We all know living in Nashville and living in Hohenwald are vastly different. Life is simpler in ways in rural Tennessee, but it also comes with different struggles as well. About every family here has hunters and fishermen. These values have been passed down through many generations. To us, a shotgun in a gun rack in a pickup truck is normal. Unfortunately, today there are people who classify that as “dangerous and reckless”.

I remember a time when we could leave our doors unlocked, and could leave our keys in our cars overnight. There wasn’t a worry someone would steal it, because we all respected each other and most everyone had morals. Now we have to even lock our kids toys up so someone doesn’t take off with them. We all are hearing we need to ban “assault weapons” and there is no need to have “weapons of war”. However, outside of some sidearms, most weapons used by the U.S. military you cannot buy.

In rural Tennessee the police can’t always get to your house at the drop of a hat. What would you do if a group of unknown men started beating your door in during the night? You call 911, but it will take 5-10 minutes for them to get there. If you ban “high capacity magazines” and you are only allowed a weapon to hold 3 bullets. The government more than likely will assist in these criminals in hurting families and helping them take whatever they would like. You better believe I will want an AR-15 with a full 30 round magazine to protect my family and my property. Also, if you are only allowed magazines that hold a max of 3. Nearly every pistol on the market is now useless, and those owning them are criminals.

In rural America you not only have to protect your property from people, but you also have to protect it from wild animals. Our farmers, who feed us, work year round to protect their livestock and the crops. Wild boars can destroy hundreds of acres very quickly. I know these scenario do not play out in urban America. However, Urban America and Rural America is still AMERICA. We live in the greatest and most free country in the world. We must quit trying to pass laws based on feelings. We must preserve our constitutional rights. We must not look at each other as enemies, but rather as fellow citizens. Fight for the speech you do not like more than the speech you do like. Fight for the guns you don’t like more than the ones you do like. Let’s focus on getting our Country back to being the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, and not so much as the divided states of America.