I'm a firm believer in gun control. That's one of the reasons that I moved to Australia, where there are very strict gun laws. These came into effect after the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996. Like the Aurora shootings, people were taken off guard - they thought it was some sort of staged show.
Gun lobbyists like to say that killings like this wouldn't happen if everyone had guns. But let's face reality here; before the Aurora shootings, who in their right mind would have brought a gun with them to a movie for protection? And who, being taken completely off guard, would have been able to think and see clear enough to use that gun against the attacker?
I'm sure guns have thwarted more than a few attempted burglaries. But there's a flip side to this "protection" when you have stories about 3-year-olds accidentally shooting and killing their dad because they found a gun in the house.
The problem that I have with guns is that they give people power; the power to decide whether a person should live or not. It is a undeserved and unearned power that should only be used for law enforcement. Yet in the USA, anyone can have that power, from three-year-olds to crazy lunatics.
Remember, guns don't kill people. People do. Guns just make it a hell of a lot easier.
Jason Alexander's essay that he posted on Twitter is much better worded than my little rant. But that's alright, I draw how I feel about these issues.
6 comments:
Dude, you made the best choice of your life moving to a safer place. I agree with you in the gun control issue, hope we had more lobbyists on our side...
This is so subtle and respectful. Very nicely done.
Very well composed comic Chris, saying just enough to get its hard hitting point across. And your opinion is also very well presented, it's apparent you've considered this before! Scary times, eh? :S
I love how quiet this one is and being that that happened like 8 miles from my apartment I totally agree with you. Guns are for lunatics, period.
gun control will just create a larger black market. the people who want to use them for their own disturbed causes will find a way to get them. in 80% of violent crimes involving the use of a gun the gun is unregistered.
Thanks Guys for all your comments. Sam, I knew you lived in the same state as this, but I had no idea you lived so close!
To the Anonymous poster - I'm not going to delete your comment because I'm sure in the Land of Bad Punctuation, in the city of Cannot Capitalise The Beginnings of Sentences, "facts" can be made up and thrown around without any fear of justification.
But here's a suggestion: If you want your argument to be taken seriously, take the time to use proper grammar. And if you have any facts, then back them up with links to reputable websites that corroborate your statements.
I'm not sure about the 80% statistic that you are referring to. I've tried to find that on the internet and have had no such luck. Maybe you heard it at a rally. So, let's narrow the argument down to the topic at hand: The Aurora Cinema Shootings. In this case, James Holmes used firearms and ammunition that were purchased LEGALLY.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57477014/colo-shooter-purchased-guns-legally-from-3-different-stores/
(See what I did there? I linked to a website that has a modicum of a reputation to uphold. You should try it. It's almost like having a gun in your hand, loaded with bullets of truth.)
As far as creating a larger black market, you're probably right. But if guns were illegal, then any malevolent idiot who's carrying a gun will be all the more conspicuous.
I live in Australia where there are VERY strict gun control laws that were set in place after a similar massacre in Tasmania. And you know what? Things have gotten better! What's that you say? You want a link to back all of this up? Here you go:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/02/did-gun-control-work-in-australia/
And just in case you want to retaliate with tired old "firearm homicides in Victoria are up 300%" debate, then you should probably read this article on how statistics are used to distort the perception of truth; especially statistics that involve percentages - whether they're made up or not.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp
Now, this article does end up saying that what works in Australia doesn't necessarily mean it would work in the USA. I agree with this, but I also think that there is a problem, something needs to be done and that the NRA really needs to take some responsibility for their contribution to the mess. But that's just my opinion, Anonymous Poster.
Sincerely,
Chris (Not Anonymous) Downes
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