TheLastManInAmerica

I ain’t no politician

I am a citizen

And I wonder if I’m livin’

Too far out of bounds

         “Too Much to Ask”- Bad Religion (1992) 

            As a citizen, a level-headed, tax paying, working-class, citizen, I wonder if it’s me or the others guilty of living outside the lines. Am I guilty of wanting to keep a right bestowed to me through fortune of my nation of birth? Or are the others guilty for wanting to take it away because they “don’t understand” the point of owning a gun? The headline of the Tacoma News Tribune read “Hallelujah. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition,” when the Supreme Court ruled that gun ownership is an individual right, in effect, painting all gun owners as God-fearing conservatives, clinging to their firearms out of bitterness or whatever other liberal pigeonholes you want to hurl at them. But this atheistic moderate sees it as nothing other than wanting to keep a right given to him; for whatever reason you may see it as being allotted, it was given to me and it’s not something that should be taken lightly or away.

The second amendment is a matter of such fierce debate that it can hardly discussed between friends with differing opinions without voices raising and estimations being lobbied strongly back and forth. They say it’s all in how you interpret the amendment, when you come to your conclusion on whether it’s an individual’s right to own a gun or if it was written to ensure a “well regulated militia” was always at the ready. Nevertheless, the closing line decrees that it is the “right of the People” to own firearms, just as it is the right of the people to Free Speech, just as it is the right of the People to Due Process. No one has questioned these immutable rights but the right to keep and bear arms always seems to come under fire (sorry for that).

As if killing was invented with the first production of firearms, most opposed to gun ownership insist that it leads to more crime. In stark contrast to this supposition is story of Washington D.C where guns have long been banned, even in the home. But this prohibition only raises questions when juxtaposed with the fact that our nation’s capitol has also maintained one of the highest murder rates during this time. Another challenge to those who bare arms is the studies that show a gun in the home increases the risk of being shot and killed by a family member during a heated dispute. And by the way, having a car in the home increases your risk of a traffic accident! These studies are obviously biased against gun ownership. If thought about you’ll come to the conclusion that any argument that would compel someone to kill a friend or family member, or a spouse’s lover, will be minutely influenced by the presence of a gun. All the gun will influence is the choice of weapon and that’s because it’s the most impersonal and surest way to kill someone.

I think of it the way I think about illegal drugs. A lot of good that does, right? The simple fact is that if guns are banned, the people who aren’t supposed to have them will have them. And the average citizen will be at a disadvantage as the criminals that are packing heat will know every house they pass is, at best, defended by a knife. And how will these criminals manage to get their hands on these weapons? The same way drugs are obtained: through the trafficking of illegal goods. And as the criminal element continues their machinations, committing everyday crimes with guns, this new, or expanded, factor of gun trafficking will send gun crimes higher.

So that takes care of crime, but what about accidental shootings? We’ve all heard of children accidentally shooting themselves or friends after taking out a parent’s gun from the closet, or a man injuring himself while cleaning his pistol. Accidents are matters lacking education. Growing up, I was taught by my father that EVERY GUN IS LOADED. Whether I just picked it up or he just handed it to me after checking it himself in front of me, it’s up to me to check for myself that that gun is empty. I was also taught to NEVER point a gun at anyone, whether loaded or not. It’s much like learning to drive, you need to respect what it is your operating and know the consequences if you don’t treat it with such respect.

I’m all for gun control that takes place before a gun is obtained just don’t tell me what to do inside my own home or tell me I can’t own something I have a right to own. I don’t care at all about having to wait a week to pick up a gun I’ve purchased and, hell, if longer background checks would in some way cut down on gun crimes, I’d be all for it! I also think that gun owners should take some accountability and do what they can to keep guns away from kids (and adults) that aren’t properly educated to be handling them. The truth is we can’t hope to eliminate gun crime and eliminating guns themselves isn’t going to help and might only add to it. Before guns, man used knives and swords to rob and kill, before that it was rocks and clubs; and prior to that when the ancient progenitors of Man walked the earth, they used their teeth. It is Human Nature to do the things that guns are accused of encouraging and no government law banning guns will override the Laws of Nature.      

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