Life Along The Border
The more I read the local news the more this state seems like bad fiction. There's a bill in the AZ state legislature to make the Colt 45 Revolver the 'Official State Gun of Arizona.'
In Glendale a single man purchased nearly 200 assault rifles, dozens of handguns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition over several months .... from the same store. Apparently they did not think one man buying 232 weapons was suspicious. The owner claims the guy assured him they were for "personal use." The Lone Wolf Gun Shop is being investigated by the ATF. The guns are most likely in a Mexican drug war.
It's easier to buy a gun in Arizona than a pack of smokes. There are no waiting periods, no background checks, and no need to understand firearm safety. They will check your ID as closely as they do at the convenience store. There's also no law requiring gun shops to report mass weapons purchases, like two dozen AK-47's every month by the same shifty character. WTF? It seems like a simple precaution to a common man like me.
I have no problem with the second amendment and people having handguns in their home, guns for hunting or other sport. Even if killing Bambi is not very manly in my eyes. I just think a little common sense is needed. Handguns have one purpose, to kill people. Assault rifles, or any automatic weapon, are no more than weapons of mass killing. There is no need for a private citizen to own an assault weapon. Period.
Most civilizied industrial nations have reasonable laws regarding firearms. Not us, especially not Arizona. It's in our Constitution, an archaic law millions of Americans cling to.
I'm not a fan of Michael Moore, the millionaire filmmaker who exposes other millionaires for their corruption and hypocrisy, but I did find his Bowling For Columbine documentary very interesting. Moore has his own issues with hypocrisy but the gun, crime, and murder statistics don't lie. I was also amused by his visit to Canada. People don't lock their doors in Toronto. It's normal to not worry.
That is what the documentary gets to the root of, fear, worry, loathing. The gun culture in America is not a source of pride for me as it is for so many of my countrymen. Charlton Heston is no hero. Their second amendment argument rings hollow. The key word is amendment. It may not change in my lifetime, but it will.
Mexico has strict gun laws but you might notice their Federales carry heavy machine guns compared to our cop's pistols. That's because Mexico has one of the biggest gun problems on the planet, more than Iraq, Afghanistan and the entire uncivilized world. Mexico City passed the anti-gun laws but there is no impact. Shell buyers in Arizona walk into stores wearing flip flops and sunglasses to pick up a dozen semi-automatic weapons with cartridges.
Our local news is dominated by four things, illegal immigration (128 were arrested in one day this week), the housing collapse, violence along the border, the budget crisis, and guns. Everyone is packing heat and the mere mention of restricting gun sales sends them into right wing rage. "From my cold dead hands.", is a common response as if Obama is coming to take their guns.
You cannot reason with these people.