Sheriff on gun control: 'Taking guns away ... is not the answer'
Sheriff Ken Irwin issued this statement on gun control Tuesday to citizens and visitors of Yakima County:
As your elected sheriff for these past twelve years, I have renewed my oath each time you elected me to this high office, “I, Kenneth William Irwin, being first duly sworn upon oath, do depose and say that I will support the Constitution of the United States and laws of the State of Washington and faithfully and impartially discharge and perform the duties of SHERIFF of Yakima County, Washington, according to the best of my abilities, so help me God.” Both the Constitution of the United States (in the 2nd Amendment) and the Washington State Constitution (in Article 1, Section 24) include the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
Our nation is going through a very difficult and disturbing time of violence against one another in which many types of weapons have been used. I have given this much thought and conclude that the best answers to curbing this violence will be the most difficult to achieve, will take continued effort, and should not be focused on a certain type of weapon as the symbol of violence. Taking guns away from eligible law abiding people who love this nation and its freedoms is not the answer and cannot be recognized as a lawful strategy.
The only common thread in all violent acts is the perpetrator of the violence and that is where our focus should be. Individual rights can be protected if we move smartly to lessen violence in our society as together we improve awareness, treatment and maintenance of people in mental distress while also expanding keystone strategies such as the effective campaign against bullying and for positive role modeling in accepting and nurturing others. Additionally, we need to make sure we have a practical and effective process for background checks on all firearms transactions, stress continued improvement of firearms safety and firearms security, and definitely improve safety in public places such as schools.
I strongly believe we must focus on strategies that will truly make people healthier and safer, while we also protect each of our Constitutional rights. We can do this … together.
The biggest problem is that when the Media decides to shine a light on a perceived problem like gun control they will take any incident out of context to prove their Insane point.Â
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FACT:
Guns are inanimate objects like a screw driver or hammer. They just lay around until picked up by an animate being. But to be used properly that being must have the intellect and ability to use the tool, even though a dog can pick up any of these objects it can not use the tools to their proper design. The dog can pick up the gun but unless a tooth engages the trigger properly it won't fire, but this is not a guarantee.Â
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The sheriff and all other factual based humans know that the gun is only a tool used to create violence on other animate objects like deer, moose, ducks, that is called hunting and there are many that want to stop the use of guns in hunting also. As I will also say is that guns don't shoot themselves! You have to have a human in the equation to make that tool effective and to many times to many humans use the gun for violence against innocent victims. It was not long ago that the NRA taught gun safety (still does) but in the 1930's Progressive activists like their counterparts in Germany wanted to take away our right to own guns. That's when the NRA began its political work keeping lawmakers from taking guns away from law abiding citizens. Its a "PRIVATELY" funded by membership dues to do that and gun safety courses also. They also have a museum to teach you about the history of guns around the world.
Thank you! Â I am so proud that many of our Sheriff offices are getting it! Â That you are standing up for our constitution and the people behind it. Â Â
Thank you very much for living up to your oath of office. I support you and I will stand up for you in any way possible. I am so grateful, and not surprised, that you are standing up to the questionable information coming out of Washington D.C. I cannot be at the meeting on Friday, but I will be there in spirit. Thank you for being the upstanding and honest man you are. I will tell all my friends about the meeting and hope there is a good turnout! The 2nd Amendment cannot be changed by this administration and we the people will make that very clear. Thank you for your help!
A group of us are meeting with Sheriff Irwin this Friday at 3pm, at his office. Our purpose is to tell him we support his position on the 2nd Amendment and that when he must take this principled stand for us, we will be there for him. We need to have his back on this one people. Please join us when we tell him that.
Sheriff Irwin? You hit the nail smartly and directly on the head and you are to be commended! I salute you, Sir!