Saturday, March 29, 2014

On "Guns don't kill people, killers do."

I think we have all heard the old canard:

"Guns don't kill people, killers* do."

* Or "criminals" or "people" or "I".

It's a bald fact that a gun is just a tool and a tool doesn't do things without a person operating the tool, so that part is true. But, it's also a fact that a gun is a specific kind of tool that is designed to aid killers with killing. Time for a quiz:

Which will result in more dead people?

A. A killer who doesn't have a gun.
B. A killer who has a gun.

And that's why it's immoral to want society to make guns available to anyone. The stock response is:

"But there are so many guns available already and killers will find ways to get guns illegally."

Again, those are facts, even if we add more gun restrictions. But, let's say a new gun regulation only prevents one murder. Do we value life enough to save even one innocent life? I would hope so.

Just think if Adam Lanza's "live free or die" mother couldn't legally have kept guns around the house if her son has developmental issues (I say ban guns in all homes with children). Maybe Adam would have found some guns some other way. Maybe he would have never developed an obsession with guns and murder. Maybe not. We'll never know that "what if". But we do know the the horrific tragedy of what doing nothing did. The blood of those children is on the hands of every person who is blocking progress.