If you follow us on Instagram or browse our website, you’ll notice a lot of guns in our photographs. It’s a statement that can be taken in many ways, but we hope to make it clear. As an American company, we at Gear’d Hardware believe in exercising the freedoms that our country provides. Being allowed to express ourselves and protect what is ours are core principles of our constitution, more specifically, the amendments. 

10 amendments form our Bill of Rights, and one in particular concerns guns— The Second Amendment. There is plenty of controversy surrounding gun rights, but we at Gear’d Hardware proudly stand in support of them.

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms. . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” — Jefferson`s “Commonplace Book,” 1774-1776, quoting from On Crimes and Punishment, by Criminologist Cesare Beccaria, 1764

Although many people may disagree, history doesn’t lie. When good guys are disarmed, villains take advantage of the situation. Rules don’t control the criminals, only law abiding citizens. With an unarmed population, crime rises. 

Science and statistics support this sentiment. This Harvard Study raises a convincing argument over the negative impact of gun control: “Nations with stringent anti-gun laws generally have substantially higher murder rates than those that do not.” 1

Not only are more guns correlated to lower crime rates, it’s also a defense against political corruption and violence. Within the last 100 years, over 58 million people were exterminated by their government shortly after gun laws were enforced. The Second Amendment protects our rights and safety in so many ways.

Demonizing guns is a fatal error, literally! When we choose to blame the weapon instead of the cause of violence, we don’t solve the problem. Media focuses on gun restrictions and legislation instead of America’s growing mental health crisis. Failure to provide adequate health care to citizens is creating a sick society, leading to an increase in mass shootings, murder, and suicide.

Choosing to solve violence by eliminating guns is like making pastries, soda, and candies illegal to end diabetes and obesity (which leads to over 3 million deaths per year). 

Now, more than ever, we need to keep our focus on what matters most-- Above all else, the health and safety of ourselves, our family, friends, and neighbors should be our number one priority. Dividing ourselves by opinions or discrimination is counterproductive. We are all Americans, and united is how we get shit done. 

“The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that is good.”

-George Washington

1. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy (pp. 649-694). Volume 30, Number 2: