So, all the rage in the news has been all the armageddon that is about to come about because the Supreme Court has overturned DC's gun ban law by a vote of 5-4.
I'm honestly SHOCKED that the vote was that close on something that is explicitly stated in the second amendment of the constitution. Now, before you go closing the blog and writing me off as some right wing pigeon, let me state that I do not own a gun. But, if you look at the Bill of Rights, I'm told that the government can not pass a law preventing me from doing so. I really don't know how much more clear that can be. Not to mention, I've yet to see a gun law that prevents crime. Think about it. Pot is illegal. Has it ever stopped anybody from getting high that wanted to get high? Beer is illegal for persons below the age of 21. Did it ever stop you or your friends from getting a case for a party in high school? The same thing goes with guns. The people that want guns will always be able to get guns. It isn't like we have prevented guns from ever being made, they're out there. They're widely available. The people that are going to use them for nefarious purposes are not going to be obtaining them through traditional channels--nor would they likely be concerned with a law banning them from the streets of DC. So, who do these laws impact? I would guess these laws only impact the people that are going through traditional channels to legally purchase a firearm. Let me just say, that I've got no problem with a "cooling off" period or a background check. But seriously, I don't think even these laws have put a dent in any gun crime or kept guns out of the hands of the people who are using them in crime, but, hey, let's not make it overly easy either. I'm from Pennsylvania, most people have guns. Most people here hunt. Most people use their guns in legal activities. Now, you only need to look as far as the Middle East if you want to see what happens when everybody owns an AK-47. So, I'm not advocating everybody run out and buy an armory. But, what I'm sayin is that without a gun ban, I don't feel unsafe walking the streets here or when I'm in DC. If the people demand it, there is a way to legally ban guns. It's called the constitution. And if it is the will of the people, it should be easy for congress to enact. The process is already in place for amending the constitution. But, I already have great concerns for the rights and power that are stripped from the people of this country. And it should concern you that laws are being passed in offense of your constitutional rights--not to mention a Supreme Court that narrowly affirmed your rights. Heads up people!
"I have yet to see a gun ban that prevented crime." Maybe you haven't looked to hard. Japan has a gun ban and they had zero murders in a recent year from handguns. England has more relaxed bans, and they had 19. In the U.S., more kids are killed with handguns each year than all military personnel from 1970 on - combined!
ReplyDeleteSadly, the statistic of kids killed with firearms is often a product of lack of responsible ownership, and could be prevented by something as simple as a child safety lock, which was a provision of the DC Gun Ban that I would definitely agree with--along with responsible storage. <br/><br/>But, I think the difference you're sighting with Japan is more a cultural difference in a tightly patrolled and controlled police state. The judicial system is quite decisive and the police presence is quite intrucive. And, many of those arrested don't dare go to trial because there is no jury and the judges frequently defer to the prosecution. The conviction rate for violent crime is 99.5%. Of those convicted, 98% receive jail time. Citizens are visited annually by local police. As a result of this presence, ALL crime is low, in fact America's non-firearm-related robery rate is 60x the rate in Japan. So, I think the firearm parallel is a bit of a non sequitur.<br/><br/>Both Switzerland and Israel have many more guns per capita than the US. They actually require citizens to own or train with pistols and fully automatic rifles. Yet these countries have less murder and violent crime than Japan, and<br/>almost no gun crime.
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