GUNS CONTROL: Damn if you do, Damn if you Don’t!!!
On April 3rd there was an article in Philly Clout on Philly.com on whether the mayoral candidates carry a gun. PA is a Castle Doctrine and a Stand Your Ground state. These laws provides protections to individuals to defend themselves using lethal force if they are attacked or if their life is in danger in their home, vehicle or personal space. The candidates varied on their opinions ranging from supporting stand your ground, castle doctrine by voting for legislation all the way to being fervently anti- gun.
US reality is in 2007, The Small Arms Survey, an independent research project from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, identified 290 million registered guns in the US. The Daily Caller reported that between 2008-2013 there were over 10 million guns purchased per year, bringing the conservative estimate to close to 360 million guns in America. It is safe to say, like the US Census, we anticipate a large number of unidentified arms are currently in the streets. How can I be asked to turn in my weapons and give up my license to carry? The government is currently incapable of oversight and enforcement under the current laws; can this government be entrusted to suddenly become experts in enforcement?
I do agree that there are far too many guns in America, there are enough weapons in the country to arm 9 out of 10 citizens. My questions: Is the issue with gun violence the guns? At what point do we begin discussing the issue of recidivism and violent crime? What about education and prevention? The judicial system is failing our society and the argument to resolve gun violence is to take away weapons from legal, licensed gun owners. I would agree only if we could establish a society like Japan where they have strict gun rules making it illegal to touch a gun without a license. So when will Americans begin real conversations about what is really wrong in America and how do we make it better? Is it always all or nothing, which makes it close to impossible to negotiate and resolve these complex issues like gun ownership and control? Everyone agrees we must do something, but we need to come up with real solutions, not fantasy world!!!!