We had a bizarre biology teacher in high school; she used to tell stories
about how she would bury moles in her backyard, how she would drink urine on occasion, and how she almost got shot in the woods one time because a hunter thought she was a deer.
I think we laughed the most at that one. Imagining that poor old woman tramping through the forest like an animal. And some idiot shooting at her! What a scene.
But in light of the seemingly constant violent disasters in this country, especially in schools, stories like that one don't seem as funny anymore. I know I'm not the only one who's been to memorials for peers who were killed by guns. And I'm not the only one who went to a high school that's had a "gun incident" in recent years.
Those in favor of lenient gun control laws and lots of "freedom" may argue that guns can be used responsibly, that they're a necessary part of that "sport" known as hunting and that they're an important part of self-defense and protection.
Such arguments may be true for some adults in some situations, but guns are not only in the hands of responsible adults. They're in the hands of children.
According to Handgun Control, Inc.'s website, the "firearm death rate for 15-19 year olds increased 222%" from 1984 to 1994. Not only that, "over 6000 students were expelled in 1996-97 for bringing guns to school." They may not have died, but guns probably ruined their lives.
The current laws created to protect children and young adults from such tragedies, such as the Brady Law, may be a step towards a solution, but they are still far from perfect. Though the Brady Law makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to buy a handgun from licensed dealers, 18-21 year olds are still able to purchase handguns from private and unlicensed dealers.
That's how the Columbine shooters got their guns--from an 18-year-old friend who bought three for them at a gun show. Yikes, huh?
Yet we continue to buy and sell handguns. We continue to crave guns for protection. We continue to make it legal to carry concealed weapons in bars, sports stadiums, daycare centers and schools (at least in Utah and Montana). We continue to hold gun shows during which guns are sold to children who are sometimes still in high school.
"But what about the Second Amendment?" someone always asks. "I thought the Second Amendment says we have the right to bear arms."
Well, kind of. Back in the days when Americans were still thinking about how tyrannical the British monarchy was, the Second Amendment was added to maintain a "well-regulated militia," to protect the still-beginning nation from other armies as well as from internal problems.
But we no longer have this "militia." The closest thing, apparently, is the National Guard, which has a limited membership and uses government-supplied firearms. Thus, the Second Amendment protects not just any person over the age of 18 who wants a gun, but the real "militias" in the country, such as the Guard. The Supreme Court has even ruled in this way. In both 1965 and 1990, the Court ruled that the Second Amendment, with its "well-regulated militia," applies solely to the National Guard.
Even with such Supreme Court rulings, the laws we have right now sure don't seem to be doing their job. At least not well enough.
My dad used to say that we should just ban bullets. Let people run around with as many big guns as they want; just don't give them any bullets to shoot out of them. I used to kind of like that idea, but then I grew up and realized it clearly wasn't meant to be that serious.
And my old theory was to put those convicted of gun-related crimes on a secluded island somewhere with their guns and no rules. Apparently I thought this would deter people from using firearms. And indeed it might. But then I learned the words "cruel" and "unusual" and realized it wasn't a great plan either.
So I suppose the only answer is to stick with good old handgun control laws. The ones we have--the Brady Law, Child Access Prevention laws, and bans on carrying concealed weapons--are working. Just not well enough.
The laws need to be stricter. We need to get rid of the loophole that allows children to purchase handguns at gun shows and from private dealers. Carrying concealed weapons should not be permitted anywhere, especially not in schools. Generally harmful, concealed weapons rarely serve to protect their owners. In 1996, for example, only 212 firearm deaths (out of 34,040) were justifiable homicides in self-defense.
Perhaps most importantly, background checks need to become more intensive. Since the five-day waiting period ended in 1998, a national database has allowed for an instant check, a check that does not include all relevant information or provide the buyer with often-necessary cool-off time.
Unless we're satisfied with accepting increasing deaths of students, teachers, friends and family members, stricter gun control laws are necessary. It's almost silly to think that, in a world where so many things cause death inadvertently, we would choose to advocate the use of machines made purely to kill.
