Thoughts of a father of a murdered son opposed to gun control

The following is s true account of my families experiences after our son was murdered by an illegally purchased hand gun in 1993.  After his murder I became an advocate of the 2nd Amendment and vehemently opposed to gun control of any shape or hidden agenda. I have sent the remarks as contained in this post to the newly formed anti-gun organization founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg "Mayors against illegal guns expressing a different view point from a victim of a murdered child that is purposely ignored and avoided by this group and the President of the United States.

My letter;

Dear Mayors against Illegal Guns:

My name is Ralph Myers and I want to share my story with you as a father of a son that was murdered in   1993 by a criminal that purchased his hand gun at a Los Angeles area DONUT SHOP.

Here's my story and why I am opposed to your organization's mission to destroy our 2nd Amendment Rights under the guise of getting guns off our streets by advocating for more restrictive and to me unconstitutional gun control laws. My story is 180 degrees opposite to what your organizations stated goals are.

First; Background Checks and Waiting Periods

When my son was murdered in 1993 in the Los Angeles area California already had strict gun control laws on the books including a 15 day waiting period before one could take possession of any firearm purchased legally. This waiting period exceeded the Brady Law waiting period by ten days.

The criminal that murdered my son didn’t buy the handgun from a dealer, private citizen, gun show or any other recognizable source that has a federally approved permit to sell firearms. No, he bought it at a DONUT SHOP so all the gun control laws as your organization is advocating were meaningless in preventing my son’s murder, they will only serve to penalize those of us that are law-abiding citizens by making it more difficult to purchase a firearm.

Second; your claim that 91% of rank and file law enforcement support your organization’s objectives was not what my wife and I experienced when our son was murdered.

In fact our experience was just the opposite of what you are claiming. Here’s what happened, what we were advised by the rank and file LAPD officers that came to our home when we found out our son had been shot and killed and what we did.

My son, who was 25 at the time lived at home with his mother and me and was a typical fun-loving California youth. He was not in a gang but was murdered by a member of an Asian gang.  I only point this out because he was killed at a private party that he was invited to attend and several members of this gang attempted to crash. As the case unfolded the gang members tried to intimidate some of the partygoers that were scheduled to testify at my son’s murderer’s trial. Some of the witnesses were followed and even shot at by the gang members and I was fearful for the safety of my wife, daughter and me. My wife and I were told by the rank and file members of the LAPD they couldn’t protect us 24/7 and recommended we purchase a firearm for our home for self-protection. They also said they didn’t want us to say what they had just advised us of because of repercussions they would suffer from the anti-gun rights, politically motivated superiors of the LAPD and the mayor’s office.   

So here’s is the course of action I chose;

As a veteran of the US Army who was familiar with firearms I followed the rank and file officer’s advice of those brave men and women police officers who are on the front lines of the streets of Los Angeles risking their lives to “protect and to serve” and purchased a handgun. I did this legally, from a licensed gun store, waited the 15 days to pick it up. I then took my wife and daughter to a local gun range and taught them how to properly handle the pistol I had just purchased for our self-defense. (It is important to add here that while my son and daughter were growing up we chose not to have a firearm in our home but the key word here is we chose, not we were prohibited from having a gun in our home or on our person.) If your organization had its way and existed in 1993 I would not have had the choice to be able to defend my family and me from a criminal that didn’t abide by all the “feel good” political B.S. gun control laws that were already in existence and not being enforced.

Realizing that gun control only works for the criminal elements in society and against  the law-abiding citizens my next step was to join the National Rifle Association and take up the cause of protecting our 2^nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms. As a veteran and former member of the US Army I had already sworn an oath to the US Constitution that I would uphold it (all of it not just the parts I agree with.) Now at age 71 I doubt if I have many more years left in my life but for the few that remain I will continue to fight your organizations and those that support it with all the energy I have left and until my last breath is drawn or my last dollar is spent.

