Essay:Gun control at what cost?
|
This essay is an original work by RationalWiki users. (see the page history for a list of the contributors) It does not necessarily reflect the views expressed in RationalWiki's Mission Statement, but we welcome discussion of a broad range of ideas. Unless otherwise stated, this is original content, released under CC-BY-SA 3.0 or any later version. See RationalWiki:Copyrights. Feel free to make comments on the talk page, which will probably be far more interesting, and might reflect a broader range of RationalWiki editors' thoughts. |
Z3ro’s rant on guns and gun control (inspired by this
I don’t understand America’s fascination with guns and the need to own them. I have friends and family members who own guns, lots of guns. Owning guns is an ingrained part of our American culture, apparently, and I don’t understand why we can’t get past it.
I live in Chicago, and this year alone 29 public school children have been gunned down, almost all of them accidentally. The common cause of all these killings has been gangs and gang related violence, plus the inability to aim straight.
These incidents are part of a larger problem; gangs and gang violence occur when there is a lack of opportunity, a lack of prosperity, and people no longer value their lives as they should. These cause the disease that leads to rampant violence, and removing guns would not solve the problem, they would only address a symptom.
The part I don’t understand is that removing guns would remove an important symptom; the ability to easily slaughter one’s fellow man. I strongly support an outright ban on guns here in America, repeal the second amendment and stop the manufacturing of guns altogether. A few points and common arguments to address:
First, the idea that removing guns will only take them out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, leaving them to criminals. This would happen at first; criminals are not going to eagerly turn in their guns. But after guns stop being manufactured, after more and more are taken off the streets, this problem will become minimal. England does not appear to have a problem with mass shootings due to criminals with guns and civilians without.
Second, the idea that guns are necessary to prevent a totalitarian government. This may have been true in the 1700s when the constitution was written, but today, imagine a bunch of gun-toting fools standing up to an armored tank division. Who wins that? Oh yeah, the guys with the tanks. The idea is idiotic.
Please, by all means, try and explain away why America has more gun deaths per capita than any developed nation in the world. Try and explain away why more guns is the answer, rather than less. Just remember that while guns don’t kill people, they sure help.