William Aherin: The fallacy of gun control 

You should see the fallacy of gun control, it doesn’t work. Look at the measures that were enacted and hope to be and see if any of them could have prevented the violence they were enacted for. The answer is no, violence is still with us because we don’t have a gun problem. If not guns, then what? A novel approach would be to punish those committed to violence. A definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result,” which might indicate anti-gun lawmakers as certifiable. The shooter creates violence, the gun is only the instrument.

According to university studies lawful gun owners save lives, up to two million a year, mostly without firing a shot. Violent offenders rarely face gun charges because they are used as incentive to plead guilty to lesser charges, thus nullify the law. Programs like no or low bail may be good for minor crimes but with violent crimes it has led to more violent crime and creates a public afraid to leave home or unable to defend themselves. Because of gun control Israel had a heavy civilian death toll during the Hamas raids. In many cases law enforcement could have taken steps but did not.

Today’s police hampered by defunding and hostility of social and political activists are unable to combat the magnitude of violence activists helped create with political agendas that dictate how police can do their job. We have background checks, but many police agencies, again directed by political agendas, won’t send information to the FBI. If they don’t have it, they can’t prevent it. One might think gun control activists cared more about getting rid of guns than violence.

More gun violence translates to more regulation. Lawful gun owners giving up civil rights should be a non-starter. Gun control activists know the one law that will work, the next one. Lawful gun owners shouldn’t bear the responsibility of failed political agendas. The current ideology concerning guns will only create more victims under the guise of public safety.

William Aherin

Southampton