What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill another?
~Alan Paton
The Connecticut shooting was a horrible disaster. Many believe it could have been avoided if there were better gun laws. Are gun laws really the answer? Let’s break this down and see how a problem like this can really be avoided.
Key Points
- Violence is the problem. Guns are only tools, not the reason for violence
- There is no correlation between violence and weapon availability
- The problem is whatever makes someone pick up a gun, not the gun itself
- Gun bans already exist in other countries, yet have little effect on crime
- Banning guns sounds noble and peaceful, but it doesn’t reflect reality
- The roots of the problem should be analyzed instead of looking at the surface
The Connecticut Shooting
The unfortunate event where more than a dozen children were killed is shocking. Many people feel as if something needs to be done. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the experience to go about solving problems in general. The scientific method can be applied to any problem. Through many assumptions, people form their own conclusions based on untested theories. What are some of the solutions people have come up with? Most strict gun laws, metal detectors in schools and even more severe punishment for such crimes. These are very over simplified assumptions. “People were shot. Ban guns and people can’t be shot anymore”. There are many variables missing from this picture. What possessed someone to shoot another? Simply brushing them off as maniacs is a cop out. There is a reason and we’ll get to the bottom of it.
Gun Ban & Crime Rates
There is absolutely no correlation between gun availability and crime rates in countries. Some countries have a higher rate of crime and a complete ban on guns. While other countries that have guns readily available have virtually no crime what so ever! Now that doesn’t prove anything because there are also countries with gun availability that do have high crime and countries that have gun bans that are peaceful as well. My point here is that there is really no evidence that guns are the problem. Now I love Macguyver just as much as the next person, but we have to do a little more research if we’re going to solve this issue.
What would happen if we do the opposite of banning guns? If every teacher was trained and allowed to hold a gun, what would happen? If bank clerks and others alike were to hold guns, people would think twice about robbing banks and shooting up classrooms. The minute someone pulls out a gun in school, they can be taken down. The Connecticut shooting would have been less of an event if that were the case. Even if he didn’t have availability to guns. Could he have not googled home made explosives and took out the classroom? Guns are not the blame.
What Causes Violence
It is clear that the way to heal society of its violence… and lack of love is to replace the pyramid of domination with the circle of equality and respect. ~Manitonquat
Violence isn’t caused by guns. Guns are just tools. So are swords, knives and various other chemicals which are lethal to humans. What causes animals to be violent with each other? Scarcity of food, water or mates drives animals and humans alike to act violently. It’s a little more complicated with humans, because we live in a man made world. Money and the scarcity of it can cause robberies and other crimes. Now for crimes of passion, there is respect. Social classes have been created by money.
The more money you have, the higher on the food chain you are and the more respect is given to you in general. Those lower on the food chain often get treated with less respect by others, regardless of who they are as a person. The lack of respect causes emotional disturbance and drives people to do all sorts of things to earn it. If someone steals from a poor person, everyone will erupt, but when Robin Hood steals from the rich, some think it’s okay. Why?
What Causes Behavior
When a dog is vicious, many people would immediately blame the owner. If dogs were abandoned or adopted from a pound, they usually have problems with trust as well. Many people will blame their background. When a person commits a crime, they are a psychopath and they need to be punished. Just because humans can communicate and create in more detail than animals can, it doesn’t mean we are not subject to the same natural principles. There are many cases of feral children. They grow up and act like the animal they were raised by. Our environment has a bigger impact than we think on the development of our psyche. For someone to make a bold statement and assume otherwise without any knowledge or evidence on the subject is making a mistake. The Connecticut shooting is no exception to these rules.
It’s easy to assume, but it’s very hard to truly understand. The roots of any problem need to be addressed. An effort to dig to the roots of the issue and leave personal feelings aside will benefit us more in the long run than banning guns. If guns are banned, only the bad guys will have guns. If someone really wants a gun, they’ll find a way to get it. The Connecticut shooting was a terrible crime, but these people need help, not punishment. Punishment won’t bring those children back.
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