without guns on the street...and pay taxes out the nose and hope the govt will save him.

Why do people stay in this country if they don't believe in the foundation upon which it was built? Why must they try to turn us all into victims? What is with this pansy-azzed mentality that seems to have begun with my generation (mid-20's) and is only getting worse as time goes on? I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. When are they going to GROW A DAMMM PAIR?

[SilverRun]

I think someone should demand a copy of the police report for that alleged robbery.

[CrazyIvan]

I am writing a nice email to them in response to this editorial...let's let em have it, as professionally and righteously as possible!

[knightRider]

I emailed him a nasty letter

i put
p.s. this has nothing to do to this article but that tie is gay.

did anyone see his picture its dripping with left wing ooze

[CrazyIvan]

Sometimes I am ashamed to be a registered Democrat

Here is my response:

Our country was founded by patriots and militia who were private citizens and owned guns. Our INDEPENDENCE was WON by these people. We have averted invasion by other world superpowers in the last century because the fact that the US people are armed scared them into believing they would never be able to overtake us.

If we give up our right to own weapons privately, are we willing to give all of that up as well? Are we willing to abandon the foundations upon which this country was built? Are we willing to abandon our right to free press, religion and beliefs? Are we willing to abandon our Independence?

Our country has a strong military, but even with such strength, it can not protect us from everything, as was shown to us by 9/11, Katrina, 1993 Oklahoma City bombings and so many others. I find it insulting on behalf of young people my age who have been fed this kind of idea in hopes to further the agenda of people such as this. The fact that such a tragedy as that of Columbine, here in Denver, where I live or the Virginia Tech shooting is being used to further the POLITICAL agenda of people such as this HORRID and DISGUSTING.

This man should be ashamed of himself for bequeathing such a blasphemy. This editorial goes against everything this nation stands for, everything we have faught for, and against everything by which we have protected ourselves the last 300 years.

Does this man love the United States? Is he glad to be here? Does he feel that the United States is the strongest country on the planet? If so, why does he want to change it? If not, why not move to somewhere like Norway where he can pay taxes out the nose and be in a legally gun-free environment?

People like him should be redesignated to other countries, PURE TRAITOR to our country he is!

He should wake up from his "Beverly Hills" mentality where "NOW" is the most important thing. He needs to abandon his idea that everyone is rich, famous and that Hollywood is the only voice in America. We need to get back to teaching our children love, compassion, mercy, honor, courage and righteousness. This is the way to lowering crime rates. Removing the tools of crime is not a solution to the problem. You can take morphine to make you feel better if you break your leg, but your leg IS STILL BROKEN. Treat the problem, not the symptoms!

Put a gun on a counter and tell it to kill someone, IT DOESN'T GROW LEGS AND ATTACK...without guns, criminals would revert to explosives, knives, swords, bats, cars, slingshots even. You can not make an evil person good by removing the tools of their actions. There will always be more tools.

I hope this man issues an apology for what he has written here today. Though he won't, just know that his feelings on this subject in no way reflect what most Americans feel.

[toolman]

I replied to Nugent's letter-I doubt if the Plates of the world are actually capable of understanding what self-defense and the 2nd Ammendment are all about.

[BattleRifleG3]

The guy mugging him wouldn't have obeyed such a law. Of course we all know that.

[Mooseman684]

I sent an I-report response as well....Lets see what happens !
I also pointed out that Mr. Plate's being robbed PROVED that the police can NOT be where you need them WHEN you need them !
Rich

[Zephri]

Originally Posted by CrazyIvan

Sometimes I am ashamed to be a registered Democrat
Here is my response:
Our country was founded by patriots and militia who were private citizens and owned guns. Our INDEPENDENCE was WON by these people. We have averted invasion by other world superpowers in the last century because the fact that the US people are armed scared them into believing they would never be able to overtake us.

I still love this quote

"You cannot invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." Admiral Yamamoto, 1941

I guess the japs were scared alright

[SKS NOOB]

The one thing that he did also is quote only half of this phrase "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." Saying only the first half of it makes that phrase untrue. Guns do kill people (among other things). Say the whole thing and IT IS true. The gun just sitting there on the table will not have the potential to harm anyone UNTIL SOMEBODY PICKS IT UP or knocks it off the table IF it is loaded. That's my 2 cents.

[troy2000]

The man's a blithering idiot.

"Excuse me, young man; it's against the law to own that gun you're pointing at my head, and I'm sure you don't want to break the law. So why don't you just run along and turn it in to the police, like I did all of mine?" Then you can come back with a nice kitchen knife instead, and we'll continue with this robbery...

[troylaplante]

Originally Posted by Pred

Tom Plate

...and the horse he rode in on.

[Deersniper]

That phrase just keeps going through my mind. As Ted Nugent says that is pathetic.
Answer: The gun that you rightfully bought and trained with stupid.
The very presence of guns anywhere and everywhere deters crime. GWashington.

[Rave]

Like the Klintons used to say. "Do it for the children!"

[Mooseman684]

I saw a video last night from Australia, where a robber held up a convenience store with a Syringe and needle filled with contaminated Blood...For some reason, this would scare me worse than having a pistol pointed at me...
Evidently gun control causes other weapons to be utilized by Criminals, but crime still happens....

Now there is a new Bumper sticker...Crime Happens, Buy yourself a gun !