I was shocked a few months back to learn 49 of 50 U.S.
states allow conceal and carry. My state, Illinois, may fall
under the avalanche of pro-gun hysteria very soon. I've
tackled this controversy in previous posts, but it's time to
attack our violence-prone problems once again, in light
of 20 young Connecticut children murdered by gun only
a few days ago:
(1) Many people are simply not sound enough mentally to
be toting around deadly weapons; medical associations
over the years have said some 25% or more of us have
serious emotional problems. Shouldn't some sort of
caution bell start clanging every time the pro conceal
and carry folks lobby? More to the point, many so-called
"adults" are not what I'd deem responsible. We also
shouldn't overlook the klutz factor--people have already
been shot because of it.
(2) The Second Amendment has long needed a sensible
clarification. Few should have guns, but then arms
manufacturers would realize less profit. (We can't let
THAT happen, now can we??)
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A safer America would also see a rise in the number of
mental health facilities as gun possession declines. The
mother of the nutcase in Connecticut, various school
authorities and others knew he was troubled, had
"episodes". In a caring, qualified institution, he could
not have perpetrated this cruel horror. His mother
owned three guns, one of which he used to kill 26
innocent human beings. Why was she so heavily
armed? "A rise in unemployment" triggered her
paranoid fantasies, she'd claimed earlier.
Yes, more mental health hospitals WILL cost
more money. Aren't innocent lives worth it?
Without these two profound changes in our
society, look out for guns galore in the Wild West.
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A couple months back, you mentioned that an assault weapons ban had been repealed in 2004, a detail that I'd forgotten. That would seem to be the logical place to start.
ReplyDeleteIt looks as if even a few traditional gun-rights advocates are beginning to recognize the need for it, in the wake of the tragedy in Connecticut. West Virginia's Governor Manchin, an avid hunter from a state where guns are worshipped, is a good example.
Agreed also that there's an urgent need for more mental health counseling. However, I don't know if institutionalizing someone like Adam Lanza would have been realistic. There are many folks out there with symptoms like his who live their entire lives without harming anyone.
His own mother probably never had an inkling that her son would ever do what he did. But still, I'd have to seriously question the judgment of someone who would keep an arsenal of rapid-fire weapons in the household.