Off The Grid's Alex Logan: We Need to Talk About Gun Violence

(Photos courtesy of Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey & Justin Sullivan)

To the Vigilant Viewers of Off The Grid:

You’ve stood by our message for transparency and accountability month after month, episode after episode. And for that, we are eternally grateful. Today, I write this letter to you on my own behalf, as my opinion and The Governor's greatly differ on this sole subject. We generally see eye-to-eye. Here, we do not.

Today, I want us to discuss another issue that deserves more transparency and accountability: guns. This war over the Second Amendment is ripping our country into two camps -- those that stand for a safer future, and those that insist gun control is an affront to their freedom.

The Second Amendment was adopted December 15, 1791, nearly 224 years ago to the day. So much has transpired since our Founding Fathers broke free from England to establish this country for the people and by the people. And that certainly includes what a gun is and what a gun can do.

I understand your argument for home protection, but how does an assault rifle fall under this idea of security? The swift and devastating force that the shooters in San Bernardino, California, were able to exact on those unfortunate dozens of people was made possible by the high calibre deadliness of assault weapons. To me, they are not tools, they are not protection. Assault weapons are instruments of death.

Furthermore, the Second Amendment specifically describes the necessity for a “well regulated militia.” What is “well regulated” about the ability to legally purchase a high-speed hand cannon at a local gun store, gun show or Walmart (up until this past August, but even this chain has imposed a ban on these weapons). This amendment was written during the time of single-shot muskets that took time and finesse to reload each round. Mass shootings were not possible. Nothing like the horrors of San Bernardino could have ever happened.

I know we walk a slippery slope when we begin to infringe upon our rights, but no other right granted in the Constitution of our great country has so much innocent blood on its hands. No other right puts lives on the line in the name of an outdated personal freedom.

Let’s not remove every gun from the country, nor let’s continue this downward spiral argument on what the Founding Fathers meant about this specific word or that. Instead, let’s first be transparent with one another: without high calibre weapons of death, the ability to create this level of terror and destruction severely plummets.

And now let’s hold ourselves accountable: we live in a violent society that perpetuates more violence. If we remove the most effective tool for violence from the equation, we put an end to this never-ending cycle.

Lastly, I wish to pose this question to those of you on the half that insist gun control is an affront to your freedom: what would you rather have… your weapons, or an end to the fear, bloodshed, and politicizing by talking heads on both sides of the argument? I hope we can all make the right choice.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

-Alex Logan, Vigilant Producer

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