I’m writing now in the wake of another tragic shooting here
in the United States. For most of us, we
have never experienced the current pandemic of senseless violence that we read about
and visualize every day. I challenge you
to find a newspaper tomorrow morning, or listen to a news broadcast, that will
not report on dark and pernicious inclinations and accomplishments of evil
practitioners.
If that challenge is not sufficient, then find an American
over the age of 70 to attest that the world is better today than it was during
his youth.
I listened to the every word that President Obama said at
the ceremony honoring the fallen Navy Shipyard personnel. He spoke well, and his reference to
congressional inaction with regard to gun violence didn’t trouble me at
all. It was beyond shameful when craven
congressman couldn’t pass any piece of legislation in the wake of the Newtown
catastrophe. This was a bipartisan
failure that broke congress’s already abysmal performance level.
I’ve never been a gun control supporter, and I’m
still not persuaded by their arguments. I do believe that some
classes of weaponry should not qualify as an absolute constitutional right of law
abiding citizenry. Should folks be able
to purchase unlimited numbers of weapons and ammunition? Explain why background checks somehow don’t
apply to gun shows and ‘private sales’? I have some flexibility on these issues.
Although I would support some restrictions on gun ownership,
I do not accept the views of gun control zealots that lack of restrictions
are responsible for recurrent episodes of senseless violence. Somehow, these folks demonize the NRA while
they give a free pass to Hollywood, the video gaming industry and the music
business, all of whom bathe us with violence every single day. Do we believe that the media can’t influence
us, especially those of us whom might be vulnerable? To those who deny that media can influence
our behaviors, explain why gazillions are spent on advertising for this very
purpose.
Is the NRA a Scapegoat?
Criminals will not surrender their weapons or fail to
procure new ones because of more restrictive laws. These guys do not obey laws. That’s why we call them criminals. Get it?
Outlawing assault rifles – red meat for the gun control
crowd – will keep these guns from law abiding citizens, not others. And, even honest gun control fanatics admit
that these classes of weapons account for a very small percentage of violent
American deaths, which are largely caused by handguns. That’s
where our collective outrage should be focused, although this is a more difficult and elusive target.
I’m hostile to the argument that’s often issued as a
question, “Who needs an assault rifle”? The fact that it is a right means that there
is a legal entitlement that doesn’t require an explanation for exercising
it. How often do courts permit speech,
for example, that many of us don’t understand the purpose or need for its expression. Indeed,
having a right means you don’t need an explanation.
I am aware that no constitutional right is absolute
including the Second Amendment. Personally, I do not feel that I should be entitled to purchase
unlimited numbers of any kind of weapon available. But, if I did so, I don’t think that I would
be threatening the fabric of America society.
As far as keeping guns from the mentally ill, a goal that
every thinking person supports, explain how you would do this. I don’t have a clue. What’s your definition of mental illness with
regard to this issue? Depression? ADHD?
Having seen a psychiatrist or a counselor in the past year? On Paxil or similar medicines? Being regarded as a loner in school? Being moody?
Should a family history of mental illness be relevant?
While there have been obvious lapses in mental health that
we should address, it’s an easier task to look backwards after a catastrophe
has occurred and recognize missed opportunities than it is to do so
prospectively.
I vigorously support stronger background checks, even if
this is not a proven remedy for reducing gun violence. These are guns, not toothbrushes. Guns
can hurt people. Stronger background
checks by themselves would not restrict weapons that eligible folks can
purchase and should be palatable to the pro gun crowd, in my view. I am
perplexed that one can purchase a weapon and not be required to have sufficient
training in its safe use and storage. Cars
can hurt people if not used properly.
You cannot obtain a driver’s license without demonstrating that you know
the rules of the road and can manage the vehicle safely. Should we relax these requirements?
The explanations for the horrible violence that is our new
reality are deep and complex. Gun ownership
may be an easy target, but I think that this argument misses the mark.
What do you think?
Do you think that the primary reason that so many thousands of murders
occur in America each year is because of lax gun laws? While I’m willing to listen, that argument
is no bull’s-eye for me.