In the wake of the recent tragedies that have hit America people have once again engaged in the never-ending debate about gun control laws. With citizens of every political stripe waging arguments, staff writers Brian Gould and Edgar Reynaga decided to enter the ring and weigh in with their own take on the heated topic.
Edgar Reynaga
America has a problem. It really likes guns. In fact, it has a slight addiction that’s only getting worse and this addiction is costing lives. The ignorance and false patriotism of many are causing more and more families to have to mourn a lost loved one and are causing a nation to tangle itself in endless debate while gun violence continues to become increasingly rampant.
After the tragic events of Tucson, Aurora, and now of Newtown, Connecticut, America is once again left facing tough questions. The true test of America’s spirit and resolve comes in moments like these. But what is truly plaguing the nation is what it has done since the events in Newtown: it has sat on its hands and choose conflict over action and created another period of indecisiveness in America while we wait for the next tragedy to occur.
There is no doubt guns are a powerful tool. They do good. They do harm. They save lives and they take them. Now what is important to understand is that when others and I talk about gun control, I protest gun ownership out of the same patriotism and love for this nation that every other citizen holds. I am mindful that no new laws can prevent every mass killing, or, heal the wounded hearts that follow thereafter. But enough is enough. It’s time for citizens, regardless of party affiliation to come together and to have a sensible debate over this undeniable issue.
A government’s top priority is to protect its citizens. To do so, in my opinion, the government has to do what’s it’s really good at: making and enforcing laws. So, while many Americans disagree on some aspects of gun policy, inactivity cannot be the solution. In order to ensure safety and better protect citizens I believe existing laws have to be more strictly enforced and new laws have to be created.
First, Congress and the President should work to renew the Federal Assault Weapons Ban originally signed into law in 1994 in an effort to curb violence and take dangerous weapons off our streets. What lawmakers at every level should do is work to create deeper and more thorough background checks for all of those wishing to purchase weapons, including those purchased at gun shows.
What normal citizens can do is to help lessen the influence by lobby groups, such as the NRA and Gun Owners of America. I don’t recommend throwing away your NRA cards, but instead help use your membership to keep the NRA a model for responsible, law abiding-gun-ownership.
Above all else, I understand that a new law or set of laws cannot prevent every tragedy. I am fully aware that the problem lies deeper. The debate over guns can’t only be fought in the halls of Washington, but rather it must be won in the homes of every family and in the classroom of every school. Our society is broken and it is the responsibility of every American to be a better parent and sibling and coworker and friend. I understand that Americans from every corner of the nation have to do something now.
Even if the changes I want actually go into effect, people will still die from gun violence; there is no way to zero out this problem. But you cannot argue that delivering on these ideas doesn’t at least reduce the opportunity that violence has to haunt our homes, workplaces, and schools. We cannot choose to do nothing and say to the victim’s of gun violence that the politics are too hard and the fight just isn’t worth it. We can’t tell the next generation that gun violence will always persist and that we chose not to do anything about it. Now is the time to choose action over indecision and reassure protection for everyone.
Brian Gould
As always, when a terrible tragedy happens in our nation people immediately call for a change and for new laws to help them feel secure that such a thing could never happen again. The recent shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, and in Aurora, Colorado, are no exception and they have refocused America’s attention on the issue of gun control and divided our nation in a time when it needs, more than ever, to be unified.
As an avid hunter whenever I hear the topic of gun control come up I am quick to defend guns and to speak out against it.
In the wake of the recent tragedies in which assault weapons were used, there has been much talk of banning semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons. Let’s address the issue of fully automatic weapons first.
The fact is, it’s a non-issue.
The founders of our nation wrote, in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” This important Amendment was written in 1787, however, when the only type of guns you could have owned were single shot, muzzleloaders that took up to one full minute to reload. As technology advanced, so did weapons and it didn’t take long for Americans to begin owning fully automatic guns. In 1934, however, the Federal Firearms Act banned ownership of all fully automatic weapons in order to target the guns most likely to be used by gangsters, or “Gangster guns,” as they were called. Because this act was passed, and is still enforced today, you cannot legally purchase or own any automatic weapons.
Some are now calling for the same ban to be placed on semi-automatic weapons. One of the biggest problems with banning semi-automatic guns, sometimes called AR’s or assault weapons, is the fact that these guns are intended to be used for hunting, not for shooting up public places. Many people who I know own these styles of guns and use them regularly for predator hunting, where you need to be able to shoot rapidly without having to reload. These semi-automatic weapons are not intended to be used to kill people; so to ban them because of isolated incidents is wrong. A handgun, rifle, or shotgun can each do the same thing as an AR, including kill innocent people. It is the misuse that is the issue–not the weapon.
Furthermore, banning assault weapons is not a viable answer because of what might happen if they are banned. Most owners are not willingly going to give up their guns, some of which can cost over $1000, because they believe that the Constitution of the United States guarantees them the right to own them. If the police came door-to-door to take the guns the backlash could be even worse than some of the recent shootings. People may become defensive, and, it is my fear, people may be killed.
As an avid hunter, and owner of guns, I know what takes place when you go to buy a gun, and, contrary to what some people think, you cannot just walk into a sporting goods store and walk out with a gun 10 minutes later. To purchase a gun, you must pass the National Instant Criminal Background check, and have valid identification, and be 21 to purchase handguns or 18 to purchase rifles and shotguns. Guns cannot be purchased online.
There have been many legal battles over gun ownership rights in recent years. In Washington D.C. v. Heller in 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that gun rights extend to individuals and canceled handgun bans in our nation’s capital. In McDonald v. the City of Chicago in 2010 the Supreme Court ruled again that hand guns could not be banned after Chicago passed a law banning the possession of handguns by citizens.
The fact that people are trying to ban guns because of a few individuals who used them in terrible ways is ridiculous. Consider what happens when a person who is texting while driving causes a car crash and individuals in the other car are killed. This is a tragedy that happens quite often. Should we ban cars then? What about cell phones? The fact is, no, cars and phones shouldn’t be banned and banning guns is not the answer either.
The answer lies in the education and in the advancement of positive values within our society. In short, we must re-learn the old adage, “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” All the laws in the world won’t take the place of that.