As a crime victim survivor like those at Columbine, Aurora, Virginia Tech and most recently Newtown, CT I know all too well the feeling of losing someone to gun violence but I REFUSE to allow our 2^nd Amendment Rights to even be altered one iota, because if I do liberal leftist elitist like you and current president we have right now will ultimately destroy it and soon after the rest of our constitutional rights.

Yesterday, the president showed his true contempt for our liberties and has been shamefully exploiting the Newtown victims to further his agenda. Contrary to what he said after the US Senate blocked the passage of more useless and unconstitutional gun control laws it is he that should be ASHAMED not the Senators that honored their oath of office to uphold all of the constitution. As a crime victim survivor I would have gladly accepted a ride on Air Force One (at tax payer expense) to testify and lobby (which I have done before in trying to get a Crime Victim’s Rights Amendment to the US Constitution but at my own expense not the tax payer’s) but my testimony would have been unwelcomed because it would have been much more different than the staged and orchestrated views of those victims he was exploiting to destroy the rights of those of us that hold the US Constitution with reverence and respect.

I am but one of millions of others that feel this strongly and WE WILL NOT GIVE UP and if your organization succeeds in its ultimate objective of taking away our 2^nd Amendment Rights through the passage of more gun control laws that won’t and don’t work I feel you will have unleashed the wrath of all of us that like the criminals out there we will not comply. I too am fighting in the memory of my murdered son just as those from Newtown, CT are and my loss is no less than theirs, (which is something you or the current administration doesn’t want to hear) and I owe it to him to see that the 2^nd Amendment is preserved as a barrier against a tyrannical government which I feel the current administration is on the path in becoming and as organizations such as Mayors against illegal guns are.

Ralph Myers

Father of murdered son Tom Myers

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do we go from here?

"Where do we go from here?"

 By Ralph L. Myers

4/17/07

 

I wrote this article the day after the shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech. What I have said in that article is once again being played out and applicable today since the Newtown, CT and Aurora, CO shootings.

 

April 16, 2007 will go down as one of the darkest and most tragic days in American history when 32 persons were murdered by a lone gunman who then took his own life at Virginia Tech University. Because of this horrendous event and as these shootings are being investigated I think once more a rhetorical question must be asked, "Where do we go from here?"

Depending on one's personal opinions and perceptions as well as life experiences the answers to that question are many and complex. To many people the shootings that occurred at Virginia Tech would probably never have happened if guns were not so readily available. However, others can also legitimately argue that if more citizens were allowed to carry a concealed firearm then what happened on April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech may have been prevented or the murderous toll been mitigated significantly if one of those victims had been armed and able to defend themselves.  As horrendous as the shootings at Virginia Tech was I am of the opinion that there can not be any valid justification for law-abiding gun owners to give up their right to legally obtain and own firearms.

Let's examine both sides of this issue. As can be expected the call for more and stricter gun control laws were probably immediately voiced as the echo of the shots that were fired were probably still ringing out in the hallowed halls of Virginia Tech University. I am sure it has been said by someone that, "if guns were outlawed and not available to the ordinary citizen this shooting would or could never have happened." Perhaps in a perfect world or maybe a police state that argument may be a valid one. Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world, and thankfully we do not live in a police state. I also think it is fair to say that as Americans who cherish our individual rights and freedoms we do not want to live in such a state.

 Okay then the anti-gun advocates might argue we have to pass more gun control laws limiting the availability of firearms to the American populace the effect being more laws and regulations will prevent future Virginia Tech or Columbine like massacres.

 But at what expense to our constitutionally granted and guaranteed rights, all rights not just the right to bear arms as granted by the Second Amendment. Many if not most persons who are adamant about restricting or limiting the right to own and bear arms are equally as strong in their belief in the First Amendment guarantees of free speech and assembly. They also hold this same zealous belief in the rights granted by the Fourth Amendment that "the people should also be secure in their persons, houses and papers," as well as the Ninth Amendment right that "certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Or the right retained by the people as granted by the Fourteenth Amendment or "equal protection clause." Yet they would seemingly be willing to sacrifice those zealous beliefs by allowing a restriction or complete denial of the Second Amendment rights.

