A gun-toting people | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

What is the near hysteria over the right to bear arms all about? Are we all under some blanket of danger or doom, and lest the right to bear arms be guaranteed, all of us are destined to lose life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness, or all three?

What will advocates of the right to bear arms gain? Will they be able to "draw down" another gun-bearer first? Will that gun under the pillow be withdrawn fast enough to shoot that burglar? Or will the gun-bearer accidentally shoot himself or his wife first? Will gun advocates carry guns everywhere, just in case their families are assaulted at the city park, and then accidentally shoot a bystander?

Will our streets and homes become occupied by a growing number of concealed and unconcealed weapon-holders, as though an imminent invasion of some sort is feared?

Where is the similar hysteria over education, immigration, mental illness, child welfare, homelessness or clean air?

Our priorities are being clouded by the speeches, the marches, the rallies. We all need to stop and assess where our society will be tomorrow if we allow the establishment of gun-toting communities.

Ken Zenger

Holladay