Gun control not the answer
We will never fully agree on the subject of gun control, but we do agree on some points. Too many people needlessly die from gunfire every year, make that every day. More anti-constitutional “gun control” laws are not the answer. I believe America’s crime problem, both with and without guns, is much higher now than before such laws were enacted.
Be honest. Many of the thousands of deaths from “gun violence” in the US are not due to these headlines-grabbing massacres. Most of them receive very little national reporting because they are drug- and/or gang-related. Those deaths do not fit the liberal agenda. If it’s black-on-black or black-on-white, it gets ignored, but when it’s white-on-black there are no-holds-barred in the reporting. Anything goes.
There is one common thread in every one of these massacres over the last several decades: They occurred in “gun-free zones.” That’s “gun-free” to law-abiding citizens and “free-fire zones” to thugs. They may be mentally unstable or ill or angry at an ex-spouse or boss, or some other reason, but all are sane enough to know that nobody else is supposed to have a gun there unless that person is a police officer or another thug bent on committing mayhem.
“Parents” do not properly rear their children any more. That’s part of the problem. Jobs are scarce because of overbearing government regulation and interference. That’s part of the problem. Our schools don’t teach anymore. That’s part of the problem. Too many children are being born out of wedlock, growing up without the guidance of a father who gives a damn about his children, other than how many he has. That’s part of the problem.
The availability of guns is not part of the problem. Criminals are far less likely to commit crimes if they think there’s a chance they may get shot by their intended victim. Study after study with convicts has proved that. Take away Americans’ right to own firearms and you’ve created a nation of helpless victims.
Cameron Triplett
Brooksville
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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