The right to bear arms all started with our forefathers. They said to use them to protect ourselves.
Today we have developed automatic and all kinds of crazy guns that our forefathers, if they were still alive, would not be okay with. Personally, I prefer to use non-lethal weapons. A gun is fine, but let's talk about the bullet.
What actually kills? Is it the person? Is it the gun? No, it's the bullet. Today, it doesn't have to be lead. It can be a chemical. It can be a projectile with pepper inside. You may be familiar, but salt is a common tool used to shoot and scare animals. We can drop an elephant with one shot from a dart gun -- drop an elephant to his knees!
Given that knowledge, America needs to start getting away from the traditional bullet. No doubt about it, no questions asked -- you get shot with a bullet, you're dead. Dead is forever, gone. So let me be clear: I am all for protecting my family, myself -- I want my mother to protect herself, but I'd rather America develop a non-lethal way to do it.
Over the past 40 years, I've interviewed several hundred killers, fugitives, and criminals -- thousands of men who used guns in the commission of their crime. When I shared my views on non-lethal weapons, 99.9 percent of them agreed they don't intend to kill their victims. From Crips and Bloods to The Hells Angels and all gangs in between, none of the members I've talked to are proud to attend a funeral or to have to tell a friend's mother their child is dead. I tell them there is a way to force your opponents into submission and it doesn't have to be lethal -- you can dance all over him without dancing on his grave.
With as far as we've come in America, the gun laws we enforce bring us back to the Wild West. If you're not a hunter, there is no need to have bullets within city limits. There are options from the manufacturers to drop a man that comes within 35-40 ft., even if he has bullets, you will take him down. Some might say using a non-lethal weapon is like "like taking a knife to a gun fight," but even if you have gun vs. gun, the winner is the guy who draws first. The more aggressive guy, real or non-lethal weapons, if you draw first, you stay alive -- bottom line.
The bible says, "The meek shall inherit the earth," not the weak. I don't know what the solution for gun control is, but I see a few areas that need reinforcement.
Right now everyone is finally realizing that the gun permit renewal process doesn't happen very often. I think the process should be enforced on a yearly basis. I've also noticed a correlation between the random acts of gun violence and the narcotics related to depression. The gunman is in treatment or has sought out treatment for psychiatric issues. How can we know someone has a mental health issue and still allow them to acquire guns? There has to be some sort of federal association doctors can report patients to, when prescribed certain medications, that would prohibit them from access to guns. We see all kinds of commercials on TV talking about side effects from common prescribed drugs -- why don't we start exposing the mental disorders that come from other kinds of drugs that lead to killings. If a gun permit holder goes on any of the "danger" drugs, why aren't we doing something about it? A federal committee would be responsible for revoking their license and repossession of the firearm immediately.
In most states, most crime convictions require you to turn in your firearms to police until a verdict is reached. There should not be an issue taking guns away from someone taking 10 pills of anti-depressants daily -- the hell we're not. When the doctor puts a mental health hold on someone -- he's treating them for a serious condition. We need to open our eyes America. The postman delivering ammunition to a young guy in the city, he knows what could happen. Unless he's some sort of survivalist, there is no reason to stock up on ammunition -- there's no reason not to report it.
You know I had a cop tell me the other day, "I'm not a smoker, but because of you I carry around a pack of Marlboros now just in case." For those unfamiliar with our show, he's saying you get farther and more information being nice. That gives me hope. You got Johnny "light-in-the-head" Appleseed, wielding a butter knife, there's no need to shoot to kill and cops in several states are using non-lethal weapons more frequently. SWAT in Denver use pepperballs. It's encouraging to know they can learn from us as much as we learn from their example.
Let's get the lead out.