Gun Control

Gun control is back in the media again. After the Newark incident, slayings in CT and Virginia Tech, advocates are advocating that if only gun control was in existence, these events would not have happened.

I believe the exact opposite. If as advocates insist, guns were well controlled (even now they are registered and buyers must undergo checks--isnt that coontrol?) then all this would go away. Not really, the criminal element, those responsible for the slaying above would have found the means to gain possession of firearms. It is the honest god-fearing, law abiding citizens that would be made defenseless. The criminal element would then have the upper hand.

Instead, more guns could be the answer. At Virginia Tech, with a campus ban on firearms, the shooter had nothing to fear and plenty of time to do violence until the police forces (campus security was not able to deal with the threat). Instead if arms were available, the shooter might wellhave not ventured in, knowing that some of the students might well have been carrying arms and could have answered quickly. It is called deterrent. But a deterrent is only worthwhile if the opposite side knows you have the will to use it. Stripped of weapons will is meaningless.

Ironically, arms alone are not necessary. The 9/11 hijacker-terrorists used only knives and razors to gain control. They then used the vehicles themselves as weapons. So banning weapons would not have stopped their attack.