Full Metal Racket

"No weapon has ever settled a moral problem. It can impose a solution but it cannot guarantee it to be a just one."

–Ernest Hemingway

In the wake of more deadly shootings I am reminded once more of the social and political disaster that is the firearm situation in the United States. The heartbreaking Fort Hood and Kansas shootings have made me contemplate the subject of gun control. The debate over guns is a topic I've gotten into some pretty heated arguments over and continues to be a very divisive issue but needs discussion nonetheless. When talking about guns it's important to separate the facts from rhetoric and to set personal bias aside. Many of my readers hold views quite different from my own and I respect that but I am personally an advocate for logical gun control. My position on the subject however does not mean I think President Obama should hop in Marine One and fly house to house taking everyone's guns like some sort of reverse Santa Claus, despite what the Sarah Palins and Glenn Becks of the world would have you believe. I am strongly for the idea of more substantial, commonsense laws, things like universal background checks and reduced magazine capacity are reasonable measures that make each one of us safer. So many tragic instances of gun violence are carried out by legally obtained weapons, which sheds light on the flaws of the system. We need sweeping national legislation not mismatched state laws that are filled with loopholes. This country truly deserves a change; too much has blood has been spilled and too many lives have been lost to do nothing.

These days it's become so difficult to see through all the falsely attributed quotes, doctored statistics and weak logic to the heart of the crisis which is irreplaceable human life.

Probably the most enduring talking points of anti-gun control advocates goes back to the second amendment to United States Constitution. The amendment's original text reads: "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." As we think about these words it's necessary to frame them in their historical context; at the time the Bill of Rights was added to Constitution, our very young nation had nowhere near the staggering military power of the present and it had required local militias to defeat the British. Over the last several years the amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to extend to individual rights but the phrase "well regulated" is still attached whether or not you agree arms are an individual right.

It's also worth considering that the weaponry of the late 1700s was much less advanced than todays, for example a mass shooting would have been impossible with a single-shot, muzzle-loading flintlock pistol. Understanding the exact meaning of a 200-year-old document is quite tricky and the gun situation is much more complex than just constitutionality; it deals with money, politics, mental health care and public safety.

Gun legislation is also further complicated by groups like The National Rifle Association (NRA), who spend millions of dollars each year lobbying politicians. Personal gain, all too often stands in the way of true justice. To me it's puzzling that a country as modern as The United States is still so irrationally obsessed with firearms. This "Wild West" mentality of solving problems with guns, stands in the way of peaceful society. Those who doubt gun control can be effective need to look at other countries such as Australia and the UK who have had positive results with such laws. Crime will always exist, this is a fact but if there's a chance lives can be saved with better legislation I believe we should pursue those avenues. Feel free to disagree with anything I have mentioned over the course of this post but be conscious of the reasons you feel the way you do. In a world filled with deception it's so important to know the facts before forming an opinion.

P.S. Girl of The Week:
Emily VanCamp

P.P.S Song of The Week:

Fever by The Black Keys