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Historical March–April 2013 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
How many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? – Bob Dylan Unlike other living creatures, the human being can kill his or her own species without direct contact. Purportedly, this removal of direct aggression makes it easier to kill. Bombs, drones, poison are all removed methods. So especially are guns. Guns take many forms and have multiple uses. Nonetheless they remain an economic means to end life.
The most pernicious of these are semi-automatic and automatic weapons, which allow the shooter to fire multiple rounds rapidly without reloading.
There will always be disturbed persons among us who may wish to turn on relatives, friends, acquaintances or most horribly, total strangers. Their disorders and horrific visions have led to a number of mass killings in the United States and abroad. Their delusions certainly necessitate diagnosis and treatment.
However, the extent of the problem may not be that identifiable nor may there be a magic solution to tame their mania.
The question we need to ask ourselves today is would the tragedy in Newtown have occurred if Adam Manza did not have ready access to semi-automatic weapons? Are such weapons fit for hunting? For target shooting? No, they are military assault weapons. For too long, legislators in the nation and in the 50 states have either believed the mantra of the National Rifle Association or feared retribution at the polls if they questioned the legality of a semi-automatic rifle.
The NRA has vast resources and calls upon its network to prevent any kind of gun or ammunition control in our nation. For various reasons, we have a long history of individual gun ownership in this country. Hunting and sport shooting are valued traditions. Many also desire firearms as protection. Missouri and many other states allow gun owners to have a permit to carry concealed weapons. For a brief moment, our nation had the Brady bill, banning assault weapons. Congress term-limited the legislation and it died several years ago. Either fear or belief prevented our senators and representatives from acting to insure that these weapons of mass destruction stayed out of private hands. Various instances of mass murder did not affect the stance of many elected officials.
The NRA’s rubric has been that guns don’t kill people; people kill people.
My caveat would be: Would death have occurred if guns were not present or, especially, if semi-automatic weapons had not been close at hand? Any death by an unknown gunman is a death too many.
But when the carnage touches 6 and 7 year old children, can we finally say enough?
In St. Louis, shootings occur on a regular basis.
Most often, the victim is known to the shooter. Chicago set records this summer for drive-bys that killed teenagers, sometimes innocent bystanders. Again, this is not hunting game or target shooting.
These are homicides that probably never would occur without readily obtainable firearms. “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” How can we weigh life against the ability to obtain any firearm? Is that freedom or is it complicity in tragedy? President Obama has proposed a number of measures to curb gun violence.
We in Skinker DeBaliviere have heard the unwelcome sound of gunshots over the years. Perhaps we could take the time to inform our elected officials that we support measures that might stem future tragedies.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, March–April 2013.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed Adam Manza and Bradybill/assaultweaponsban conflation retained as historical editorial claims, not independently corrected legal history.
Original source: SD_Times2013_02.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
