On gun control and violence

It’s been a few weeks since the shooting on the Oregon community college campus, but I figure I would take the time, given the incident, to write down my stance on gun control. Additionally, the topic is especially relevant at MY University, as the recent law allows those with a permit to bring their guns on campus (Concealed of course). The law spurred many protests on campus, all demanding guns not be allowed in ANY of the buildings, effectively removing the effect of the law altogether. The later scenario raises a question about gun violence and what some recommend being the solution, the solution being the popular term “gun control”. The former raises a question about laws around the ownership of guns, and how those affect gun owners. I will offer my views on both of these topics and my opinion of the best solution.

Here we go. 

First, let's tackle gun control.  There’s a movement, popular with the Democratic Party, where removing guns from the public is the solution to gun violence. And by guns I’m specifically referring to automatic weapons. If it were up to many people I’ve talked to, guns would just be flat outlawed in general, because “guns are evil and we don’t have to mean.” To anyone who believes that guns are the problem to gun violence and removing them from the American people is the solution, you are wrong. Guns are not the problem. People are quick to place blame for tragedies like the Oregon shooting, and rightfully so. The blame, however, gets placed on the gun, and that’s the fundamental fallacy of the gun control argument. The gun gets blamed for shooting up a school, and committing murder, not the person wielding it. The murderer instead gets a pass by pleading insanity, as is the case for James Holmes. Well I have news; guns do not have the ability to shoot someone.  

Now I need to back-up for a minute and say that I’m not arguing automatic weapons aren’t PART of the problem. Sure, you throw guns at everyone, murder is probably going to go up, but guns aren’t the entire problem. So here’s my definition of the problem - the people are the problem. Now, I mean that in the nicest way possible. When you look at the history of mass public shootings, the killers usually have one thing in common. They’re insane. After the shootings we learn that they had serious issues at home or they had some mental illness. So again, I go back to the main issue, why do the guns get the blame? A better solution to ending gun violence is to educate people on the mental health of these killers and how recognize them. Find some way to learn how the brain triggers these people to commit such heinous crimes. I know that’s a tall order and isn’t full proof, but it would get to the heart of the problem much faster than just taking guns away. Here’s why. Guns are inanimate objects incapable of doing anything without a person to shoot it. Also, gun technology has remained roughly the same for 100+ years, but now all of a sudden they’re the cause for all gun violence. Well, there are people in the Middle East killing each other with AK-47s and those guns were made in the 40s. I find it hard to believe that after 80 years after the invention of the AK-47, automatic weapons are just now becoming the cause of gun violence.  

This rolls into the next topic nicely. What can we do about guns since they’re here? Well, I’m not against gun restrictions and policing. I’m for the law that requires the seller to hold the weapon for 24-48 hours after purchase. All vendors must be licensed, and record the selling of the weapon and to whom. These are common sense things that I’m totally for. Also, along the lines of mental health, maybe require all buyers to pass a mental health test before they can legally purchase a firearm. Just as long as the right to buy and bear arms is not infringed. All that being said, while I don’t necessarily want people to walk around with guns on campus, I would feel much safer knowing that sane people have guns at the same time the insane ones do.

Just to close. Let me say that the second amendment is NEVER going away. It would take an extraordinary amount of effort to take that away from the people, not to mention the social effects it would have. There would be people rioting in the streets. Also, before you place the blame on the weapon, think about the person behind the weapon. All it takes is one person with a gun to commit a terrible crime, that doesn’t mean the weapon is the one to blame. And lastly, there will always be guns out there whether you like it or not. Bad guys are going to do bad things regardless with what they have to do it with. By enforcing strict gun laws and controlling the use of guns of the law abiding citizens, all you re doing is hurting them. Guns are not the problem.