Every time some nut-job goes on a shooting spree with a firearm, people all over the country start pointing fingers at each other. Those who believe guns themselves are the problem say we should scoop them all up and bury them in a deep hole. Those who believe we have a right to defend ourselves start talking about arming teachers and airline pilots. Those in the middle are bombarded with arguments from both sides, and as tempers flare, the arguments become less logical, no matter which side is talking.
The simple truth is that there are a lot of guns in the country. Most of them are likely legally owned, but thousands of them are already in the hands of people who should not have them. Some are registered, some are not. Because of this, no gun control measure will ever have an impact on gun-related crime. On the contrary, the more guns they take from law-abiding citizens, the more power the criminals will have. And besides, the more rights we surrender, the closer we come to losing all of our freedoms.
Something has to be done. The FixNICS legislation was passed into law by Congress, and that’s a step in the right direction. But we need to do more. As gun owners, every one of us needs to do our part to prevent gun violence. Lock your guns up when they’re not physically in your possession. Keep them unloaded when they’re locked away. Follow all gun safety rules. Teach your children gun safety and respect for both firearms and for their fellow humans. And if you sell any guns, don’t sell them to just anyone. Do your own background check before you hand them over. To remain a free society, we need to retain our freedom to have and bear arms.
