Commentary on the Collapse of Human Decency
How has the United States, the land of the free and home of the brave, become the most unsafe country in the world? Every morning we are hit by news from coast-to-coast where people, including children, are being shot and killed.
And our reaction is to do nothing. On top of that, the N.R.A. Convention is heading towards Indianapolis where Trump, Pence, Senator Braun and Gov. Holcomb will speak. Do you think they will break with Republican tradition and urge a policy of gun control? Don’t hold your breath. We all know that guns don’t make any community safer. People are shot and killed in schools, highways, shopping centers and city streets by angry people who in many cases are intoxicated. The shocking reality is that a minority of these shooters are arrested. Our community reaction—-call crime stoppers.
Tragically, we have an Indianapolis mayor’s race focusing on crime but none of the candidates, including our mayor, poses a resolution. Well, let me help them.
Let’s wake up and start treating guns like automobiles. Let’s require background checks and a license to carry a gun. Let’s also require insurance with the license needing to be renewed in the same fashion as a driver’s license.
Sure, while car wrecks haunt our cities, think of the consequences if we had no stop lights or speed requirements. We are inflicting the same result on our citizens when we have no meaningful gun control.
When will we finally come out of our political cocoon and stop doing nothing but praying while three Nashville 9-year-olds are being buried after being killed at school. Treat guns like cars so these kids have a chance to grow up and face life with a smile.
Bob, I agree with the need for stricter gun laws. But the laws have to be standard in every state. Illinois has very strict gun laws. You need a Firearm Owners ID card to purchase guns and ammunition, there is also a waiting period to pick the gun up. Last year Chicago had over 750 deaths and over 1000 incidents of gunfire. I am confident that the shootings in Chicago were not done by legally licensed gun owners.
The guns have been traced to Indiana and Mississippi to name a few states where it is very easy to obtain guns.
If the laws for gun ownership and purchase are not nationwide not much will change.
And even with the Illinois laws the Highland Park shooter had purchased the guns legally. Much work needs to be done in a nonpartisan way to help alleviate the problem.
By the way I do own a few guns that were used for rabbit and bird hunting growing up. I would gladly turn them in today if that solved the issue.
Bob, sorry I missed the August gathering at Rs but my wife had Covid.
John