Dangerous Visions
Our country's name is the United States of America. That's the only thing on which we agree. We are a deeply divided nation, and nowhere is this more apparent than the reaction to the recent tragedy in Aurora, Colorado.
The facts are simple: a heavily armed man shot up a crowded theater for no readily apparent reason, killing twelve people and wounding many more. The immediate reaction of one segment of society was, "This could have been prevented. We need better gun control. There is no reason anyone needs to have the kind of armament this young man had." The instant reaction of another segment was, "This could have been prevented. Why weren't any of the other people in the theater armed? Someone with a concealed carry permit could have taken this nut out before he killed so many."
Personally, I lean strongly towards the first group. I do not own a gun. I am not a member of a state militia. I am not my country's last line of defense against marauding invaders. I pay my taxes and support my local police. When danger threatens, I call them. They are trained professionals.
Moreover, I am a city dweller. From my window I can practically pass a plate of spaghetti to my neighbor's house. If either of us discharged a weapon in our homes, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the other could be hit. My neighborhood is full of playing children, and because our yards are small, they play in the street. Again, the opportunities for tragedy are plentiful.
I received some basic gun safety training when I was licensed to carry. I learned that the majority of gun-related deaths in this country are suicides, by a margin of over 2 to 1. I learned that almost half of all gunshot wounds are inflicted by accident. And I learned that carrying is at least as dangerous to you as to any criminal you might face, because it can get taken away from you and used against you.
Only on TV does anyone ever react appropriately during a firefight. Only on TV do the good guys double-tap the baddies, who are usually graduates of the Star Wars Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy. In reality, even the trained professionals make tragic mistakes, like this poor cop did last weekend in Rochester.
Some of my friends lean strongly towards the second point of view. The right to bear arms is one of the Freedoms that are protected and preserved by arms-bearing citizens. They point to Anders Breivik in Norway last year, who killed 77 people in a country with much more stringent gun laws than we have. They speak of how much safer they feel knowing they've got a Glock or two at home, in the trunk, tucked into their waistbands.
Like this guy from Maine, for example.
Guns don't kill people. People with guns kill people.
The facts are simple: a heavily armed man shot up a crowded theater for no readily apparent reason, killing twelve people and wounding many more. The immediate reaction of one segment of society was, "This could have been prevented. We need better gun control. There is no reason anyone needs to have the kind of armament this young man had." The instant reaction of another segment was, "This could have been prevented. Why weren't any of the other people in the theater armed? Someone with a concealed carry permit could have taken this nut out before he killed so many."
Personally, I lean strongly towards the first group. I do not own a gun. I am not a member of a state militia. I am not my country's last line of defense against marauding invaders. I pay my taxes and support my local police. When danger threatens, I call them. They are trained professionals.
Moreover, I am a city dweller. From my window I can practically pass a plate of spaghetti to my neighbor's house. If either of us discharged a weapon in our homes, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the other could be hit. My neighborhood is full of playing children, and because our yards are small, they play in the street. Again, the opportunities for tragedy are plentiful.
I received some basic gun safety training when I was licensed to carry. I learned that the majority of gun-related deaths in this country are suicides, by a margin of over 2 to 1. I learned that almost half of all gunshot wounds are inflicted by accident. And I learned that carrying is at least as dangerous to you as to any criminal you might face, because it can get taken away from you and used against you.
Only on TV does anyone ever react appropriately during a firefight. Only on TV do the good guys double-tap the baddies, who are usually graduates of the Star Wars Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy. In reality, even the trained professionals make tragic mistakes, like this poor cop did last weekend in Rochester.
Some of my friends lean strongly towards the second point of view. The right to bear arms is one of the Freedoms that are protected and preserved by arms-bearing citizens. They point to Anders Breivik in Norway last year, who killed 77 people in a country with much more stringent gun laws than we have. They speak of how much safer they feel knowing they've got a Glock or two at home, in the trunk, tucked into their waistbands.
Like this guy from Maine, for example.
Guns don't kill people. People with guns kill people.