Thoughts about gun control
The most recent mass shooting has once again brought the issue of guns to the forefront. Several groups and individuals have expressed various solutions to the problem, none of which will solve the situation.
I am not opposed to having mandatory background checks for anyone who purchases guns at a gun show. Other than the added cost to the seller, I don’t see why gun show sales should be exempt from the same rules that apply to sales at gun stores. Since, to the best of my knowledge, none of the people who have committed these mass shootings purchased their weapons at a gun show, I also don’t see how having background checks will prevent these events from continuing.
The one thing the people who go on killing sprees do have in common, besides their guns, is their mental illness. As far as I can tell, this recent shooter's illness was either not diagnosed or was hidden by family members so background checks did not reveal any problems.
Most people, myself included, have family members or friends who, as my grandfather would say, are a bit touched in the head. It would never occur to us that this person would decide to take a gun and kill multiple victims, yet this is what happens. Even if the mentally ill person expresses a desire to get even with the world, how many of us would call 911 and turn our family member or friend over to the police? And even if we did, the police can’t do anything unless a crime has been committed, and by then it is too late. You can ask the person to seek help from a mental health professional, something he or she may or may not do.
While mass shootings grab headlines, the daily slaughter of people in Wilmington gets page two small print copies of police reports in the News Journal. Almost all of these killings are done with guns in the possession of criminals. Criminals do not shop for guns in gun stores; they buy them on the street where background checks consist of making sure the customer has cash.
And then we have the politicians. Some will pledge to protect the Second Amendment at all costs while others pledge to rid the country of all guns. Both groups are pandering to their political base, and neither will be able to keep these hollow promises.
Only the Supreme Court can rule on the Second Amendment, and history has shown the court continues to support the individual’s right to own guns. The country has many millions of guns, and any attempt to take those guns would fail because it would be a violation of the Second Amendment that we already know is the law of the land. In other words, no matter what they say, there is nothing politicians can do to prevent mass shootings.
We have also heard that if everyone was armed someone would be on site to stop the shooter, be it a mass murderer or a criminal. I have grave reservations about this. If everyone carried guns, I fear simple disagreements would quickly escalate into shootings. I am also concerned that untrained gun owners would do more harm than good in a confrontation with a determined shooter.
Well-trained police officers make mistakes and kill innocent bystanders during shootouts with criminals. I don’t care if you can put six shots in a one-inch circle at 100 yards, that target is not shooting back. I understand from friends who have been in the military that being shot at is quite unnerving and may result in a few wayward shots being fired before the intended target is hit.
What about those of us who own guns that we use in legal pursuit of game, target shooting or for protecting our home? I see no need for us to worry about losing our guns. We may have to spend more time at the gun store waiting for a background check before walking out with a new gun, but if this prevents even one unfit person from getting a gun, I don’t mind the wait.
In the course of our daily lives we may encounter some half-baked nut case who will go off on a tangent about how evil and dangerous guns are. Simply ignore the person. There is nothing you can say or do to convince him or her otherwise.
Finally, please don’t become part of the problem. If you want to carry a gun, please get a concealed carry permit. While open carry may be legal, it is often not smart. I recently saw a young man at a kids' park with a pistol on his hip. Many of the parents and grandparents avoided him and his family, and while he may have had the right, he did nothing to improve the image of gun owners.
Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
