I understand the gun culture -- people who like or need to hunt; people who want personal weapon(s) for self-protection; people who like to collect firearms. My understanding is intellectual, not visceral. To draw an analogy, I understand the appeal of fashion, but I am not motivated by it. I understand the appeal of guns, but I am not motivated by it.
I believe most gun owners don’t understand the deep disgust that NRA zealots can induce in non-gun owners. To this day, the memory of Charlton Heston waving a flintlock at an NRA convention, saying that “We’re got the guns!”, causes me to shudder.
I believe there is no reason at all – none whatsoever – for private ownership of rapid-fire weapons, high-capacity weapons, speed loaders, or bulletproof vests and body armor.
I believe that gun owners are as afraid as I am, generally, of getting shot, or having their family slaughtered. I suspect that most of them are like me, hoping to be protected by the police; some (my guess is about thirty percent) are armed, themselves, because they don’t think the police can be counted on to do it.
I believe that criminals can always get guns; all society can do is make it hard for them to do so.
I believe that there are times when a victim could have saved themselves, had they been armed.
I believe that requiring gun owners to register, and guns to be secured, will not end random acts of violence. Reduce it, probably; end it, no.
I believe that most gun owners believe that gun registration would not significantly reduce gun violence. I also believe that some percentage of gun owners believe that gun registration a) would expose them to having their weapons summarily confiscated, b) would expose them to being the first-attacked in any wave of insurgency, and/or c) is a violation of the second amendment.
Finally:
I believe that people cause violence; guns just facilitate it.
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Interesting article: www.theage.com.au/
4 comments:
Gosh Bill, I'm trying hard to be with you on your point of view but I believe Sick people will find ways to do their destructive harm, whether it be a gun or what freaks me out, Tasers and drugs to impair a persons ability to defend themselves. I feel safer personally being able to defend myself from a distance.
It's a shame that we as a civilized human race have to even think about this, But in reality we do.
If just one person could have been able to pluck off that gunman it could have saved many lives, No one could because our laws don't allow us to in the schools licensed or not.
Where were the metal detectors, Gun sniffing dogs and security during this time?
I'm teaching my kids and grandkids the responsibility of gun ownership and their rights also. We do abide by our laws and most of the time we are protected by them, Sometimes we are not and there's little we can do about it. It's a shame.
Your last paragraph is constantly what my dh talks about. He hesitated to register his rifles because he was sure then that once the government knew you were in pocession of them, they'd come confiscate them. A couple years ago, there was a huge uproar about this, here, but like the good person my hubby is .. he abided by the law and registered. Put out big bucks to make sure he was doing things legally.
I know this subject is much like trying to discuss religion. There are many people that believe many things and it's touchy to talk about. I applaud you for opening this 'can of worms' and thanks for letting me say my piece on your space too.
S -- You're absolutely right -- people WILL find ways to do damage. They can be deterred, but not stopped entirely.
As for protection, nothing wrong with that at all. Tasers, pepper spray -- they're non lethal. There's even nothing wrong with lethal protection, so long as the person with the lethal protection's been checked out via a registration process. Will that screen all the whackos? Nope. And it won't catch the people who are normal today and freak out tomorrow. But it WILL catch the people who are freaked out right now...or have a track record of doing violence.
Registration won't catch the loose guns, and it won't stop the criminals. But confiscation of unregistered guns will help limit the supply, and registration will slow down the criminals. Thats what I'm asking. I'll be honest: would I like to see all the guns off the street? Sure would. Is that my goal? No. Staying alive, my family staying alive -- thats my goal.
You're also right about 'if one person had been able to get that guy'. Thats what we have cops for, and, this time, they failed. Now, do I want to be in a situation with a lot of excited people, not trained in handling a gun in that situation? Well, no. I don't trust them. But if that were my only choice, no cops around? Then, yes. Its a matter of whats available, whats more dangerous, what works. So if someone hauled off and killed that guy, great! Only, he'd better be damned sure he shot the right guy...and he'd better not accidentally shoot anyone else while he was trying to get a shot at him. He's a hero if he makes the shot. He's a murderer if he doesn't. Cops are protected against that. Civilians aren't. And even trained cops flinch, and miss, under stress. So, choose carefully.
Responsible gun ownership is an excellent idea. I applaud the NRA for pushing that idea. What I detest them for is saying 'so, having done that, we need do nothing else'. Guys, if you're pushing guns, you're pushing killing. You have to do more than training people who want the training in firearms safety and storage. You have to prove to me that you're working to keep the whackos and sickos away from your lethal weapons. And that, I don't see them doing.
I understand the fear of honest people that if they tell the government, they'll lose the guns. I don't have a good answer for that, because its a real possibility. It comes down to whether you trust them. I know of good reasons not to. Frankly, if I knew you had an unregistered gun, and you kept it secured, I wouldn't tell a soul. But if you didn't, or if I thought you were likely to use it against me -- hello, police?
What kills me is that there doesn't seem to be a middle ground on this. I think there has to be. If not, if it becomes my right to be sure someone's not going to take a shot at me against your right to target shoot, or hunt for dinner, or collect old weapons -- I know which way I'd go. Even knowing that the odds were WAY high that no one's going to shoot me.
After all, what do you think those students would have said if you asked if they thought they'd live out the day?
BTW -- though I probably don't need to say this -- none of this means I'm a gun-grabber. I hope thats apparent.
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