This is an open letter to our Local Edge Radio on 880 The Revolution, and to all my Liberal friends.

Dear Vonciel;

I wanted to write to you, as it is so difficult to talk to you on the radio. I am Alex, the one that keeps calling about gun control, and, honestly, I feel that I cannot get my point across to you. I am trying to give a reasoned viewpoint of the honest, legal and responsible gun owner, the one who might go hunting, the one who might simply go target shooting, whether plinking or competitive, or the one who simply may have heard about home invasions in the area, and wishes to guard her home against intrusion. I am talking for even the one who fears that terrorists may attack (I know that terrorists will never attack the United States, right? I mean, they never have, right?), and wants to be able to at least attempt to protect her family from terrorists (no American would ever join a terrorist organization, right?), even if the terrorists are sure to be better armed than she. Plus, I am talking for the ones who are fearful of a “gun grab”, which, even as a Liberal (and I am one, just check out my Website and Facebook page), I am all too concerned may happen.

Vonciel, when I call to talk to you, I make one comment, and you proceed to talk over me, making a series of points directly from the ultra-Liberal gun hating... (I won't even call it Left, as I cannot see a true Liberal talking about taking away a right guaranteed by the Constitution) extremists, and then, suddenly “whoops, time to take a break, thanks Alex, gotta go”, and I am left with a dead phone. After the break, you proceed to list all the reasons I am wrong, and continue on. Why is a reasonable, thoughtful, soft spoken voice for responsible gun ownership such a threat? I have heard Blake and Leslie (sp?) keep a Right Wing nut job on through several breaks, letting him make point after point, and as long as he doesn't cuss, he gets a forum. I am disturbed that I can't. Honestly, it is like calling Rush or Bill (or even Glenn), and trying to talk about why unions are important, why we should tax the heck out of the stinking rich, why social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are important. You will get talked over, and kicked loose at the first break.

It disturbs me that my fellow Liberals are very protective of our Constitutional rights, whether Free Speech (I was on the periphery of the Free Speech movement of the 1960's, dating myself), religion, self incrimination or whatever, but when it comes to the Second Amendment, they want to repeal it! The ACLU, whose stated mission is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States” will go all out for any American, even so far as going to bat for the KKK in several cases, but absolutely will not make a peep when states, cities or counties ban citizens from owning or keeping guns. This to me is rank hypocracy.

Vonciel, guns are not the problem. A gun is a lump of inanimate metal. It is the people who are the problem, and there is something in our United States that is causing people to break, and that is the problem. I know, “ready access to guns”, but if there were no problem, this “ready access” would be a non-starter. Take away the guns, and the problem is still there. Look up Gary Kleck.

I would call you again, but only if I thought that I could have a reasoned discourse. And, please don't say “nobody is suggesting we take away all guns from everybody; there are people saying that every day.

I am tired of writing, and will write more soon. I am sending this directly to your email, but am going to post it as an open letter on my blog. We HAVE to have a discussion, a reasoned one, and we HAVE to involve gun owners, not just gun haters

Respectfully;

Alex