Is Now the Time to Talk Gun Control?
Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control.
Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News.
The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. Those who knew Nancy Lanza said guns were a hobby of hers.
Should the massacre in Newtown, CT, be the tipping point for political debate on gun control? Is there a need for stricter regulations? Tell us why in the comments.
Adam Maleson
11:34 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
In this age of the internet, the iphones, Google satellite maps and all the technological marvels we have, there is NO excuse for the existence of guns except in museums. We have the technological ability to invent instruments of self-defense that are non-lethal.
We have already available pepper-sprays, and other non-lethal defenses. We can do better. If 1% of the energy and money that goes into gun production in the United States were devoted to the devising of non-lethal self-defense tools, we would all have truly effective non-lethal tools for defending ourselves against attacks.
If the amount of money spent on hospital emergency treatment of gunshot victims were devoted to this purpose we would have such tools. The Second Amendment is antiquated in the 21st century. It was written in response to conditions and technology available in the lat 18th century. You wouldn't allow amendments concerning transportation requiring you to own a horse and buggy to govern your life in this age of the automobile, you would recognize that the technology has advanced so far that such amendments were now thoroughly obsolete.
The same is true concerning the Second Amendment.