One of the most insidious attacks on personal freedom in our country today is the blatant and unfounded war on Second Ammendement rights.
Besides being ridiculously cool, guns are essential to the general population’s personal protection and freedom. It still amazes me that many people think guns are the world’s evil…and that if we just outlawed them, all the criminals would gladly turn theirs in (criminals are known for their sure and ready compliance with the law, after all). Among their other talents of harming others, thieving, and intimidating people, criminals have an uncanny ability to steal and fashion their own weapons. (Come on, doesn’t anyone watch Cops anymore?)
I just read a fascinating and excellent article by John Lott, Jr. on this topic. I’d encourage anyone (pro or against guns) to read this article. The author clearly breaks down the numbers about how guns really contribute to both accidental deaths and law and order in society.
Among Lott’s points:
“In 2003, for the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reports that 28 children under age 10 died from accidental shots.”
“These deaths also have little to do with “naturally curious” children shooting other children. From 1995 to 2001 only about nine of these accidental gun deaths each year involve a child under 10 shooting another child or themselves. Overwhelmingly, the shooters are adult males with long histories of alcoholism, arrests for violent crimes, automobile crashes, and suspended or revoked driver’s licenses.“
So that scene in The Sixth Sense where the little boy asks “Wanna see where my dad keeps his gun?” and then turns to reveal his half blown-off head–Hey little actor boy, can you say “propaganda”?
Here are some of the other ways that children under 10 died in 2004:
“Over 1,400 children were killed by cars, almost 260 of those deaths were young pedestrians.”
“Bicycle and space heater accidents take many times more children’s lives than guns.”
“Over 90 drowned in bathtubs.”
“The most recent yearly data available indicates that over 30 children under age 5 drowned in five-gallon plastic water buckets.”
And for the good news:
“Guns are used defensively some 2 million times each year.”
By now this should at least give you something to think about. So I challenge you: Forget what you see on TV and take a moment to look at the facts–then make your decisions. And don’t knock guns before you try ‘em…find one of your NRA-member friends and ask them to take you to the range. If you don’t have a good time, or if you see any “crazy gun nuts” ready to blow you to smithereens, tell me about it and I’ll post your experience on my blog.
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