I do not wish to take away your guns
I do not wish to ban guns
It may not seem this way for what follows, but I actually believe in the right to keep and bear arms. I just have a lot of reservations.
The aftermath of a mass shooting
Those asking FOR gun control (these words do NOT mean "ban"!) are trying to find ways to STOP MURDER. Those who immediately respond with cries of second amendment rights, mental illness as the real problem, "You want to take away our guns!", "If you ciminalize guns, only criminals will have guns!", etc, sound like they are not interested in STOPPING MURDER.Maybe those gun advocates who speak for all gun owners should re-evaluate their thought process. When you dismiss the conversations to STOP MURDER, are you actually CONDONING MURDER? You want to say no, of course, but if you are not focusing on the murders that just occurred and instead talking about gun rights, what are you saying? Do you not believe that we deserve to have a conversation? Do you not believe there is any association whatsoever? Can you really deny the fact that these mass murders are worse because they are happening at the end of a gun instead of some horrible person coming up with a way to stab or poison 50 people all at once? (There are a lot of article supporting the idea that using a gun removes the killer from the personalization of an attack, thereby making it easier for them to kill many than if they had actual blood on their hands, but that's cherry picking data so I won't use it as anything other than a "common sense" argument.)
Asking gun owners to register their weapons is like asking drivers to register their cars. Requiring vigorous licensing process to prove you understand gun safety and are not a risk to others is like asking you not to drink and drive. Asking you to lock up your weapons is like asking you to lock your doors in an unsafe neighborhood. How do these things which may very well HELP to STOP certain MURDERS from occurring really hurt RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS? You say you are a responsible gun owner, but you don't want to be asked to lock up your guns, register your weapons, or prove your ability to use a gun properly. Are you sure you are responsible? Maybe you are responsible, but you don't like the idea of proving it. But why should I trust you? Why should your lack of trust in registering your weapons, etc, be more important that my lack of trust in you?
What most gun advocates don't realize is that they are repeating the words of the NRA, an organization run by wealthy zealots. Why are you questioning the government, the food industry, and the medical industry, (also run by wealthy zealots) but you refuse to question the NRA?
Frontline: Gunned Down
Transcript, if you prefer to read.
In a way, these shootings are a crime of opportunity. If your neighbor gets robbed and then admits he doesn't lock his front door, what do you think? HONESTLY. Maybe you don't think it is his fault, but you wonder if he could have prevented it. You probably have less sympathy. Maybe you do blame him. Now imagine that person had guns, not locked up, that were stolen and used in a crime. IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. Don't we lock our cars and houses in an attempt to prevent a violation of our property? Don't we teach our kids to look both ways before crossing the street to prevent losing them? Don't we do a million things to prevent bad things from happening? Why is it so wrong to suggest that gun owners take steps to prevent MURDER.
The Second Amendment
The second amendment of the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "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."
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 history and reality of this law might be interesting to note. I don't typically think Wikipedia is the most reliable resource out there, but it's also not bad, especially for the point that I am making, which includes the reason this amendment was added to our Constitution and the politics behind it.
Why do gun enthusiasts think that creating laws that allow you to own your weapons, but may prevent MASS MURDER is limiting your freedom. Your freedom is in RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP, not allowing MURDER to occur.
It's easy to get hung up on that word "infringe". Cambridge defines it thusly: To act in a way that is against a law or that limits someone’s rights or freedom.
Silencing the Conversation
Stop trying to silence the conversation asking for sensible gun control by crying about your second amendment rights. It does not grant immunity from laws that look to ask you to restrict gun ownership.Many comments are designed to stop the conversation. (Only criminals will have guns) (mental health issues). We need to stop ending the conversation. If you do not have a solution to the problem, then talking about 2nd amendment rights and spouting NRA propaganda is not helping. The liberals are asking for ways to STOP MURDER. The conservatives sound like they are not interested in STOPPING MURDER when they dismiss the conversation with these propaganda statements.
I understand that those who obtain their guns for personal use, hunting, etc, don't want to be "punished" for the actions of the "crazies" who commit these active shooter situations, but I also don't think I should be paying higher car insurance rates because of those who are uninsured, underinsured, or those who drive drunk. You're demented if you think drunk drivers don't have a factor in your auto insurance rates. Hell, if I have a sports car, I automatically pay more because other sports car drivers are more likely to speed or drive recklessly. If I drive like a saint, I still pay a high rate. (Yes, some companies are trying to change that with "snapshot" discounts, but those discounts come off of an already inflated rate, so you're still somewhat responsible for what other drivers do.)
I don't like paying more at the grocery store to make up for theft, but we all do that every day (except those who steal!) It's just part of the reality of a situation. You cannot own a gun without being asked to be an adult. Being an adult means car insurance, mortgage or rent (which can also increase based on bad tennants or those who don't pay their mortgage), buying groceries, and should probably mean a much stiffer system for obtaining guns. This definitely DOES NOT mean that responsible adults should not be allowed to obtain guns. See how that works? No one is taking anything away or trying to stop you, the responsible gun owner, from getting more guns.
We just want to have a conversation.
And if you think the solutions being offered to help the situation (licensing, registration, full background checks that are completed before the release of a gun sale, requiring the same things at a gun show) are NOT the solution, then PLEASE come up with another solution instead of STOPPING the conversation by bringing up the second amendment, criminals, and the other red herrings that do not offer a solution.
Because currently, it is this easy to obtain a gun legally and then kill a bunch of people.
Also: 6 Things Americans Should Know About Mass Shootings
If this doesn't rip your heart to pieces:
I hope anyone who ever considers shooting someone sees this.
Consider this:
I am very tired, it's past my bedtime, and I hope this all made sense...
