Letters: Vigilance not paranoia
January 17, 2013 9:30PM
Updated: February 19, 2013 1:12PM
Ignorance is bliss, they say. If that’s true, Charles Dettlinger must be really happy. Says he in an attempt to allay fears of gun confiscation: “Maybe they will come for that AK-47 with the 30-round banana clip.” (OpenLine, Jan. 6)
Chuck, how many Americans do you think possess AK-47s? Without even researching the question, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the number is extremely small, especially when compared with the number of gun owners in this country.
The reason I feel confident in making such a statement is that the AK-47 is capable of being fired in fully automatic mode, which means a federal license is required to own one.
I don’t know what kind of red tape one would run into to obtain such a license, but I’m certain there would be precious little in your life history that would be unknown to the Feds before they even considered issuing it to you.
Finally, regarding your last question, “Are you really that paranoid?” Well, Chuck, the paranoia comes after the government confiscates all personally owned firearms. Of course, then it’s too late. What you seem to consider paranoia is in reality just exactly what our Founding Fathers warned us to be — eternally vigilant.
John Babush
Big Rock
Nothing accomplished
Now that the elections are over I think it is a good idea to look at the top 10 accomplishments our president has achieved over the past four years.
1. With the passing of “Obamacare,” we now are seeing insurance rates rising more than 20 percent in some states.
2. We see gridlock in Congress is bigger and better than ever.
3. We have the most divided country we have seen since the Civil War.
4. The economy still is stagnant (0 percent to 2 percent growth).
5. Federal taxes have gone up for everyone by at least 2 percent (with the expired payroll tax cut).
6. Wages still are declining for working people.
7. Long-term unemployment is out-of-control.
8. More people than at any other time in our history are on food stamps
9. Budget deficits still are more than $1 trillion per year.
10. The national debt has passed the $16 trillion mark.
If transforming this great country into a European-style nation, President Barack Obama has been overwhelmingly successful! I can’t wait to see what this administration can accomplish in the next four years.
Greg Grubisich
Crest Hill