 Sadly there can not or will there ever be a totally crime free and safe society and as the information becomes more available about the person who murdered all those people at Virginia Tech it is becoming more apparent that the shooter was in fact one of those undetected psychotics he would have probably found a way to wreak the havoc he did.. "Maybe not," anti-gun advocates might say but society everywhere and on April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech University would have been much better off if guns were outlawed.

 Let's look at this argument and take it to another scenario. It is 7:15AM on Monday April 17, 2017 at Virginia Tech, Harvard, USC, UCLA or any other University or College in America. There are no guns as they have been banned and confiscated many years ago. However, no matter what laws have been passed for the good or protection of public safety the evil and deranged psychopaths that plague and freely walk amongst us and are hell-bent on making a statement by wreaking havoc, anarchy, chaos and mayhem on the rest of the decent and unsuspecting unarmed populous on University campuses or in the cities where they are located are unaffected by those laws. It doesn't matter if those deranged persons are acting alone or in a small group or an organized terrorist cell all the gun control laws and a repeal of the 2^nd Amendment that had taken place will not protect us from them. Instead of having guns since they are no longer allowed their new weapons of choice may be back-packs, book bags or brief cases filled with explosives or perhaps poisonous or toxic materials. Since book bags, back-packs and brief cases are so common place they can and more than likely would go innocently unnoticed by students since most of them have one of those items. If either an individual or a group of persons detonate one or many of those items or release the toxins into the environment or water supply this time thousands, maybe millions could be murdered as they were on September 11, 2001. What will be the response or reaction to this murderous event?  If after a considerable amount of hand-wringing, finger pointing and meaningless rhetoric will we now demand to outlaw back-packs, book bags and brief cases? A ludicrous analogy you say? I believe an event such as this could very well happen in the not to distant future and is a probability rather than a far fetched possibility.

 Earlier I mentioned "our opinions are shaped by perceptions and one's personal life experiences." From this writer's viewpoint that is definitely true and why I believe further gun control is not the way to approach preventing future Virginia Tech occurrences.

 I suspect the next question directed to me because of my belief in my 2^nd Amendment rights would be, “alright then Mr. pro-gun and anti-gun control advocate what would you be saying if one of those murdered at Virginia Tech was your child or loved one? “I bet you would want new gun laws passed and would have a different opinion then.”

 "I am one of them and my heart goes out to those victims and their surviving families and friends," Mr. or Mrs. Anti-gun advocate! I lost my son to gun violence in 1993 and the weapon of choice used to murder him was a Glock 9 millimeter hand gun the same as what the murderer used at Virginia Tech. At that time there was already many tough on guns laws on the books including the Brady Act. All the control laws in the world did not prevent my son's murderer from illegally obtaining the hand gun he bought it from someone at a donut shop near our West San Fernando Valley home. This information came out during testimony at the trial of my son's murderer.

In the weeks, months and now years since the murder of my son in an effort to survive and deal with the overwhelming loss and grief that had been cast upon my family and me I found refuge in becoming active in various victim's rights organizations and grief support groups such as Parents of Murdered Children and Other Survivors of Homicide. I hope and pray that these new survivors of those murdered at Virginia Tech will seek solace and comfort from others who have suffered a loss like no other. I must caution them however as they are trying to survive this horrible ordeal many of their friends and even family members will not understand what they are experiencing and thinking they are helping will tell them to put this behind them and get on with their life. If only it was that easy but as we all know life does go on and they will be getting on with their life a day at a time, recovering from something that has happened and they had nothing to do with. Being a survivor of a murder victim isn't the same as being a recovering alcoholic or drug addict there isn't any twelve step programs to help get you through the ordeal. Needless to say after 14 years my wife, family, friends and I are still devastated and haunted by a senseless act committed by a deranged individual. The pain those students are experiencing and the families and friends as well as the communities where the victims were from will never go away completely. For them there can not be any so called closure even though that is a word the media and even mental health care professionals like to use much of the time.

