By Bill Flax
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. – Second Amendment
As debates over firearms simmer and President Obama mulls sweeping firearm restrictions via executive orders,, media personalities like Piers Morgan dismiss guests defending gun rights with contempt. You’d think resistance to disarmament amounts to culpability for the Sandy Hook slaughter.
Yet, as John Lott’s bestseller, More Guns, Less Crime, highlights crime rates have tumbled while gun ownership has soared, including permits to carry concealed weapons. America has more murder than many similarly advanced countries, but overall violent crime, save inner-cities plagued by family breakdown, remains below peer nations. The streets in Mr. Morgan’s England are far more dangerous.
Dr. Lott explained to CNN’s Soledad O’Brien that all but one mass shooting in America occurred within “gun-free” areas. For instance, the recent Colorado movie rampage happened in the only theater in the vicinity (of seven) which forbids firearms. Lott observed that Germany, despite draconian gun restrictions has suffered worse mass murders. Criminals don’t follow firearm laws, thus Lott advises eliminating “gun-free” zones.
Ms. O’Brien was dumbfounded.
Most liberals’ only experiences with firearms come via headline instigating crimes, which jade their conception of an armed citizenry. Homeowners defending the hearth rarely attract much media notice; nor will many liberals be found frequenting shooting ranges or hunting. Rather than familiarize themselves with firearms, it’s apparently more rewarding to delight in self-righteous approbation by restricting rights for those who haven’t harmed anyone.
An old adage attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes warns, “Hard cases make bad laws.” The Left milks tragedy trying to radically diminish longstanding rights. The forces seeking to confiscate firearms strike, using grief for license. Rahm Emmanuel promised, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Team Obama, which previously stooped to Fast and Furious in an attempt to discredit gun ownership, now shamelessly leverages Sandy Hook to tighten federal control.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell let slip the gun-control crowd’s desperation, “The good thing about Newtown is, it was so horrific that I think it galvanized Americans” potentially into rallying for more rigid gun laws. Americans ought to be very circumspect before succumbing to more stringent firearm qualifications. Restricting guns from people with mental problems sounds logical, but forces adamantly opposed to firearms find even patriots similarly suspicious. Likewise, gun registration could segue into a roadmap for disarmament.
