The events in Newtown have many of us thinking about the horrors of gun violence.
That’s when the NRA springs into action, trotting out its ballistic mantra, one of the most egregious dodges of our time: it’s not guns that kill people, it’s people who kill people.
Hmm. So it must be equally true that it’s not can openers that open cans, it’s people who open cans.
Go try opening a can without a can opener.
And go try killing someone without a gun, the weapon of choice for murderers, who like to keep their hands clean and value the savage efficiency of rapid fire guns and exploding bullets.
Indeed, guns are, at the very least, guilty by association. If we do not contain them, it will not be going over the budgetary cliff that will ruin us so much as a firearms induced state of poisonous incivilty.
Let’s talk to each other and our political representatives as much as possible about new gun laws, including reliable background checks, a ban on assault rifles and large bullet clips as well as more attention and resources for mental health issues.
If not now, then when?
I think that if we were to frame the issue differently: for example, instead of emphasizing gun "control", we highlight instead the importance of gun "safety" -a public health issue- we would be more cogent in our arguments against the availability of guns in this society.
ReplyDeleteCha Sen makes an important point. The majority of Americans support looser gun controls so banning weapons seems unlikely. But gun safety, as she suggests, is an idea that could gain ground with a majority of citizens. Much could be done including the use of trigger lock technologies, marking bullets so they can be matched with the gun used in a shooting. We could ask people to pass a gun safety exam as a condition for gun licensure just as we require that would be drivers pass a safe driving test as a condition of licensure. The back ground checks should be key, not as a means of gun control but keeping guns out of the hands of felons and individuals with severe mental illness. In addition, the banning of automatic firearms should only allowed in the military.
DeleteIf there is a will to protect second amendment rights, while protecting the public from irrational uses of guns much can be done.