Second amendment rights make room for irresponsible weapons possession
Personally, I’ve never really understood the need for guns. Whether it was growing up in quiet subdivisions, visiting my rural relatives or even venturing out into the city, it would have never occurred to me that having a gun was the key to being safe. I always try to keep a cellphone charged instead, because the police are there for a reason.
Obviously, not everyone will think the same way I do, and that’s OK. Some people aren’t content with “safety in numbers,” the presence of call boxes or video cameras, dialing 911 or the many other options available to them. Instead, some people believe arming themselves with guns is their best option, and it shows in our nation’s gun laws. As the nation whose second amendment is the very right to bear arms, 22 states “shall” issue permits for concealed weapons for their own residents, and an additional 18 states “shall” issue permits for both its own residents and nonresidents. (“Shall issue” refers to states that must issue a permit once a resident or nonresident meets certain requirements.) This is a nation — with the recent addition of Oklahoma — that has 15 states allowing people to openly carry firearms with a license, a nation in which there are more retail gun stores than both grocery stores and McDonald’s restaurants combined and a nation that ranks No. 1 in the ownership of firearms, with an average 88.8 per 100 people.
Clearly, America’s love affair with weapons is a part of our history, our culture and everything it means to be an American. But sadly, it has come with some terrible consequences. With such easy access to guns, America has experienced numerous tragedies that could easily have been avoided. In just these two past years, our hearts went out to Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson, Ariz.; victims of a rampage in Grand Rapids, Mich.; the National Guard members and civilians killed or wounded at an IHOP in Carson City, Nev.; the wounded and murdered at a midnight movie premiere shooting in Aurora, Colo.; and the victims at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, which occurred just three months ago. Let’s also not forget the deaths of Trayvon Martin in Florida, Bo Morrison in Wisconsin and Dan Fredenberg in Montana — all of whom have unfortunately died under the so-called “stand your ground” or “castle doctrine” laws — and the countless others who die from gun-related violence every day in America.
It’s no wonder Americans rush out to buy guns for protection. We’re scared to death, often, ironically, because of guns themselves, and it seems nothing is being done to address our fears. On the presidential campaign trail, neither candidate really spoke about this troubling epidemic we have in America. Let’s just hope our president has the intelligence and knowledge to help America change our relationship with guns for the better.
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