The Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms … Shall Not be Infringed"
Bill of Rights (1791)
America is fast becoming a nation enslaved by fear, propelled by a dramatic increase in crime and violence.
This fear has been fanned by social activists who aim to regulate individual behavior as a means to creating a utopian, risk-free society. Unfortunately, trampling on constitutional liberties has never been a problem for them.
A centerpiece of their legislative agenda is enactment of restrictive gun control laws. They have enlisted the active, public and financial support of large numbers of concerned Americans who, while not necessarily favoring an outright ban on guns, support "sensible" and "sane" gun laws.
Gun-related crime and accident statistics are alarming and tragic. Drive-by shootings, guns in schools, children accidentally shooting each other and countless other acts of violence in which guns play a primary role fuel the case of the gun control advocates.
Their archenemy, the National Rifle Association, has historically used it financial and political clout to defeat gun control efforts across the country. Their absolutist doctrine has been built on a mixed message of fear, intimidation and defending individual rights.
Yet, not all anti-gun control advocates are "NRA lackeys". A diverse coalition of conservatives, populists and libertarians oppose gun control on constitutional grounds, believing the liberties enumerated in the Bill of Rights are inviolate, except when overwhelming societal needs intervene.
While grudgingly accepting such free speech bans as falsely yelling, "Fire!" in a crowded theater, they do not countenance infringements on rights of gun ownership.
They generally view most restrictive laws as perpetuating ignorance and insulating people from accepting responsibility and accountability for their actions. They understand freedom is not to be trivialized, nor is it cheap. Risks, including accidents, are an incumbent price we pay to live in a free society.
These advocates of non-intrusive government, many who do not own guns, subscribe to Santyana's notion, those who cede liberty to gain order and security neither deserve nor ultimately achieve either.
It is estimated Americans own between 200 and 500 million guns! Most are properly used for hunting and other sporting activities or as collector's items. Many of these law abiding gun owners also believe their weapons provide a last line of defense for themselves and their families.
Meanwhile, the sale of automatic weapons specifically designed to kill large numbers of people quickly has soared. An alarming number of such guns is finding its way into the hands of ruthless gangs, emotionally disturbed individuals and young adolescents … and they're using them!
In response, the House and Senate have defied the NRA's muscle and passed differing versions of the Brady Bill and a ban on the manufacture and sale of 19 types of assault weapons. Both legislative initiatives make good press and yet appear relatively benign to the vast majority of Americans.
The Brady Bill stipulates a 5-day waiting period, permitting a background check. It also creates the mechanism to establish a national gun registry allowing ownership trails for firearms sold or disposed of in an illegally or negligent manner. On the downside, it is another step down the slippery slope of dismantling personal privacy rights.
Meantime, the ban on assault weapons will realistically affect only a few people. Admittedly, while criminal elements intent on obtaining such weapons will still do so … the bill may prevent repeats of the types of tragedies where angry and/or disturbed individuals have walked into public places and opened fire indiscriminately.
Some will argue, if just one life can be saved, these legislative efforts are worth the cost. Others find the abrogation of their rights a greater sin than crimes being addressed.
Gun control laws to "fight crime" will soothe fears, are easily marketed to a public conditioned to instant and painless gratification, and admittedly may produce a few short term successes.
However, the ultimate solution lies, not with more governmental regulation … but with a societal commitment which respects and promotes education, demands individual and parental accountability and religiously defends the fundamental rights of each of its citizens.
