chrisscholbe wrote:
I agree that no solution is perfect.....the gun might not be stolen, so registration might help.
Yes we can trace a bullet to a gun, but if we have no way of knowing who owns the gun....in order to find it....it is of less benefit.
You're right, no solution is perfect.
The problem I have, as a gun owner and an advocate of the 2A, is that that imperfection should not mean the restriction (indeed, the abolition, according to many leading politicians) of a right that the constitution says can not be restricted (understanding that no right is unconditional).
Here's a thinking game:
Considering the two things involved in violence involving guns (people and guns), neither can be eliminated. That's a given.
But which one, if it could be eliminated, would end violence? (Remember, there was much violence before there were guns)
The obvious answer is: People.
So, which is the real problem?
Yes, if we could get rid of guns, there would be no violence involving guns, but does that mean guns are the problem? I think not, because the root problem would remain: People. Violence would continue.
Something else to consider: about two thirds of deaths involving guns in the US are suicides. And that's tragic. The suicides, that is. But Japan's suicide rate is higher than ours, and gun ownership there is far more restricted than it is here, so suicide by gun is very rare. It's obvious that easy access to guns is not a factor to one actually considering suicide.
And Japan isn't the only country with a far higher suicide rate not using guns, because so many countries have much more restrictive gun laws. But suicides find ways other than by gun.
Plus, if gun "safety" was really a goal, what must be considered is just how would "safety" programs be effective? Considering that accidental death by gunshot is extremely low, but accidental death by auto is far higher, why the emphasis on "gun safety?" Wouldn't the resources be better spent on auto safety?
It seems obvious that the switch from "gun control" to "gun safety" is little more than a change in label with the goal left the same.