On Gun Control in America

With the recent spate of shootings across the nation, it’s about time we addressed a very sensitive, but necessary, subject. Gun control and gun violence in America have been a never-ending story for decades.  Rational minds might think there is a simple, rational solution to this problem; but America’s love affair with firearms runs deeper than most realize.  Accordingly, we have come up with our “Top 5 Reasons” gun control will continue to be dismal to non-existent in the years to come.

1.     Self-defense

Now here is a legitimate reason to have a gun—to defend yourself.  Most gun owners in America rely on the self-defense doctrine to justify their gun ownership.  After all, weapons were created to stop things and people from causing you serious bodily harm, right?  Right!  While that argument makes sense for handguns designed for close-range “efficiency,” the same CAN NOT be said for assault rifles like the AR-15 used in the Aurora, Colorado shooting on July 21, 2012.

2.     “It’s my ‘God-given right’ to bear arms”

Believe it or not, some Americans believe that it is their “God given right to bear arms.”  The problem is most religious doctrines forbid taking another’s life.  For example, Christians believe that “Thou Shalt not Kill,” which obviously is one of the Ten Commandments.  So if the right to bear arms is “God-given,” but God generally forbids you from taking a life, then MAYBE God just wants you to have a gun for show? Or maybe guns make good fashion accessories? I hear M-16’s really bring out your eyes. But seriously…

3.     Powerful Lobbies

A God-given right to bear arms is debatable, BUT American citizens definitely have a Constitutional right to bear arms. The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution states pretty clearly that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms… shall not be infringed.”  To protect this right, special interest groups lobby tirelessly to prevent most gun control laws from seeing the light of day.  As a result, nearly any citizen of adequate age can purchase and possess nearly any firearm.  These federal laws make it difficult for states and cities to exercise adequate gun control, which likely would result in less gun-related deaths.  However, with a strong lobby on Capitol Hill, firearm companies and supporters have become tremendously effective at suppressing much-needed gun control laws.  How are these lobbyists able to afford the resources to be so influential, you ask?

4.     Profit

The weapons industry is extremely lucrative.  Although there are only roughly thirty-five (35) major gun companies in the United States, each company profits heavily from gun purchases annually. For example, Smith & Wesson, one of the most profitable gun manufacturers in the nation, had $406.2 million in revenue in its fiscal year 2010; and that is just ONE example of many.  Gun manufacturers are not the only ones to blame, though. They simply cater to a consumer need fostered by two obvious, yet frequently overlooked, characteristics of American society—fear and paranoia.

5.     Fear and Paranoia

We have all heard the old adage that “the only thing to fear is ‘fear’ itself” and blah, blah, blah.  America, in all honesty, has a bit of a reason to fear backlash. As delightful as it would be to explain this idea in words, this video sums it up much better:

To learn more about how you can take a stand against gun violence, visit: https://everytown.org/.