Gun Control
By Cheri Jackson
Featured Rightgrrl February 1999
cheri_jackson@yahoo.com
April 9, 1999

This article is strictly my opinion. I did look up a few population statistics, but I was not in the mood for any heavy research.

I have recently realized that the issue of gun control can turn into a very heated debate, even among conservatives. Most average citizens on the side of greater restrictions honestly feel that it will bring greater safety. On the other hand, those who want fewer restrictions want to hang on to their constitutional right to keep and bear arms and feel that their safety would be undermined if they are not allowed to own guns. As with most debates both sides insist that they are right.

Pro-control people point to victims in emergency rooms and countries with strict gun control as examples. What they fail to point out and to realize is that taking guns away from responsible citizens who own guns legally is not going to make the victims in the emergency rooms go away. Most crimes are not commited with legally registered guns, criminals use weapons that are illegally obtained so they are harder to trace. Will making gun ownership illegal make guns disappear? Even if you could confiscate and destroy every privatly owned gun in the country, there will always be someone willing to make a lot of money illegally importing them. If you don't think that is true, look at prohibition and drugs. During prohibition, alcohol was illegal. Instead of getting rid of alcohol, the law helped organized crime to gain strength. Drugs are illegal now. Instead of stopping drug use, the gangs are getting stronger and larger every day. You can even look at countries with strict gun control. Look at England,they have very strict gun control, but the criminals still manage to bring them into the country.

There are several countries that have strict gun control, and I don't know a lot about most of them. I did, however, live in one of them for about a year an a half. Iceland is one of the countries gun-control advocates could try to use as an example. Crime is almost non existent in that country. The cops don't even carry guns there. The presidential residence doesn't have a fence around it, and once, I saw the President and the Prime Minister in the middle of a crowd with the only security in evidence being the cops who were blocking the streets to keep vehicles out of that part of town. Is it the gun control that makes this country so safe though? In my opinion it isn't. Iceland is a very small country, with a very small population. As a matter of fact the population of Iceland is a little over half of the population of Denver. Iceland is basically a neutral country, the closest thing to an Icelandic military is their coast guard. The people of Iceland are friendly and there is almost no cultural diversity. As for gun control there really isn't even a need for it, gun ownership has really never been common. There are very few animals to hunt, and though the cops don't carry guns, they are very tough. They can mess you up pretty bad without one.

On the other hand. America is a very large country, and very diverse, with a very heavy population. As a matter of fact, our population is roughly 1000 times that of Iceland. Add to that the fact that gun ownership has been common here since before we became a country in our own right. It is a totally different situation. Kind of like comparing apples and oranges. Taking away our guns will not bring crime down.

If you want to lower crime there are some things that will work. Teach kids the difference between right and wrong. Teach them discipline. PAY ATTENTION TO THEM!!! Set down rules and make sure your children know there will be unpleasant consequences if they are not obeyed. A person who is not taught to obey rules as a child will not grow up and suddenly start obeying laws. Stricter enforcement of laws and effective punishments will reduce crime. A person who knows that they will receive and serve out a stiff prison term will be less likely to commit a crime. Making gun ownership illegal will only take away the rights of the average citizen and put all of the guns in the hands of criminals.

This article copyright © 1999 by Cheri Jackson and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of its author. All rights reserved. Home