A gun is fired in anger or insanity in our nation and our very own Muslim apologist president and chief socialist who resides in his great white palace in Washington, D.C., grabs the nearest microphone and starts babbling that we have to get control of guns — scary, but consistent.

Next, knowing that he probably could not push any more of his anti-Second Amendment legislation through our elected representatives, he makes another of his now famous backdoor end-runs and issues several executive orders that illegally place more bureaucratic restrictions and accompanying red tape on our constitutional rights as law-abiding citizens, and in the next breath he admits that these new regulations would have had no effect on the recent outbursts of violence committed with guns.

To add insult to injury, President Obama indicated that our government would hire well in excess of 200 new ATF agents to implement his orders. More government, less freedom, and guess who gets to pay for this? Smacks of taxation without representation to me — how about you?

Obama and his gun control constituents are so blinded by their hatred of guns and their agenda to chip away at the Second Amendment until they effectively disarm the citizens of our nation that all common sense eludes them. Guns are not the problem; people are! A gun is an inanimate object that does absolutely nothing on its own, just like a knife, a circular saw or an automobile, all of which are owned by a majority of citizens of this nation and all of which can be dangerous to your health when used improperly, negligently or with malicious intent.

Discounting war, the automobile, the most highly regulated, is by far involved in the most injuries and deaths of any device we utilize in our daily lives, but we don’t rail to get rid of it, for it is considered essential. I for one believe that guns are also essential; they were used to win our freedom some 240 years ago and have continued to be an essential part of defending and maintaining our sovereignty.

With the vast adverse economic and social developments around the world and especially in our nation over the past few years, a well-armed citizenry is an urgent and absolute necessity if we are to remain a constitutional republic, the form of government that made us the greatest nation on earth and that millions have fought to protect, including myself, and I am far from ready to throw in the towel.

Guns are an integral part of our society with many uses. For instance, millions of U.S. citizens utilize their guns for hunting of wild animals for their meat, an activity that dates back to man’s beginning as a hunter-gatherer. Millions more use their guns to participate in the myriad shooting sports that are available in the USA.

Of course one of the primary purposes for owning and becoming proficient in the use of a gun is self-defense. The final major reason for gun ownership is to be a part of the standing militia for protection of our freedom from any country or government, including our own, that would attempt to enslave us.

Guns, like other devices we use in our daily lives, can present multiple dangers when not properly stored or handled, and unfortunately accidents will happen. Anyone wishing to own a gun should accept the responsibility that goes with ownership and get training in its safe and proper use, handling and storage. First-time gun owners can find the necessary training by contacting local sporting-goods stores, gun shops, gun clubs or the NRA. I highly recommend that you join the NRA, the single most influential gun rights organization in the USA. I don’t always agree 100 percent with their stance on certain items, but I understand there can be no compromise when dealing with radical and totally irrational people that many so called “gun banners” are.

Finally, no matter how many restrictive laws you pass, the bad guys will always have all the guns and ammo they want. You can bet the farm on that. Gun-free zones are like big “Welcome” signs to criminals and terrorists. Nonetheless, there are certain individuals in our society that we should at least attempt to prevent from obtaining a firearm legally, such as those convicted of violent crime and/or the use of a weapon during the commission of a crime; adolescents not yet mature enough to bear the responsibility of gun ownership; those of limited mental capacity or certified mental illness that makes them a danger to themselves and/or society (we must be extremely careful when establishing the criteria for this one) and finally those living in this country who are not citizens of the USA.

 One last shot: If the Democrats (aka liberals or socialists) should win the presidential election this fall, the efforts to kill the Second Amendment will intensify, so if you want to keep your guns without having to use them in anger, then I suggest you make sure you are registered and get out and vote!

— Metzger is a resident of Bigfork.