Editor, Smithfield Times

I am 80 years of age, a former Marine and retired police officer. I have carried a weapon for over 50 years of my life. As a police officer, I was involved in making thousands of physical arrests and never shot anyone who didn’t deserve being shot. I no longer serve in the military nor do I plan or intend to arrest anyone, but until my death I reserve the absolute right to protect my family, myself and the Constitution of the United States as sworn to as a young Marine recruit. I will defend that Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, and I am beginning to believe that most of our enemies are, in fact, domestic.

The United States is still the greatest nation on earth, founded on a a rock solid Constitution and Bill of Rights drafted by men of far greater vision and intelligence than those hacks who have served Americans over the past three or four decades.

My oath to the Constitution does not mandate that I protect any individual, political party or group, only the integrity of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Most people don’t understand that the Bill of Rights was drafted as protection for the people of the new nation to protect themselves from their own government. Collectively, these amendments provide for a means by which we protect ourselves from an oppressive, unjust government.

The second Amendment is one of our most necessary safeguards. The people must be allowed to protect themselves. Numerous courts in this country have ruled that the police have no legal obligation to protect any particular citizen.

There are bout 30,000 gun deaths in the U.S. each year. Over half (15,000) are suicides. When you subtract domestic violence, drug wars and accidental shootings, the rest are eclipsed by medical malpractice, falls from ladders, poison and drug overdoses.

Our own government has contributed greatly to the gun situation today by failing to enforce existing laws already on the books.

Pete Greene
Zuni