Public Safety and Guns

The gun violence public safety problem . . . . here are my thoughts.

Gun control folks, stop talking like you want to take guns away from everybody and stop treating the other side like they are idiots or evil.  You only make the problem worse.  You make people distrust you and dig in their heels against you. When someone is on the defensive, which is better?  To make them more defensive or to talk them down from their defenses?   There is an outcry after every mass shooting and yet nothing happens.  Why do you think that is?  Perhaps it is your own fault.  There is a whole 2^nd amendment culture out there that is very deeply ingrained.  It is counterproductive to scream at them in your rage.

Instead let’s find common ground.  No one, even gun owners,  likes the fact that our children are shot down by thugs and the criminally disturbed.  Most people I know who want guns, want them for PROTECTION from thugs and the criminally disturbed.  Guns sales GO UP after a mass shooting.  That’s because a) people are more afraid and want to defend themselves b) they are afraid this will be the straw that broke the camel’s back and the government will clamp down on their freedom to bear arms.

We need genuine dialogue to solve this problem.  To dialogue with someone, you first need to see their humanity and try your best to understand their point of view.  You don’t have to agree, but you do have to try to understand.  So instead of raging at the NRA, how about we all come together to mourn this horrible violence endemic in our culture.  Then let’s say to them:  My brother, my sister, let us work together in solidarity for the beloved memory of our dead.  Let us protect our children and our country.

For instance, what if we held gun manufacturers liable in some way for these murders. If you produce an inherently dangerous thing, you should do everything possible to minimize the danger.  If these corporations are held responsible, they may very well be incentivized to develop things faster like smart guns or other ways to diminish chances of guns getting into the wrong hands.

We don’t want to take guns away from law-abiding, responsible citizens who have the right to own them.  We can’t anyway, they have an established constitutional right.  And if we did, I really think it would be like prohibition.  Stop comparing us to other countries that do not have a 2^nd amendment culture.  It’s like comparing apples and oranges.  Yes they are both fruit and round but it doesn’t go much further than that.  What we want is to figure out ways to keep guns out of the hands of those who would misuse them.  Guns are highly dangerous and to misuse them is to bring on great tragedy.  The nature of a gun requires that there be a high standard for responsible ownership.  If you want the freedom to own a gun, you must be prepared to bear the burden of responsibility in owning such a dangerous weapon. 

I keep reading how one common factor for many of these attacks (barring terrorism, I think) is domestic abuse.  Most of these guys who take to shooting crowds of innocent people have some sort of record of domestic violence.  Let’s make it so you can’t own a gun if you have a habit of beating up your wife or girlfriend.   People who have proven themselves violent should have a super hard time getting a gun.  That just makes sense to me.

I know there would be a big issue with black market guns.  I know this is a really complex issue.  But maybe if we put more energy into brainstorming together as people with a common goal, we’d come up with a plausible solution.  Let’s rally around the fact that no one wants to be nervous every time they go to church or into a MacDonald’s or to school that some crazy person is going to start shooting at them.  Some people respond to this problem by wanting to arm themselves.  Other people respond to this problem by clamoring for change in gun laws.  They both want the same thing but have different ways of achieving safety.  We are all people with loved ones we want no harm to come to.  Let’s focus on that.

The NRA was founded to teach gun safety.  Let us encourage it to go back to its roots.  How can we ensure  law-abiding, responsible citizens their right to bear arms and keep those arms away from unstable or violent people?

For the sake of our children, let’s stopped being so polarized and entrenched in our positions.  It renders us impotent. Let’s try something different.   Let’s reach out our hand and join with others, even those we disagree with, and try to find solutions that are acceptable to both sides.  It will take self-control and patience and the ability to really listen to each other.  Let’s get started!