My biggest issue with "gun control" is understanding two key phrases. One is Constitutional, the other is by now a cliche:
- Constitutional: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State ...."
- Political: "... responsible gun owners"
It is accepted that the "well regulated Militia" is not limited to the National Guard, and such, but when the gun-owning lobby quotes the Second, they tend to leave out the first half. (e.g. "Gun control is unconstitutional because the Second Amendment says, 'The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'") There are some gun owners I've met in my day that are convinced that
any regulation of firearms is unacceptable. I need a license to drive a car, why not to operate a machine designed to kill things? Inevitably, the debate turns toward whether convicted violent criminals or people legally defined as
non compos mentis ought to own guns. And then the line always comes out: "You can't punish responsible gun owners." Or some such. Eventually, the debate appeals to how the laws hurt "responsible gun owners" by either burdening them with licensing or educational requirements, or limiting the kinds of guns they can own. (Look, even if every gun owner in the country had an M-16, they
wouldn't stop the tanks! Or the airplanes. And, frankly, no, I feel
safer knowing that if one asshole pulls a gun in a McDonald's, I won't find myself surrounded by a mob mentality armed with a dozen automatic weapons. Maybe we should step it up to the
40-mm grenade launchers. Frankly, the fewer nervous trigger fingers I have around me, the safer I feel. Yes, this is hyperbole to a degree, at least a digression; but it
is parenthetic.) Given the number of gun owners I've known over the years, considering that they've all acted irresponsibly with their weapons (save one), and that they all seem to have a tendency to actually boast of those irresponsibilities, as if they were somehow something to be proud of, and considering ... well, I guess it's just my whole experience with guns and their owners, but what the hell does anybody mean by the phrase, "responsible gun owner"?
Er, sorry. I'll calm down. How do I feel about guns, as per the topic? I hate the f@cking things. Look, when we have personal-defense phasers that are permanently set to
stun, maybe I'll reconsider. To the other, how do I feel about "gun owners"? Between those I've known and the tone of the public debate, "gun owners" are a scary bunch of people. And, apparently, quite frightened.
(And you know, I carried a knife once upon a time; it was a real dandy, could go through a car door. Er, in case I needed it to. My friend carried one that could split a .45 round at point-blank without significant damage to its edge. Um, in case he ever needed it to. I do know that we were always more defensive, and were quick to consider our weapons when trouble arose. I'm a lot calmer these days that I go unarmed. And I watched a couple things hapen; my friend is the one gun owner I know with whom I have no complaint. In fact, he gave up carrying a gun shortly after he started because he decided he did not need it. Perhaps the thrill of it, or whatever, wore off quickly. And the other is that the quick reaction translated in our circle of friends among two others who bought guns about the same time; yeah, truly, one guy picked up a nine, then in quick succession two of our friends went out and got a .40 and a .45 No, it wasn't penis envy; it was almost dumber than that. But damn it, I swear the world isn't nearly as threatening to me when I'm unarmed as when I carry a blade.)
As to the Constitutional, though, as the first portion still stands, what does it mean these days?