In the wake of Columbine and the recent shootings in a Massachusetts tech firm, it
is easy for critics of gun rights to call for knee jerk gun control measures. Though these ill-conceived appeals may initially strike a chord with an American people tired of newscasts filled with violence, closer inspection shows potential for frightening, unexpected consequences that challenge our very foundations as a nation. The philosophical and applied ramifications of increased gun control are a slap in the face to the founding fathers and the principles of liberty used to draft the Constitution.
With the dramatic increase in polling and research companies, there has been a wealth of facts, figures, and countless studies on the effects of gun control with conclusions that often conflict with each other. The Washington Times recently cited a study by John Lott, a scholar at Yale University, which found that concealed weapons laws have dramatically reduced crime in the states that have adopted these laws over the last 25 years. Mass public shootings are down 89 percent in these states that now allow citizens with no criminal background to carry weapons.
I'm sure that those on the left will also be able to cite some studies that show that gun control is effective. It is important not to get caught up in these details while forgetting about the more important philosophical implications of gun control. Taking a look at the bigger picture, America should be wary of any legislation that could potentially detract from life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Oppressive gun regulation shows a troubling disregard for the Second Amendment and to the Constitution as a whole.
As we add more regulations to gun ownership, we head down a dangerous slippery slope that will begin with what liberals call "common sense legislation," and will end in the confiscation of all guns. The idea of registration, for example, seems like a no-brainer to many people. But it is nave to think that groups like Handgun Control, Inc. will stop there. Registration is just the first step, because once they know where guns are, they will know where to go get them when the government decides we are no longer entitled to have them. Right now, I am not a gun owner, and I do not see myself becoming one in the near future. But I hold the right to do so as a fundemental right worth protecting.
Though it may seem like gun rights activists and gun control activists are fundamentally at odds with one another, there is room for consensus. Before we even consider new legislation, we must begin to enforce the laws on the books. Over the past eight years, the number of laws have increased, but the enforcement rate has dropped. Though we may disagree on policy for legal guns, everyone can agree that the importation of illegal guns is a major problem. As cheaply made illegal guns flow across the border, they easily find homes with criminals who are waiting to get their hands on them. Most new proposed gun laws would hamstring the process of legally obtaining guns, ignoring the much more significant problem of illegal weapons.
This influx of weapons must be corrected and those who posses guns illegally should be punished severely. Project Exile is finding great success in Virginia. Under this program, where people who own illegal weapons face stiff jail sentences with no exceptions, there has been a dramatic reduction in violent crime. Texas led the way with an innovative gun safety program. Citizens who own guns are now able to go to many municipal buildings to pick up free trigger locks in the same way that people all over the country get free smoke detectors from their fire departments. We should not create a system that makes it so hard for normally law-abiding Americans to buy weapons that they feel forced to seek weapons in illegal ways. Simply banning guns will only make them forbidden fruit. In cultures where people grow up using guns responsibly, we rarely see the problems we face now. One hundred years ago, when guns were kept above the mantle in many households, people were taught to respect their power. The guns have always been a part of American life, but school shootings were not. Therefore, the increase in violence can not be blamed on them, but rather it reflects a societal casual indifference towards the sanctity of life.
Many people think of gun owners as hillbillies amassing huge arsenals. But the vast majority respect the laws, obtaining and maintaining their weapons legally and responsibly. The average gun owner is just a concerned citizen who may be your neighbor, your coach, or your teacher -- one who may be called upon to protect us if the government cannot. We justifiably think of the founding fathers as patriotic statesmen; in their time, however, they were seen as dissidents, tax evaders, and traitors.
The strength of America lies in its system of checks and balances. For the most part, the United States has been very lucky in its first 225 years. Generally, our government is lawful, we live in peace and safety, and our rights are respected. But we cannot guarantee that this will always be the case. By disarming citizens, we would upset the balance ensuring freedom against the potential for tyranny. The Constitutional framers knew this and, for that reason, prominently enumerated the right to bear arms as the Second Amendment, following only free speech rights.
