Gun Control

My friend’s father (I will call him Jay) lives in a "hard hood" in Detroit. He’s the superintendent and resides in an apartment complex around West 7 Mile and Greenfield Road. He’s worked hard to maintain the building grounds and units and done everything he can to provide a safe environment for residents. While most of his tenants appreciate what he has done, there are those in the 'hood who resent his work. He receives death threats on a weekly basis.Jay keeps three guns in his house for protection, as well as a bat by the door. There have been numerous break-in attempts and recent violence in the area. Jay’s girlfriend and two sons live with him part-time and he keeps the guns as a safety precaution. The Second Amendment affords good hardworking citizens like Jay, who are trying to make a difference in their community, the peace of mind and security that government has failed to provide in some of our most depressed and forgotten neighborhoods. 

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” It is unlikely that mass murders such as those at Sandy Hook or the Colorado Batman shooting will vanish as a result of recent gun control proposals. The types of people who commit such crimes are mentally unstable and no amount of legislation can prevent someone bent on hurting others from doing so. Criminal activity is a deviant behavior and those that commit crimes don’t follow the law to begin with. To think that those who already ignore societal rules will suddenly decide to obey gun control laws is absurd. It seems ironic that bodyguards holding guns for protection surround the very legislators trying to take away the public's right to defend themselves. 

Locke felt the general public must be able to protect themselves when the government cannot. There is not always going to be a police officer on the other side of the window when the burglar climbs out. It just isn’t possible to be protected all the time, against every crime. Sometimes, one is forced to rely only on his or her own wits for defense, and I would like the option of being armed should the time ever come that I may need to protect myself.  

What if I were at the apartment of my friend’s father when an unhappy neighbor chose to seek revenge? I think it would be in my best interest that my friend’s father is armed and ready. The government can’t save us from everything.             

The purpose of gun control laws is to prevent crime. Unfortunately, criminals will be those most likely to skirt the law, putting the rest of us at greater risk. It is not the laws surrounding guns that need to change, but rather our culture and the societal factors that produce criminals.      
The entertainment industry and media depict gun use as a violent and illegal activity, but this was not always the case. Older films portray guns as a positive tool used to fight crime and lawless bandits (Shane is one of my favorites). If, we as a nation, are serious about crime prevention, then the solution is not gun control. We have to look deeper to solve the major ills of society and become better shots – we need to avoid looking for simple actions that miss their mark.