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
"We must identify people who are potential killers...find them and treat them long before they act." Although I like the idea, I think this cannot work without taking away too many personal freedoms. Check out this article, where they are studying the mass murderer's brain--trying to learn why he did what he did from his DNA: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/27/16051659-looking-for-clues-researchers-to-study-lanzas-dna?lite - Think about where this can only lead--punishment for crimes before the act occurs? Carving out groups based on the likelihood they may commit wrongdoing? I can't see much good coming from this for what we're trying to obtain. I think you were right in your earlier post supporting improved work in mental health and gun control. I think we can make those areas better for everyone, but ultimately you can't do enough to stop all mass murderers just like you can't prevent all terrorist acts.
ReplyDelete