Gun Control.

For a long time I have been really indifferent on the issue of gun control. I (for the most part) really respect the US constitution and all the rights it provides citizens with. I take it very seriously when forming my views on certain issues. However, I have always been kind of indifferent about the right to bear arms. It's definitely an idea that I respect, but something about it has always made me a little wishy-washy on the subject.

Last night I watched Michael Moore's documentary, "Bowling for Columbine" and I haven't stopped thinking about it all day since. I feel like after seeing it my views on the subject have shifted. If you haven't seen it, it's really a film worth your time.

I do believe that citizens should have the right to protect themselves and if having a gun is the way they choose to do so, then I respect that. I respect the idea of having a gun for hunting purposes (even though I don't do that), and I respect the idea of having a gun for legitimate protection of yourself in harmful situations. What I don't understand is why people feel the need to own several different guns that aren't for either of those things. The problem lies with the NRA. I've concluded that the NRA has a really flawed vision of the second amendment. They take their views on the subject so far that there is no way to have any kind of gun control whatsoever. They are so protected by the constitution that they protect the selling of any kind of gun. I've been trying to figure out what someone's need for a gun like a TEC-DC9 is (which is what the boys at Columbine used). If you were looking for a gun for protection, a simple pistol would do the trick - there's no need for a military-like machine gun.

The thing that get's me is that guns are so incredibly obtainable these days. Literally anyone can go into a store that sells them and purchase one. I have a distant cousin who is very blatantly mentally ill and he was sold a gun at a gun store with no background check. One of my neighbors has told us that he has multiple guns in his home. The boys at Columbine high school got their guns at a gun show and purchased ammunition at a local K-Mart (which no longer sells ammo, thankfully) at 17 years old. How can we argue that everyone deserves the right to own a gun without some sort of formal process holding each person highly accountable for their purchase? They like to say they do, they like to say you have to have a permit to own a gun, but exactly how often is that enforced? And furthermore, just because YOU have a permit, does not mean your children who find a gun in your home do. It's surprising the number of shootings that happen by a kid with their parent's guns.

In Arizona, there is no gun control laws at all. Jared Laughner -the recent shooter of a congresswoman in Tucson, AZ, was allowed to have a gun with him. There was nothing at all stopping him from carrying that gun around town with him. It was perfectly legal for him to be there with a weapon, and frankly he was not the only person in the crowd with a gun. I don't know about you, but that doesn't make me feel safe - knowing that ANYONE can walk around with a gun at any time.

I guess what I'm getting at is an honest curiosity of WHY people feel an overwhelming need to own guns. Why does anyone need to own a machine gun? And what are we as a country going to do to lower the amount of deaths that occur each year by guns? If people refuse to even slightly change their attachment to possessing guns, then nothing will ever change. We shouldn't even be shocked when we hear about shootings, right? Because after all, we are the ones saying it's OK for anyone to have a gun, and by association shouldn't we expect people to use them? I mean, there is no written contract that you sign with your purchase that says, "I solemnly swear that I will only use this gun for protection if someone breaks into my house and tries to harm me or my family."And I am not justifying ANY shooting by any means, I'm just confused at how this logic works. To me, it doesn't make sense to be "pro-guns" yet also be upset and shocked when we hear about these tragic massacres.

Overall, I don't think my opinion is indifferent any longer. I think gun laws need to be more restricted, I think certain types of guns should not be sold to the public, and I think there needs to be stricter standards for who can own a gun in this country. It sickens me to think of the innocent people who have been killed by someone pulling a gun on them. And the age old saying, "guns don't kill people - people kill people" does not ring true to me. Yes people kill people, but they use guns to do it.