America needs look abroad for inspiration of arming citizens responsibly
In the late 1980s, then-governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis said, “I don’t believe in people owning guns, only the police and military. And I’m going to do everything I can to disarm this state.” While he eventually lost a presidential run and has mostly faded from public life, the line has often been quoted by those who believe only uniformed and trained operatives should be trusted with firearms. However, this idea is far from reasonable.
Our police force is not infallible. Like civilians, they’re capable of misusing guns in their pursuit of law and order. According to the CATO Institute’s 2010 National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project, 4,861 unique cases of misconduct involving 6,613 sworn officers were reported. Associated with those reports were 247 fatalities — about two-thirds as many as were killed in America with rifles of any kind that year. The CATO Institute estimates nearly $350 million was spent on litigation and settlements for these cases.
The American Civil Liberties Union also tracks instances of police abuses, and it recently released a detailed report of police brutality in Puerto Rico. A George Washington University study delved into the discouragement in minority communities because of law enforcement officers’ perceived racial biases. These studies show troubling examples of misused police power.
The military is at fault, too. Media outlets have exposed the stories of Abu Ghraib and drone strikes, where American armed forces mistreated civilians and prisoners.
The number of people rejected or discharged from the military has dropped dramatically since the 1990s. As the military accepts a higher percentage of questionable applicants, gang activity in the military increases. The National Gang Intelligence Center has identified members of 53 of America’s largest gangs serving in the military, including some in every branch of the armed services. A recent FBI survey of gang activity says gangs are encouraging members to join the military for training purposes, and “younger gang members without criminal records are attempting to join the military.”
While these examples of military disruption and scandalous police activity are disconcerting, problems with American violence won’t be solved just by addressing servicemen. Rather, we must remember that being in uniform does not guarantee an individual’s virtue.
America should consider following the Swiss model, where all men of military age receive training and have the option to maintain their government-issued weapon. Tens of thousands of Swiss attend Switzerland’s Federal Shooting Festival, and guns are often seen in public in the country. Despite the prevalence of guns in Switzerland, violent crime rates are low.
Instead of villainizing legal gun ownership, the media and educational system in the U.S. should applaud an understanding of firearms and encourage training and practice for safe use.
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