Gun laws to blame?

VolBrian — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:54:27 -0000

Yesterday's events at VT have given cause for questioning American culture and the inherit violence we, as Americans, are subjugated to year in and year out. I have seen the stories from across the world condenming our gun laws as the ultimate cause for school shootings throughout the last decade as well as high homicide rates across the nation. Statistics support arguments that gun laws are to blame, but how much faith can we put in those statistics? Is our ardent support of our constitutionally right to bear arms to blame, or do other variables of our culture factor into the desire for people to act out against society in such a violent manner?
As a concealed carry permit holder, and political science graduate, I have spent hours studying and researching (in and out of school) the psychology of crime and punishment. Some condemning facts about our society are the world's largest prison inmate population, the prevalence of guns in our country, and insufficient means of conflict resolution that do not involve violence. The statistics are somewhat staggering. In January 2004, roughly 20 American troops were killed in combat in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the same month there were 37 homicides in the city of Detroit. Last year, there were 47 deaths as a result of gun-related violence in Great Britain, population 57 million. Same year, 587 victims in New York City, population 8 million. But are guns to blame?
I am not sure we can place all the blame on the Second Amendment, but there a number of different ways we could tweak the laws to reduce the prevalence of shootings in our society. The class I took to acquire my permit requires extensive knowledge of the state and federal laws concerning self-defense, the mechanics and safety procedures of firearms as relative to dealing with law enforcement and the public as well, and tests of proficiency in all of these areas including the operation and accuracy of firearms. It was also necessary for me to submit to an extensive background check by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and register my fingerprints with the FBI. I believe the above requirements should be enforced in place of the standard waiting periods we currently have on purchasing firearms. This might reduce some gun related violence without abolishing guns altogether. Also, Congress recently (2004, I believe) allowed the national ban on assault weapons to expire. It is now legal for anyone to purchase and keep such weapons as the AR-15, M4, and any number of machine pistols in their homes or cars. Those weapons are not only more powerful than everything a cop has excluding SWAT teams, but are wholly unnecessary for self-defense and/or hunting. This ban should be reinstated.
In a time when our law enforcement and military are implementing, at public demand, "less-deadly" weapons platforms, anyone can carry an assault rifle around in their cars. The North Hollywood shootout and the Texas courthouse murders are just two examples of criminals using assault rifles to outgun police. What does this say about our society? As we all know, being a college football blog, a Florida football player received a slap on the wrist for firing an AR-15 in an apartment complex! As far as school shootings go, however, most are perpetrated with handguns and hunting rifles and shotguns. Anyone 21 and over can purchase a rifle or shotgun at Wal-Mart. Would requirements such as the ones I met for my permit reduce crime rates, or is the only answer abolition of the Second Amendment? I submit that a combination of more strict requirements for ALL firearm purchases and new bans on assault and high caliber weapons would reduce violent crime significantly over the next decade.
I regret that I must post this diary on a blog dedicated to something that provides joy to so many, but I felt that I had to respond to the condemnation of our society in the world's eye. One last statistic: according to FoxNews, 30% of the nations' school shootings since 1997 have been ended by concealed carry permit holders before law enforcement arrived. What are your thoughts?

Poll

Are gun laws to blame?

Yes, all guns should be banned.

2 votes

Yes, but more strict requirements on purchases would work.

1 votes

No, these people are crazy and would use other means.

8 votes

No, it is impossible to blame any one thing.

3 votes

Stick to the Vols and leave polictics to the politicians.