The tragedy of the horrific and senseless school shooting that occurred in Parkland, Florida last week is that nothing different will be done. Those advocating for ownership of guns will argue that guns don’t kill, people do”. These same advocates will point to the 2nd Amendment and further argue that it guarantees people the right to “keep and bear arms. In a recent article in the Alabama Political Reporter , Josh Moon wrote a very poignant article about the absurdity of this argument. His article, entitled, “Your pro-gun arguments are stupid”, pointed out that these same pro-gun proponents fail to include the first part of the sentence in the 2nd Amendment which reads: “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state,…” as they beat the drum for gun ownership. It would appear that the right to keep and bear arms was related, specifically, to a well-regulated Militia. States have the National Guards, local and state law enforcement to provide for this protection,
Let it be stated, that those of us who have serious reservations about the proliferation of guns in our country are not arguing that guns cannot be owned by the citizenry. What is of concern is the type of gun. Pistols for individual protection, rifles and shotguns for hunting are not the problem. The problem is the assault rifles and weapons of destruction that can fire rapid rounds of ammunition in milliseconds. Why are these weapons needed? How does restricting ownership of such weapons undermine the 2nd Amendment? How are these weapons used other than for mass shootings? It is my recollection that in each of the school shootings and recent massacres, such as Las Vegas, it was this type of weapon that was used.
As noted earlier, the tragedy that words of condolence will be forthcoming, individuals will point out how something must be done, yet politicians will send their “thoughts and prayers” and go about their other business. Following the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, the Connecticut Legislature did act and passed some of the most stringent gun-control legislation in the county. In a recent article in The New York Times, data from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, stated that: “with few exceptions, states with the strictest gun-control measures, California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, have the lowest rates of gun deaths, while those with the most lax laws, Alabama, Alaska and Louisiana, have the highest.” It would certainly appear that there is some correlation between the laws and the results.
Let us hope that politicians in Washington and the state capitols around the country will have the backbone and the fortitude to do what needs to be done. Short of this we will just be waiting for the next Parkland, Sandy Hook or Columbine to happen. Listen to the Parkland students, they are begging for action, not words.