I used to think about guns sort of the way I thought about tattoos. I thought they were pretty cool (when used legally and responsibly), but never really for me.

But in today’s political climate with this push to grab rights (gun rights, free speech rights, free press rights), I’m now realizing that the 2nd amendment is more important than ever. If we lose that right, I feel certain that more rights lost are coming.

This country is at a dangerous crossroads where some politicians are taking advantage of a mostly sleeping populace to enforce some sort of agenda that will lead to less freedom for ordinary citizens.

I recently obtained my concealed carry pistol permit in St. Lawrence County because I feel it’s my duty to exercise this right. If you don’t use it, you lose it - as the old saying goes.

I want to thank North Country Now for being a platform for voices on both sides of these issues. It’s refreshing to hear what everyday people from this area have to say on these matters instead of the same old messages from the mainstream media’s talking heads.

There’s another old saying that I think bears repeating: Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Brian Mandigo

Ogdensburg