The Colonnade misses mark
Dear Editor,
Your editorial in Friday’s Colonnade compelled me to write this letter. I’m afraid you missed the mark (pun intended) in your analysis for the need of more gun control laws to prevent gun violence in America. First off, I think we need a refresher course in the Second Amendment. It states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the Right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”
It clearly guarantees the right for the “people to keep and bear arms”, even if it’s for a militia. Militia’s are not illegal in the United States and help to guarantee against a tyrannical government. The amendment doesn’t limit what uses (for good) guns can be used for.
Another point that needs to be made is that the United States has thousands of gun laws already on the books. We do not need to make more gun laws than we currently have; we simply need to better enforce the laws that are already on the books. Let’s look at the United Kingdom, which has a near total ban on firearms. This is from, of all organizations, the United Nations. “England now has the worst crime rate of all major countries. Following a near-total ban on civilian ownership of firearms, crime in England began to skyrocket. In the UN study, researchers found that nearly 55 crimes are committed per 100 people in England and Wales compared with an average of 35 per 100 in other industrialized countries. England and Wales also have the worst record for ‘very serious’ offenses, recording 18 such crimes for every 100 inhabitants, followed by Australia with 16 (yet another country that has all but banned legitimate self-defense, thus creating a lucrative hunting ground for criminals).” Instead of creating new gun laws, let’s think first of enforcing our already over-bearing gun laws that are currently on the books.
Sincerely,
Jason White
Political Science
Sophomore
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 20 2006. Filed under Opinion.
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