GUN CONTROL
One of the longest lasting and most divisive topics in American politics is that of “gun control”. The term itself gives a false impression in that there is no such thing as “gun control” outside of an individual controlling a specific weapon. But really, it points out a common misconception (which should be obvious) that people hold. Laws don’t prevent action.. they punish them. This is a very important distinction and cannot be ignored whenever ANY punitive legislation is brought up for discussion. When someone talks about passing a law to “save lives” or “protect the innocent” what they really mean is that the law will punish those who do what is being prohibited. No law will stop murders.. it will punish it. No law will stop firearm purchases.. it will punish it. So, when you hear a politician or a celebrity talking about passing laws to save lives you must immediately correct that notion in your mind.
Law is not proactive. Law is Reactive.
That means that for us to be honest we have to admit that the lives will still be lost, the guns will still be bought.. the perpetrators will just go to jail afterwards. But that’s already the case. You see, that’s the big untruth behind proposed gun control laws by and large. We ALREADY have laws against murder. We ALREADY have laws that set certain requirements for gun ownership. So in the aftermath of a shooting or illegal firearm purchase (which, as we said, is already illegal) the outcome will be the same right now as it would be if you made killing people “more illegal”. And if we can expect the exact same outcome then what reason do we have to pass laws that will only serve to make life more difficult for the law abiding citizens? Political points and induced hysteria. If you can keep a population terrified and, at the same time, make them see YOU as their only salvation.. you’ll have willing followers that will never falter. Make them think that there’s a mass shooter in every neighborhood. Make them think that they’re unsafe at all times no matter where they go. Make them think that the one thing that makes it impossible to live a life without having to be on constant alert is an inanimate object and that taking it away is the ONLY path to a life without constant fear.. and they’re the only ones that can get it done. It’s the “Messiah Ploy”. There’s evil out there and they’re going to be your savior.. if they get your votes. It’s not because they have your best interests in mind. So then, what do we do? We already have laws in place to stop murder, assault, etc.. so we just have to find ways to make those laws more effective as opposed to passing more laws that will be equally as Ineffective. Many like to go on about background checks having loopholes and being ineffective. There are some points there that have merit but the answer isn’t in changing the background checks because they’ll have the same shortcomings no matter what changes you make. What’s more, we see a lot of talk about how individual to individual sales “need” to be outlawed because a proper background check can’t be performed so changes to the background check wouldn’t make a dent in those anyway.
What I propose is much simpler, more effective and provides a measure of privacy back to purchasers and sellers. The factors that will make a person ineligible for firearm purchases are criminal and age related. So, the simplest way to offer a measure of accountability is to have a designation on your government issued ID (driver’s license, voter ID, etc) that clearly notes whether you are eligible or ineligible for firearm ownership. This provides numerous benefits. First, it provides on-the-spot information to ANY seller, private or professional, telling whether or not it’s legal to make a sale. No checks required. Not having to call in a check every time means that the government doesn’t have to be directly involved with every legitimate firearm purchase.. which is a level of privacy that many legal owners can appreciate. And finally, it means that law enforcement has a direct responsibility to make sure that records are updated to reflect the eligibility status of felons. They would have to update the records to reflect the individual and would give direct accountability for any that fell through the cracks. This one change can bring ease, accountability and privacy together for making our gun laws more effective and bringing about a positive change. What’s more, it doesn’t require any extra personnel or organizations.. just a little more communication.
