The tragedy at Umpqua Community College last week was just that – a tragedy. It was a senseless act of true evil that is almost impossible to comprehend. But what is also tragic is the demagogic language that was immediately rolled out by politicians and pundits alike. Even the President weighed in with his gun control agenda, as vague as his plans are. The irony of a President who is from a city with the some of the tightest gun control laws in the country and still one of the highest gun murder rates in the country, yet still advocates for similar federal laws, hopefully wasn’t lost on the public.
With this event in mind, I’d like to provide some commentary on a couple of items in this post. First, whether calls for gun control can prevent these types of mass shootings. Second, I’d like to poke some holes in the idea that the government has the right to regulate guns in this country.
Let’s start with whether gun control can prevent future mass shootings. I’ll start by saying unequivocally – no. The idea that passing laws against the possession of firearms will prevent criminals from possessing firearms is laughable on its face. The only effects of gun restrictions, including so-called “gun free zones”, is to disarm and victimize law abiding citizens. The reality is that law abiding citizens will obey the restrictions while criminals do not, leaving innocent people without protection against those who would do them harm.
Continue reading Another Mass Shooting, Another “Gun Free” Zone