Like Columbine.
Like Virginia Tech.
And after each one, we said, "This time, this time, we'll finally do something about it."
And yet, nothing ever happens.
Or, as noted in this article:
"Each time we have a truly horrible incident involving firearms in this country like Virginia Tech, it merely raises the bar in terms of what shocks us as a nation. Now we can have what happened in Tucson on Saturday, and we will have moved on within a week."
The mainstream news media are again discussing how we can impose reasonable gun controls to prevent such tragedies from happening. And they're also discussing barriers to such gun control, including political apathy as well as the power of the National Rifle Association in Congress.
But I also know that guns are widely available in America, highly marketed, and virtually anyone can get one (even a person obviously suffering from mental illness, as in the case of Arizona killer Jared Loughner).
There is no easy answer to the problem of gun violence in America, as award-winning film-maker Michael Moore showed in his film, Bowling for Columbine.
I also know that one reason these attacks are so lethal is because the failure of Congress to extend the so-called "assault weapons ban" that would have restricted the type of ammunition one could purchase -- specifically the number of bullets in a single clip. Clearly, one can kill fewer people with a clip of 15 bullets than one with 30 bullets.
This reminds me of a famous Chris Rock stand up routine. "We don't need no gun control. What we need is some bullet control."
Yes, something should be done to keep the lunatics from getting their hands on guns and going berserk. However, guns don't kill people, people kill people with guns. As a CJ major and gun owner, I think people should be allowed to have as many guns as they want as long as they have the proper paperwork for each weapon.
ReplyDeleteAn intelligent person that has the safety of others in mind will keep their firearms either hidden or in a locked gun safe. That way pissed off teenagers won't take them and do something stupid (aka Columbine and countless other school shootings).
Educating children earlier in life will teach them to respect guns as well as how to properly handle them. That way when they find a well hidden gun they will be less likely to injure themselves or others.
For clarification, are you Wade C from class or is this a different person?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's me.
ReplyDelete