I have never really put a lot of thought into how I felt about the gun control issue. I haven't formed a strong feeling either way (which is strange for someone as politically minded as me, I know...). I have friends on both sides of the issue, from those who are strident gun control believers to serious gun freaks.
After the mass shooting at Virginia Tech yesterday, the thought keeps going through my mind that killing someone is so much easier if one has a gun...it's so impersonal. That creature at the other end of the 9mm can be written off as not even human; no need to look at it face-to-face. On the other hand, if one is forced to use other forms of weapons to commit murders, it becomes much more personal - it is more likely that eyes will lock, skin will touch, the realization that it is a human being will be unavoidable.
As the saying goes, "nobody's ever heard of a drive-by knifing".
Gun proponents will argue that if you outlaw guns, that only criminals will have them...but there are plenty of other countries that outlaw them and they don't have a rash of criminals shooting innocent people in the street, or even criminals using them to commit crimes. However, there are other countries that have relatively open gun laws, but nowhere near the gun-related crime that we have here in the States; obviously this shows that it can be controlled without eliminating all guns to citizens.
Then it appears the problem lies in the mentality of the citizens of this country...what makes us so violent, so willing to kill others in this impersonal manner? I'm sure the sociologists and psychologists will be discussing this ad nauseum. I don't have any answers, other than I believe our collective soul is dark...
This may be the event that makes me finally take a stand on how I feel about the gun issue in this country.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment