It's sad today. We know tragedy happens everyday, but with the speed information travels today, we know instantly when something bad happens. And because we have such tremendous coverage of these negative events, some of us get so immersed in it we feel that we're actually there. But we're not, and weren't.
The recent shootings, particularly in Connecticut, will once again call the resonant voice of the anti-gun population. Claiming that innocent lives were taken by guns, and they should be banned. Or some sort of similar rhetoric.
2nd Amendment: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
The anti-gun populace is aiming their efforts incorrectly. Do not challenge the Bill of Rights, removing our right to own firearms. Firearms aren't the issue. The misuse of firearms is the issue. The crackpot, the emotionally unhinged, the spontaneous person is what needs to be controlled.
Instead of fighting the NRA and the Founding Fathers, anti-gun efforts should be focused on getting the wrong guns out of the hands of the wrong people. Illegal arms carried by criminals and ex-felons. It's up to the courts to determine "well regulated" so there's plenty that can be handled on that front. Mandatory training. A federal permitting process. More severe penalties for committing crimes with legally or illegally obtained guns. Focus on strengthening the laws and the court system that punish law breakers. It's ridiculous that a felon can be set free on appeal just because a paper was filed wrong.
The money saved from lobbying- on both sides of the argument- could be better spent lobbying for more police, better citizen training, better security in public spaces.
A person who shoots up a school, theater, or mall may be somewhat dissuaded if they don't have access to a firearm. Maybe they choose a knife. Or drive their car through a drive-thru. Or they could be uber-determined and rent a U-Haul. All are horrible, deplorable actions of society's worst; but what is preventable? None. It's just managing body count (that may be a bit caustic, but someone will play the numbers game). No matter what restrictions are in place, someone will always find a way to get a gun, explosives, or whatever.
You can pick and pull numbers from anywhere that compare gun fatalities to drunk driving, or work deaths, or cancer, or any number of equally horrible things. That doesn't change the fact that the Bill of Rights says we can have guns. We have the right to pursue Life, Liberty, and Happiness. Guns enable responsible people to protect life, ensure liberty, and (a bit glib here) be happy shooting those guns (at a controlled shooting facility).
