Note to Blade's Dan Simpson: There are some more Amendments after the First

The Toledo Blade has published a number of pro-gun letters in response to editorial board member Dan Simpson's recent tirade against the United States Constitution.

Click 'Read More' for the letters, including two the Blade refused to print.

Did columnist forget about Constitution?

Having just read Dan Simpson's April 25 column on the disarming of America, I can only think of one question: Where exactly does he think he lives? I believe he spent way too much time as a "diplomat" in other countries around the world and perhaps he is under the illusion that he is in Red China or Communist Russia.

Here in America we have a document called the Constitution, which grants us some basic rights. That is for all people - not just those in the media, as Mr. Simpson would have you believe. His suggestions on how to go about disarming the population of the U.S. totally throw out the Second and Fourth amendments to the Constitution. He may want to believe that the people do not have the right to bear arms, but many brilliant scholars much more versed on constitutional law than he is have affirmed that the right does exist!

Randomly stopping people in the streets, or invading our homes or property, without just cause in search of legally possessed weapons flies in the face of the freedom against unlawful search and seizure. Can Mr. Simpson really believe that the people of the United States are going to idly stand by and allow this wholesale assault on our rights to go unanswered? Perhaps Mr. Simpson would be better off in a country less giving of rights to its citizens. Of course, he might have to give up his right to print his opinions.

He should Google "Amendment to the Constitution." It's so easy even a journalist can do it!

Mark Elmore
Maumee

A gun control plan already in the works

The holes in Dan Simpson's [gun control] plan are so numerous it's hard to know where to begin, but don't worry, it's already in the works. H.R. 1022, introduced by Carolyn McCarthy (D., N.Y.), goes a long way toward what he suggests. This bill makes the Clinton era gun ban seem meek by comparison.

Scott Franklin
Chalmette Drive

'Disarming America' hit an all-time low

As I read Dan Simpson's column on "Disarming America" I decided The Blade has sunk to a new low. His views on disarmament remind me of what power hungry dictators like Sadam Hussein or Adolf Hitler did to certain groups of their own people. He in my view should be labeled a pervert of the U.S. Constitution as, surely, with his views we would no longer have a First or Fourth amendment.

The students and teachers at Blacksburg were disarmed by their own local government. Had they not, I think it could have been stopped or the tragedy greatly reduced by an armed person legally carrying a firearm. If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have them.

Jim Szych
Bennett Road

Only criminals would have guns

I read Dan Simpson's column in which he described what he would do to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. His suggestions and methods would be comical if he weren't so serious. He recommends that no person be allowed to keep a firearm in their home and suggests random searches to enforce such laws. I assume he doesn't mind ignoring the Second (which was further supported by the U.S. Court of Appeals in March) and Fourth amendments to the Constitution.

He also proposes fines and jail sentences for those convicted of illegally possessing firearms. I actually support this recommendation, as do most others … which is why it is already the law. It is already a crime for most felons to own firearms or for anyone to possess one through illegal means. He must think the government is really going to enforce his new law. I'm sure that criminals will also turn in their firearms during the suggested three-month amnesty period after the laws take effect.

The most disturbing thing about his plan is the result. It will leave criminals with guns and the law-abiding unarmed. As fine of a job as the police do, it is very difficult to prevent crime before it happens. The only way to protect oneself will be to dial 9-1-1 and wait. Unfortunately, help sometimes comes too late, as was the case with the 32 Virginia Tech victims.

Ty Henry
Monroe

Column offensive and preposterous

Dan Simpson's April 25 column was one of the most ridiculous and offensive contributions to the Toledo area community that The Blade has ever had the nerve to publish. Of course, we're not really surprised that the enlightened Blade would push the envelope of common sense and put such leftist, extremist, political garbage in print. But someone please slap this dangerous liberal awake from his communist-fascist hallucinations.

His polluted political thinking has resulted in an utterly stupid, preposterous rant which is the most un-American article ever printed in the mainstream press - even for the permanently politically left-bent Blade. This guy was a diplomat? For which country or dictatorship? Certainly not the good ol' U.S. of A.

