Dear Editor,

Your article ("'Guns Everywhere'? Now that the Safe Carry Protection Act is signed into law, what's next for local government, law enforcement and schools?" May 10, 2014) recently incited a few comments. I sincerely hope you can critically think.

You do understand that onerous bureaucracy, restrictions, prohibitions and outright firearms bans have reflected with great consistency to have not reduced violent crime or increased public safety.

Really! Decades of non-biased criminology research reflect this conclusion. However, it does not serve the agenda and the new fertile ground is "Public Health."

You as a responsible journalist have a duty to perform. Educate yourself, strike the bias and fear mongering away and get to the honest point and you will be an asset to the general public or not.

Understand your/our rights and honestly determine what does a "right" entail. Get it right and we all benefit. Get it wrong and it undermines the sacrifices made to allow it to exist.

Take a moment and honestly ask the hard questions.

Is possession and bearing of arms a "true" risk to public safety or is it a threat? Are our armed citizens a liability or asset?

What is any right? Is it granted? Is permission requested? Is there a fee accessed for those wishing to exercise it? Then what is a privilege?

Why was the Second Amendment created? What was the mindset and reasoning of those who put it to ink? (Think Federalist Papers).

Honestly answer these questions and it benefits a free state.

I hope you are a man of integrity with a measure of honesty. Your writings should reflect that and shed light to any dim area of concern rather than contribute to the darkness of ignorance. Do your own research. Question all and closely scrutinize those who have compromised their integrity.

There are a few Georgians represented in this paper: http://www.titleii.com/bardwell/guns_and_violence.txt

Chris Golden
U.S. Army-Retired
Former Rockdale resident