At the risk of sounding like one of the other jingoists, I’ll start by saying that the United States of America is a great country that’s got a lot going for it. Over the years, the nation has tackled and overcome challenges that have rendered many of its contemporaries incapacitated. However, if the U.S. has one shortcoming, it’s the country’s penchant for indecision when it comes to the things that truly matter. This trait of becoming willfully forgetful when it comes to the very tenets that made this nation what it is has led to the corrosion of our values. And, if we’re not careful, it might very well become our undoing.

A classic example of this problem at work is the fact that we need to have a debate about gun control in the very first place! Like with most things that truly matter to the fabric of this nation, saboteurs have found a way to poke a hole in what is supposed to be a non-negotiable fundamental right. So much so that our next election will ride in great part on what is actually supposed to be a given.

Come November 5 2024, we will have to majorly choose between sitting president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. While there is a lot of political gibberish to muddle through, the core message of both these individuals on gun control is simple. The former wants to impose more restrictions on gun ownership while the latter is determined to both preserve and foster the freedom to own legally approved arms.

As is almost always the case, both parties make a very appealing argument for their case. However, at the end of the day, as I said before, this isn’t an issue that should even be debated, to begin with. This means that only one person gets the all-clear here, if you’re a true and well-meaning American, and that person is Donald Trump.

If you’re asking why, here’s a quick refresher course on everything wrong with enforcing any form of gun country in America today.

The gun control policy, at its core, actually has nothing to do with firearms. On the contrary, it’s a thinly veiled attempt by the government to slowly but surely deprive the masses of a right that was enshrined in the Second Amendment. The right to bear arms is a fundamental part of the America we have today. It’s a testament to our dedication to freedom of individuality, and it was meant as a clear expression of deep and complete trust in the American people by our Founding Fathers. To say you want to restrict this freedom in any manner or form should be rightly seen for what it is; an attempt to sabotage the free will of the American people, all in the name of ensuring our safety.

It is, in fact, possible that the great Benjamin Franklin foresaw a crisis like this when he said, “He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” I’ll go one step further and say that the moment you actually make that trade, you’re almost certain to get neither. It is from this foundation that we see what makes it so important that Trump be given the leeway to preserve American democracy as we know it.

Let’s start with the facts, the things that we know for certain.

A recent study showed that the average police response time is about 8 to 12 minutes. I use the word “average” in the loosest terms possible because, depending on variables like the number of calls that come in at that time, the number of police officers available to respond, and the number of cops it takes to handle the specific situation you called for, it can take WAY longer. In the same stretch, crimes like robberies occur at least once every 30 seconds in the country, and the robbery can be done in as little as a minute.

What is interesting to note here is that having a firearm can prove useful in protecting yourself, loved ones, and property. In several cases, the presence of a firearm can even discourage the crime from happening in the first place.

Then of course, there is the argument that guns are chiefly responsible for the mass shootings we see so frequently in the news these days. To be clear, there are few things more tragic than these events. And, I truly would be all for gun control if I actually had any quantifiable evidence that it would solve the problem.

Arguing for stricter gun control laws because people are killing with guns is like arguing for restrictions on the use of fire simply because arson is on the rise. At the end of the day, a gun is just like any other tool, and how it’s used is ultimately dependent on the individual, not the tool itself.

And, of all times to be pushing such nonsense, should it be now, when crime rates are at an all-time high? Give the people an environment they can feel safe in, don’t try to pry what makes them feel safe from their fingers.

I’d like to close this act by referencing an incident that happened outside the country for a better perspective.

On the 30th of April 2024, Daniel Anjorin was killed on his way to school. This unfortunate incident took place in Hainault, London, a place famous for its strict gun control laws. Now, Anjorin’s attacker went on to severely injure four other people, including two police officers. Let’s throw a gun in the mix on BOTH sides of this incident and reevaluate the situation.

In service to transparency, if Anjorin’s assailant had been in possession of a gun, then most likely, those four other people might’ve died. Yet, if only one of those people had had a gun, perhaps a 14-year-old wouldn’t have lost his life, and many people wouldn’t have had to be hospitalized. Justice will probably be served, but it’s already too late for at least one person.

It’s high time we got our heads on straight.

We don’t just deserve but DEMAND the right to keep ourselves and our families safe. Only one person on that ballot paper sees things the way the everyday American does. Let’s not vote in tragedy and belated justice.