Our nation needs sensible gun control
The recent Dispatch articles about legislative efforts to weaken common sense restrictions on carrying guns are frightening. “Gun-rights advocates target bans” and “Legislators pondering bevy of gun bills” (May 30) and “State coalition to fight gun violence” (June 1). We’ve hit a new low when our General Assembly and governor have made it legal to carry concealed guns at colleges, day-care centers and airports.
Even the conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in his 2008 majority opinion, left room for some common-sense restrictions when he stated that, “Nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings.” How did we get to this point? First, the National Rifle Asociation poured money into the coffers of the politicians. Secondly, a bunker mentality has been encouraged by those who profit from the sale of guns.
Jim Irvine, board president of the Buckeye Firearms Association, continues to use the argument that, “Mandatory background checks are the first step toward mandatory gun registration.” He supposedly believes this would “facilitate firearms confiscation if the government chose to do so.” The NRA and other gun lobbyists have been using this same threat to strike fear into gun owners for years.
Don’t we register our cars? Reasonable people do not find background checks intrusive. This is all about money. Fewer restrictions equate to more gun owners and more gun owners result in higher profits for gun manufacturers.
It is significant that the Fraternal Order of Police opposes loosening restrictions. They know from experience that this will result in more gun violence and put our officers in even more danger. We owe it to those who protect us to respect their opinion.
Another remark that I found irrational was testimony by Chris Door, director of Ohio Gun Owners, that Americans have a “‘God-given, natural right’ to keep and bear arms without bureaucratic mandates or paperwork.” I wonder how God feels about that.
Michael R. Moran, a Second Amendment attorney remarked that easing gun restrictions is “incremental.” “That’s how these rights are asserted,” he stated. Yes, that is how it happens. Each successive Republican-sponsored gun bill chips away at a little more sanity — less training for concealed carry, expanding the categories of those who can be licensed, and decreasing the number of gun-free zones.
It is clear that there is unlimited money available from gun lobbies to expand the reach of a paranoid gun culture. Responsible citizens need to stand up and refuse to vote for candidates who are bought by the NRA. Ideally, we can make “incremental” steps toward common-sense restrictions and make our country a safer, saner place to live.
According to the Washington Post, our country ranks No.1 in firearms per capita and also has the highest homicide-by-firearm rate among the world’s most developed nations. We should be ashamed.
Carol Rafferty Columbus Columbus