I have been discussing gun “control” with a friend. Apparently, some people think there needs to be stricter gun laws. I say bad people circumvent the system, and more laws penalize good people. While I understand the desire to keep automatic weapons out of the hands of dangerous people, is it realistic to think that a few laws will stop them? What we need to be doing, is teaching people how to defend themselves AND have strict penalties for breaking the common sense laws we have, such as “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. I do think capital punishment should be exercised with caution, and while due process is taking place the “incriminated” should not be pampered with cable TV and weight lifting rooms.
An analogy I often refer to is that we know more people die in auto accidents every year than are killed with guns (accidentally, or otherwise). And if life has such a high value for those opposed to gun ownership, or any restricted ownership, why do they not wish to ban driving! Especially when people are willing to drive while intoxicated and put others in harms way (whether they hit any one or not!).
The fact remains, people kill people, not guns. If we taught more people how to use guns and respect a gun for it’s power then I believe we will see a decline in shootings, especially if we allow our citizens to be armed. Consider martial arts…we advocate learning them for the sake of defense. People do not go around purposely trying to harm others, just because they know a martial art. Understanding leads to respect. Respect leads to proper use.
It’s time to get our collective heads out of the sand, and apply common sense principals to our lives like the great generations before us.
Do you think I am right?