 What this horrible carnage and loss of life at Virginia Tech has to me once again been made perfectly apparent is the utter and unimaginable grief, loss and sorrow that has been cast upon the Virginia Tech Campus and especially on the families and friends of those who lost a loved one to the shootings. While at the same time it has created a media feeding frenzy and bonanza for criminal profilers as well as psychologists and the anti-gun rights activists all coming out of the woodwork appearing on the talking head news shows most of the time their attention has been focused on the troubled mental state of the murderer. If you are one of those that sadly and needlessly lost someone on April 16, 2007 your pain and loss is being exacerbated by the (predictable) direction the dialogue has taken since then. You have become victims and your victimization is being exploited! The loved one or friend that has been lost is soon forgotten as though their life was lived in vain and only the murderer's mental state matters. I know this from experience. I have and continue to live with an overwhelming sense of grief and loss.

 Forget about closure this term will have very little if any meaning to you and doesn't really exist. It is only a term or word used by those who have never lost a loved one to murder and who feel uncomfortable at being around you because they know the next Virginia Tech or terrorist attack may affect them as it has each of you.

 I personally find no solace in being forced to give up my right to own a firearm for protection of my family or myself and will refuse to do so if it is allowed to come to that. Like the millions who are in America illegally snubbing their collective noses at and ignoring our laws being aided and abetted by spineless politicians of both parties and the ACLU  I will become one of them. I will simply ignore the law. I will not give up what may be the last line of defense available to me to protect my family and me from the psychopaths and criminals that walk freely about in our midst.

 So, "Where do we go from here?" Do we simply give in to the demands of those that want to pass laws that will render law-abiding citizens helpless and defenseless making them easy prey for violent predators? Or do we take a stand and fight to preserve our Second Amendment Right to bear arms? I for one choose to fight!

Crime Victims against Gun Control         

You can trust your government.

February 26, 2013

As early as tomorrow the Senate Judiciary Committee could vote to allow the anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment bills introduced by Senator Feinstein and other liberals to go to the floor of the United States Senate for a vote and ultimately approval by that body.

To many, the time is long overdue for new and more restrictive gun control laws be passed considering many of the mass shootings that have occurred in recent months. To say that killings of innocent children and others as well are reprehensible is true and must be addressed is the new mantra of the far left, the liberal mainstream media and the current administration. But at what cost to our constitutional rights as free citizens to bear arms for self defense and a right to resist by force if it comes to that the actions of a tyrannical government.

As I have written on this blog, many op-ed articles and essays as a survivor of a murdered son, killed by a criminal that bought his gun at a donut shop certainly didn't care about any existing gun control laws that were in effect, and to buy into the argument we need more of these laws that are not enforced as well as being unenforceable is ludicrous.

As a veteran and a firm believer that our federal government and many of our state ones as well true intent is to disarm the American public under the guise of protecting us from being harmed or killed by firearms. Contrary to this popular belief and misconception quite the opposite is true and the murder of my only son is the sad proof and testimony that an unarmed citizenry is a society that is easy prey for those that don't and won't obey gun control laws and it matters not if they are new, old or just an updated version of any of them.

As a victim and victim's rights advocate I have actively pursued laws that assure the violent elements in our society be held accountable for their violent acts committed against it. What I have found to be a sad and disconcerting fact of life when going before the federal or state governments to testify for passage of tough on crime and criminal laws, (notice I said crime and criminals not decent law-abiding citizens) is that the same liberal politicians, media and leftist organizations for the most part don't want criminals to be held accountable. Instead, they rationalize or focus on a fact that the offenders may come from an economically depressed or ethnic or racial class as the reason(s) they murder, rape, and inflict mayhem on society and shouldn't be held accountable.

