Skirting The Issue

A post on violence in America that isn't really about violence in America.

It's really about guns and gun violence.

I am not so idealistic as to believe that meaningful gun control is even a remote possibility in the US either for criminals or the law abiding.

Criminals and law abiding? They're now the same?

What?

Gun control is nothing but a cliche, a hollow utterance by some politicians looking for votes based on their non existent ability to protect the public from cirme.

I completely agree.

See, I thought his earlier statement about gun control for criminals and the law abiding was a bit of unclear writing. Having said gun control is a cliche, you might think he'll say nix to the idea.

Think again:

Do I believe in gun control? Yes. Do I think there are countries in which banning or controlling guns can be successful? Yes - already happening. Do I believe that the United States is one of those countries? Absolutely, positively not.

Well, we already know the success of Britain's gun control laws.

"At the end of the day, it is safe to say that criminals do not care about gun bans or licences," Scotland Yard spokesman Carrie Lee said.

But let's get back to our gun control believing friend here.

Interestingly, he cross-posts to this site and in the comments thread writes:

I'm not blaming guns for anything. Gun violence is not the cause of the problem but a symptom of it.

But given the stress that people live under as they have to work harder and harder, struggle more and more just to survive and knowing that many finally get to the point where they simply cannot cope with it, having guns so easily available to these folks is a recipe for disaster.

Wait a minute.

He believes in gun control, doesn't blame guns for anything, but states that easy availability of guns is a recipe for disaster due to the stresses of life?

If that's the case, why don't we hear more about angry gun store owners who shoot up the neighborhood?

Beyond the rhetoric of how history will judge our society lies the core of this post.

Take away six paragraphs from the middle and what do you have left?

A vote for gun control.