Wiston Papers

Will new gun laws make a difference?

The slaughter of 20 school children in Newtown, Connecticut by a madman firing a sporting rifle, has  ignited the almost annual ritual debate about the need for gun control legislation.

The mass murder of children all under the age of seven happened December 14.  And there were immediate cries that something needed to be done immediately--before this latest moment began to fade.

A lame-duck Congress has expired.  The new Congress reconvenes January 03. But with new members in both chambers, votes on possible leadership changes, and legislators consumed with the so-call “fiscal cliff,” there will be no action on gun proposals any time soon.

Should there be meaningful gun-control laws?  Yes. Will they be strong enough to prevent another gun massacre? No.

California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein will introduce in the new Congress a bill that would “ban the sale, transfer, importation or manufacture...” of a wide range of firearms.  The legislation would cover the most powerful assault weapons as well as firearms that can “accept more than 10 rounds” of ammunition.

No matter how well intentioned, the proposal will not work.

FACT:      The population of the United States is 315 million; there are 310 millions guns of all types in America.  That’s nearly one gun for every man, woman and child. More than enough for future killings.  

The Feinstein Bill won’t prevent gun deaths from existing weapons.

SALES BAN:       Gun ownership in America is a Constitutional right.   The vast majority of guns are purchased legally.  That was true of  the rifle Adam Lanza took into the classrooms of Sandy Hook Elementary School.  His mother was the owner.

The Feinstein Bill won’t prevent  legally bought guns from getting into the wrong hands...the hands of the next Adam Lanza.

Even if the Feinstein proposal were to become law, some provisions most likely would fail a Constitutional challenge.

TRANSFER:    How would you control this?  You could embed tracking devices in every firearm that’s sold.  That may work for new weapons, but how do you install them in existing guns and rifles already in circulation---many already in wrong hands?   

The Feinstein Bill provides a “grandfather” exemption for current gun owners, for nearly 1,000 specific types of guns, and for antique or disabled guns.

Will all these gun owners voluntarily turn in their firearms for registration and GPS tracking?  No.

IMPORTATION:        The United States is incapable of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration.  Why would attempts to stop firearms from crossing our borders be any more effective?

MANUFACTURE:    There are more than 5,000 gun manufacturers in the United States with tens of thousands of employees--a legal industry.   

Regardless of every effort to supervise firearm manufacturing and sales, some employees inevitability will steal and sell firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco reports the loss or theft of more than 74,000  firearms from licensed manufacturers and dealers in its latest reporting period.  And employee theft has resulted in shooting deaths.

Furthermore, 3D printers now make it possible to duplicate any number of products with moving parts--including guns.  Once 3D printers become economically affordable for home use, there’s no stopping the illegal manufacture of firearms.

Yes.  I hope Congress and the state legislatures move aggressively to tighten gun control laws.  But I’m a realist.

Until this nation learns how to keep bad people and guns apart, we’ll continue to have more rampage.   We must identify people who are potential killers...find them and treat them long before they act.

Steve Coon

December 27, 2012