Gun control

The school massacre in Newtown, Conn., has (finally) reopened the gun control debate. Why previous similar events haven't already changed gun control laws is beyond my understanding, but perhaps this one will finally start a sensible debate on the topic. Then again, perhaps we will once again forget about it in week or two until the next one.

It is a hard issue. For one thing, controlling guns is not likely to really make much impact on these lone shooter events. A suicidally-inclined mentally ill person still has plenty of other ways of produce havoc in a crowded place -- bombs, gas, etc, etc.  But it would make it at least a little bit harder.

For another thing, the NRA is correct in at least one saying - "outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns". Criminal gangs, especially the violent drug gangs, will have no trouble getting guns illegally, since the world is awash in such weapons, and gun legislation isn't likely to make much difference there.

Though I am not a hunter myself, I can respect the rights of those who do want to hunt.  I don't think it is reasonable to eliminate legitimate hunting weapons from the market, though it is perfectly reasonable to (a) register them all, (b) to require comprehensive background checks of anyone purchasing them, and (c) to make owners financially and criminally liable if they don't keep them adequately locked up and out of the hands of children or others not authorized to use them.

All too often these lone shooters get their weapons from their parents or other adults who don't keep their weapons adequately locked away. What about making them criminally liable if it can be shown that their inadequacy protected weapons were stolen or borrowed and used in a crime?

I see no reason at all why any civilian ought to be allowed to own working assault rifles, any more than they ought to be allowed to own machine guns, bazookas, hand grenades, or tanks. These are not hunting weapons; they are built for only one purpose, to kill people on the battlefield.  Collectors might be allowed to own replicas or samples that have been thoroughly deactivated and made useless as weapons (and not easily returned to working order), but that is all.

 Handguns for personal protection will be a hard issue.  It is not clear if a population carrying handguns is safer because criminals never know if their victims or bystanders are armed, or less safe because armed people losing their temper in arguments can lead to gunfights.

This will be a difficult debate, but at least we ought to finally have it