It appears that the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre — the act of a madman armed to the teeth with a semi-automatic .223 Bushmaster, plus a Glock and a Sig Sauer — may be the tipping point in the fight for gun control.
Yes, the NRA and its members will fight any and all gun control measures, but this time the fight is going to be different. Dead little kids alter the balance of power.
Let’s hear from some family members of those slain by gun violence:
Demand A Plan, a campaign from Mayors Against Illegal Guns has posted many more of these stirring stories.
Of course, gun control is like the abortion debate. Americans on both sides of each issue have deeply help convictions about their rights. And one things we might all agree on is restricting one’s rights is not a nice, or popular, thing to do in America. Yet, as a society we have to come to agreement on what rights we have and do not have. I believe The Constitution grants us the right to “bear arms” in a militia formed to fend off Imperial tyrants.
I own two guns. Shotguns, designed specifically for bird hunting, which is something I grew up doing with my grandfathers in rural Nebraska. My shotguns, if needed, will also help protect me and my family from the above mentioned Imperial tyrants. But I don’t need a semi-automatic weapon designed for warfare and either does anyone else outside of active military and police. Removing the most heinous guns from stores and gun fairs will not end their use, but it’s a step in the right direction. As is limiting the supply of ammunition for such guns.
Factoid: In Israel, after you pass rigorous background and personality checks, plus a test on a shooting range, you are issued just 50 bullets. That’s your lifetime supply.
I like this idea from the Holy Land, or a variation on it. When you buy ammo, the data needs to go into a law enforcement database capable of triggering an alert when necessary. Yes, I see that is a privacy violation, but clearly we have bigger concerns to weigh here. Revisit the testimonials above if you doubt it. With 10,000-plus Americans murdered with guns every year, many of us have our own stories to tell. This is an epidemic, but it’s one we know how to fight. The question remaining is about will. Will we fight it?
