Its not the guns, its the criminals?

A potentially groundbreaking gun-rights case came before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. Once again the gun control debate makes the front pages.

In almost any gun control debate the argument is made “Its not the guns, its the criminals! A gun cannot think or act on its own“. That settles the debate. It would be foolish if not insane to challenge that statement. One has no choice but to agree that criminals are the culprits when it comes to thefts and murders. That inanimate instrument of terror called a gun is merely being misused by some low life or mentally challenged individual. If we go through the trouble to deprive the criminal of that gun or at least make it very difficult for him to possess a gun, he will only resort to the use of some other instrument of terror such as a knife, an ax or even his fists. It goes without saying that if someone is bent on killing, he will kill. End of debate!

Not so fast. I submit that we cannot acquit the gun whenever blood is shed on the streets Yes, guns cannot think or act on their own but with a little help these dumb instruments of destruction can wreak havoc. Ask any gun and they would tell you that if they had a brain in their chamber they would never allow a criminal to discharge them. Ask a criminal what his weapon of choice is and the odds are that it is a stupid gun that cannot think or act on its own. In the hands of a ventriloquist even a dummy can talk and in the hands of a human , guns will kill. Just as we pass laws in an attempt to thwart criminals we are entitled to pass laws controlling guns. The guns are guilty by association and are not entitled to a free pass because they cannot think or act on their own.

In any gun control debate the wisdom of our Founding Fathers is also invoked. I came across this comment that someone posted in connection with a news article concerning gun control:

“So let me get this straight, our current political class is wiser than our Founders? The Founders predicted and foresaw all the problems we face as a society and we would prudent to heed their great wisdom.”

The gentleman was implying that our Founders in their profound vision had the social problems of today in mind when they crafted the Second Amendment. Beyond thinking of a militia which could rise up to defend the country, I doubt that the Founders had anything more in mind. Still gun owners and the NRA would have us believe that what they had in mind is that you and I not only have the right to arm ourselves for "sport" but we have the right to bear arms in order to defend ourselves against those whom we feel threaten us.

We tend to lay a lot at the doorstep of our Founding Fathers. Granted, they did a remarkable job in launching a new nation which would eventually be the most powerful in the world. On the other hand, to credit them with predicting all the problems we face as a society along with rights to surmount them is tantamount to deifying them. Credit them with the great wisdom reflected in dealing with the problems of their era. If we could bring them back to deal with the problems of today, I venture to say that they would not deal with them anymore effectively than today’s leaders. I doubt that they ever foresaw the diverse society which exists in America today. Our Founders were mere mortals with strengths and weaknesses. They deserve adulation but we need not worship them.

The gun control debate will go on and on. Crime statistics will keep climbing. We all will feel threatened and our streets will resemble the streets of Dodge City. Unfortunately there is no Wyatt Earp in site. In their infinite wisdom is this what our Founders foresaw?

( Were the Founders carrying as they deliberated on the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of The United States?)