I thank Madeleine for this brilliant and succinct table.
Just one thought:
Opponents of gun control and skeptics always come up with the old shibboleth that “gun control may be desirable, but it cannot WORK.” For one thing, the US is in a unique situation, because it has a 2nd Amendment. Also, it has 50 federal states. so when you pass gun control legislation in one jurisdiction, guns can always cross over from adjacent states. Furthermore, bad guys will always be able to get their hands on guns. It’s only the law-abiding citizens who will obey the new laws. Finally, people can always substitute knives, trucks and other weapons to kill each other.
As some of my students used to argue, whenever the gun control issue came up in my criminology classes, “gun control doesn’t work.”
My answer: “Nonsense. If 150 other countries manage to implement gun control, why can’t we? Are we exceptionally stupid?
Obviously, what’s lacking is not the feasibility of gun control, but the will. And that is a CULTURAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL and POLITICAL problem.
3 comments:
AMEN! Nothing more needs to be said
I thank Madeleine for this brilliant and succinct table.
Just one thought:
Opponents of gun control and skeptics always come up with the old shibboleth that “gun control may be desirable, but it cannot WORK.” For one thing, the US is in a unique situation, because it has a 2nd Amendment. Also, it has 50 federal states. so when you pass gun control legislation in one jurisdiction, guns can always cross over from adjacent states. Furthermore, bad guys will always be able to get their hands on guns. It’s only the law-abiding citizens who will obey the new laws. Finally, people can always substitute knives, trucks and other weapons to kill each other.
As some of my students used to argue, whenever the gun control issue came up in my criminology classes, “gun control doesn’t work.”
My answer: “Nonsense. If 150 other countries manage to implement gun control, why can’t we? Are we exceptionally stupid?
Obviously, what’s lacking is not the feasibility of gun control, but the will. And that is a CULTURAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL and POLITICAL problem.
I couldn't agree with you more! Yes, it is the guns - stupid. But the stupid are not listening.
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