Karla's Kolumn: Let freedom, not fear, reign

"The ultimate human experience." A trailer from the Universal Pictures movie "The Hunt," that was set to be released next month describes the scenario where rich elitists get to hunt 12 Midwest humans (including one from Wyoming) in what was described in the trailer as "the ultimate human experience."

After some public backlash last week, producers have pulled the release of the movie at this time. Several media reports stated the movie showed Trump supporters being hunted although it was not specifically stated. The Epoch Times, quoting a "screening seen by the Hollywood Reporter," states that in one scene a character asks another "Did anyone see what our [expletive]-in-chief just did? At least The Hunt's coming up. Nothing better than going out to the Manor and slaughtering a dozen deplorables."

Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made famous the word deplorable in describing Trump supporters during the 2016 campaign.

So, hunting and killing people, according to Hollywood and the movie trailer, is the "ultimate human experience."

They have pulled the movie because of the two recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. What makes Hollywood think that a movie like this would be OK?

Am I saying that this movie would lead to another mass shooting? No.

Some say we should limit violent movies and violent video games, while others say that's an infringement on First Amendment rights. They also argue not everyone who watches violent movies or plays violent video games commits a violent crime.

The same then could be said for the guns and the Second Amendment.

Wait and hear me out.

First, I am a staunch supporter of the First Amendment, of the Second Amendment and the entire Constitution. I do not want anyone taking away my rights in what is, at least for now, a free country.

Second, don't tell me what kind of firearm I can and cannot have under the Second Amendment. Don't say what I need or do not need for hunting. The Second Amendment was not written for the purpose of hunting.

The Second Amendment states, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Hunting is not mentioned at all.

Third, I am a gun owner. I have not, nor do I plan to ever shoot another person. I was taught at a young age to respect firearms, how to use a firearm and how never to point a firearm at anything you do not intend to kill.

There are many, many other gun owners who are like me. Not every gun owner is a threat to your safety.

Guns are not to blame. Guns are only a tool used in some mass killings, just as planes were the tools for the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I believe a killer full of hate and hell-bent on destroying innocent people will find any means necessary.

The fear that most gun owners have over legislation, such as the U.S. House's Assault Weapons Ban of 2018, is that if you start banning firearms, when and where does it end. If you ban all "assault weapons" (which in this legislation means nearly every semi-automatic firearm) and the next mass shooting involves a different firearm do you then ban all firearms?

You may argue no one is saying that, but I can argue no one is saying that ... yet.

Does that mean we can't have rational, reasonable gun control measures? No. Most law-abiding gun owners are not opposed to common sense regulations, for which we alredy have some, as long as they do not infringe on our Second Amendment right.

What would be some common sense regulations? Well that's hard to define and determine as everyone seems to have their own definition of common sense.

Common sense tells me you don't write a story and make it into a movie about people killing other people and call it the "ultimate human experience."

Obviously, everyone who worked on "The Hunt," had a different definition of common sense.

Common sense tells me that taking away my Second Amendment rights is not going to fix why people are killing other people. It will not fix the hate and anger in our society.

In looking for answers to the problem of mass killings in America, we cannot let ourselves be ruled by fear. After 9/11 people said they would do anything to be safe. We must not be willing to let fear destroy the very freedoms that the United States of America was founded upon.

I am all for seeking ways to keep people safe and finding out why people want to use violence to solve their problems. I am for common sense solutions to a difficult, complex, multi-dimensional problem, but I am not for giving up any of my rights as an American citizen.