While those that advocate what we really need is more, stricter gun control as the only  answer to ending violence they really need to listen to all victims of violent crimes considering their thoughts and opinions in addition to those victims that they hand-pick to support their attacks on not just the 2nd Amendment but all parts of the U.S. Constitution as Senator Feinstein and the current administration is doing.

A case in point, they should be asking for the advice of survivors of murdered loved ones whose murderers were juveniles, caught, tried, convicted and sentenced  to life in prison without the possibility of parole if they feel like they don't need to be able to defend themselves from those killers who now may become eligible to be released and once again able to prey upon an unsuspecting and unarmed society?

Couldn't happen you say? I wish I could agree with you but yes indeed it could and the liberal left politicians, media and organizations in California and I am sure other states will follow its lead has made it possible for it to happen. How is this possible, you can't be right?

Unfortunately it has happened as a result of a liberal California Democratic State Senator Leland Yee finally being able to get passage of his bill SB9 in California and then signed into law by the equally liberal and criminal rights oriented Governor Jerry Brown. What this bill has accomplished is nothing short of a total and immoral subversion of justice that was handed down that hit the victim's like a sledge hammer. It's sort of like all of a sudden our government buys into the argument and logic of other American and Israel hating governments  that deny the holocaust ever happened.

Under the new SB9 in California it essentially overturns the sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole that were handed down by the trial courts to violent juvenile offenders whose murders they committed were so heinous and horrific they would have received a death penalty sentence had they been over 18 years old at the time they committed them. Now these violent offenders will be given a second chance at life outside of prison by making them eligible for parole consideration. I can tell you as a father that lost a son to a juvenile I wish he could be given a second chance at life.

Currently, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is sending out informational letters to the survivors of murdered loved ones notifying them of the newly legislated and law that is effective giving their loved ones murderers a second chance. I am pasting in a copy of the letter and as you read it I want you to put yourself into the position of being one of those persons and families that will receive this letter who in many cases it has been years since they had to endure the process of going through the trial of their loved one's murderer and thought that justice had been served and they could now begin to rebuild their lives as best they could because, I can assure you for them there can never be closure and this is re-victimizing them all over again.

So, Mr. President, Vice President, Senator Feinstein, you want to take and make me to give up my firearms as I don't need them while you and your leftist elitists are going to give our loved ones murderers a second chance? I DON'T THINK SO!

Crime Victims Against Gun Control

 

OFFICE OF VICTIM AND SURVIVOR RIGHTS AND SERVICES P.O. Box 942883 Sacramento, CA  94283-0001

 

RE:       John Doe

CDC#: AF1234

 

This letter is being sent for informational purposes regarding the passage of a new law that may affect the above offender for which you are on file to receive notice of changes to the offender’s status. Senate Bill (SB) 9 was approved in September 2012. This bill authorizes an offender who was: under 18 years of age at the commitment of the offense, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and having served 15 years of that sentence, to submit a petition to the sentencing court for recall and re sentencing provided they meet all eligibility criteria and considerations. This bill does not allow an offender to petition the courts if he/she tortured his/her victim(s) or if the victim(s) was a public safety official.

 

If an offender meets all the criteria in the initiative he/she may petition the courts for re sentencing and if the courts find the statements in the petition to be accurate there will be a hearing held to consider recall/re sentencing of the offender. The victims and/or victims’ family members will still have the right to participate in this hearing.

 

Our office will work with the county courts and the District Attorney’s offices throughout the state to ensure your rights to notification and restitution are upheld.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding this letter, please contact our office at 1-877-256-6877.  For information regarding the status of an offender’s petition you can contact the District Attorney’s office in the sentencing county. In addition, attached is an informational handout on SB 9 and contact information for District Attorney’s Offices throughout California.  

 

Sincerely,

Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services

Attachments

 

Cc: County District Attorney’s Office