Has this Toledo Blade Bolshevik ever read the Constitution? Has he ever heard of the Bill of Rights? This sort of twisted, absurd leftist mentality is right out of the Democratic Party playbook - the people are not responsible enough to think and act for themselves. We are a nation at war and this freedom-challenged simpleton wants to take everyone's guns and send Gun Police into the neighborhoods. Think about that the next time you vote.

Edward S. Popkoski
Cloister Road

There's a name for 'special' police squad

I am responding to Dan Simpson's column advocating the wholesale confiscation of firearms. Mr. Simpson stated, "Special squads of police would be formed and trained to carry out the work. Then, on a random basis to permit no advance warning, city blocks and stretches of suburban and rural areas would be cordoned off and searches carried out in every business, dwelling, and empty building."

Mr. Simpson, I have a suggested name for these "special squads of police." How about we call them "gestapo"?

Rick Troha
North Olmsted

The Letters the Blade refused to Print

After reading Mr. Simpson's..op ed I guess you'd call it, "rant" probably being too mild and more accurate words being inappropriate to print, I guess I can start to understand some of the anti-gun editorials that the Blade has spewed over the past 3-4 years.

I have viewed and heard the video tapes of the VT shooter and his little tantrums against his schoolmates, and read Mr. Simpson's words; I am completely at a loss to decide which author is more psychotically disassociated from the world the rest of us live in. I'm leaning towards Mr. Simpson.

The VT shooter is dead, while Mr. Simpson continues to use up valuable oxygen, and the Blade is 100% complicit in empowering his delusions. Mr. Simpson, just how long do you think you would continue to enjoy your access and ability to pollute the nation's thought stream with your ramblings if the police were sent out to disarm the citizens as you suggest? The police officers who would actually obey such an order would quickly realize the folly of your plan, assuming they lived long enough to finish processing the thoughts.

Mr. Simpson, I humbly invite you to try your plan at my house, with you personally doing the confiscating. I prefer you come sometime after dark and just break down the door rather than knocking. My guns will be in my hands in case you need to know where to look.

If you call ahead, I will be sure to be wearing my United States Department of State/Bureau of Diplomatic Security sweatshirt. Otherwise, I am going to bury it in the back of my closet in shame and horror knowing you once graced that same office.

I shudder to think how the Blade can tolerate someone who would call for such an assault on liberty on their Editorial Board. God save the Bloggers.

L. Kenneth Hanson Esq.
Delaware

Dear Sirs,

As Mr. Simpson clearly does not care about facts or truths, I think the Toledo Blade should embrace his thinking and show us how great your papers editorial ideas really are.

First, you can no longer publish the paper. You are of course welcome to write or say anything you want, but you are not permitted to do so in a why in which any other person (including each other) can ever read or hear it.

Next, members of any military can come to your homes and demand room and board at any time. To be fair, members of any military unit (including those who have formed their own units) will be welcome. If any guest is not satisfied with what you give them, they will be free to take any of your belongings or family members to do with as they please to offset your shortcomings.

Next, you must remove all locks from your homes and businesses, and all firewall and password protections from all computers. There will be no shades on your house, and lights must be left on so it's easy to see in. Any person will be free to go through your things at any time they wish. Better still, all your property will become the State's. All your bank accounts will be made public and then seized for the public good.

You must be immediately imprisoned. You are guilty of every crime and will be punished accordingly. You are entitled of prove your innocence of each of those crimes beyond any doubt, but you must do so for every instant you have been accused of committing each crime.

I commend you for such a forward thinking editorial board and look forward to watching you lead by example as you give up all your other rights that you clearly disdain. You will be a hero to many - especially to those who like to lock innocent people in a room and execute them ala Virginia Tech. Hey with your ideals fully implemented, you will also solve all world over populations and crowding problems too.

I look forward to you and all your like minded followers leading the way with your new found enlightenment.

Jim Irvine
Buckeye Firearms Association