When elected, politicians swear to uphold the Constitution. For some reason, they spend time campaigning and writing laws that directly oppose our inalienable rights. Lately, a core focus of some politicians, particularly Democrats, places our gun rights on the chopping block. Even bi-partisan measures like red flag laws infringe on our rights by denying due process – making it necessary to prove yourself innocent rather than your accuser proving your guilt.
Using the illusion of safety and security, we allow those in power to wither away our liberty and freedom. The heinous and already illegal acts of a handful of people stoke nationwide talks of bans and additional hurdles imposed on the right to bear arms for those who did not commit the crimes.
A Brief Synopsis of Gun History
Experts believe that the oldest known firearm, the Heilongjiang hand cannon, comes from rough 1288. While not exactly a gun, this firearm acts as a precursor for the modern gun. By the late-1300s, guns were known and used across Europe.
Since then, people used guns for hunting and protection with a minority of people using them for criminal acts. Not until 1934, under Democrat President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, did guns and other firearms become regulated, initially imposing a significant tax to limit the transfer of ownership. Ironically, the law was created to curtail gang violence that increased during the Prohibition era, but gangsters likely had the cash to pay the fee and didn’t care about following the laws either way.
Over the following years, lawmakers repeatedly imposed new legislation limiting the gun rights of law-abiding citizens. None of these measures reduced the number of criminals or gun-based crime as criminals do not follow laws.
The creation of local and state police forces across America since 1838 promises to serve and protect. As a result, more good people choose to remain defenseless than ever before. However, the police can’t be everywhere and can’t stop every crime. In some cases, like the shooting at Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, FL, a police officer present during the shooting failed to act.
Practical and Effective Steps to Reduce Gun Violence in the US
As I see it, the only way to practically and effectively reduce gun violence is to mandate that all people are educated and trained on gun use and require ownership with a preference that all people carry on all occasions.
The more armed people, the lower the likelihood of a criminal committing a crime.
Of course, this does not prevent all gun violence. However, the quantity of gun carriers present forces the criminal/perpetrator to consider their potential for demise much more before committing an immoral or evil act. There is no perfect solution and nothing the government can offer that will work better. No single entity can overcome the bad choices of all individuals.
Mass shootings often end at the hands of a good guy with a gun. They also hold the power to stop domestic violence and sexual assaults in their tracks. The same goes for thefts, robberies, and any number of other crimes. A gun can prevent each of these instances, with or without a trigger pull on a case by case basis. Either way, we need a significant portion of people carrying and willing to act to see the crimes prevented.
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