Lets Talk About Gun Control

Let's Talk About Gun Control

Why not?

Why is it that gun control has become political poison? Since when do thirty thousand deaths (2004, US) go unnoticed, unmentioned, unanswered in our nit-picking, privacy smearing political process. We have debated endless hours over race and immigration, we have created another national movement over a war that has costs thousands of American lives over the last five years, and yet we cringe from mentioning the (let's say it again) thirty thousand deaths that occurred in a single calendar year.

Sure there are groups, sure there is legislation. There are speeches and the wringing of hands. There are local programs, amnesties and trade-ins. But we as Americans have as yet to come to terms with the fact that guns are bad things to have around, in home or pocket or purse. We cling to the questionable constitutional notion that somehow having the right to bear arms makes us more free. And perhaps in an age of flintlock rifles and muskets it could almost make a sense, especially in a time when we were afraid of government and the footsteps of the British King were everywhere. Those days are gone.

We have become much more advanced in our weaponry.

Yet not even the assault weapons ban has proved safe. Who, just who, may I be so bold as to ask, came up with the notion that a weapon that can kill a large number of people in a very short time is a good thing? That there is any law or statute or document that can give legitimacy to that idea? How is it that we can be convinced that removing these weapons from circulation would somehow hinder our freedom?

Why do we hand so many citizens the right to carry a deadly weapon, even a concealed deadly weapon into a public place, pretty as can be, with no repercussions? For protection, for God's sake? For protection? How is it that we think so little of such a grievous public threat? This is that old Archie Bunker thing about stopping highjacking "by arming all the passengers." Jeez, I guess when the insurgency comes, all the insurgents will be ready to go. Oh that's right, we have racial profiling to protect us from guys named Mohammed. Or Kaczynki.