Fareed Zakaria wrote an excellent reflection on gun control. Accordingly, Mr. Zakaria wrote:
“The United States stands out from the rest of the world not because it has more nutcases – I think we can assume that those people are sprinkled throughout every society equally – but because it has more guns.”
As a conscientious citizen, I loved Mr. Zakaria’s reflection, for after the Aurora, CO mass killing, I too have struggled with the perplexing issue of gun control. Is it right, wrong or am I just too indifferent?
While everyone can reflect upon the days of the original framers of the U.S. Constitution, many don’t. And after subsequent nights of gun violence in Chicago, the nation once again faces the moral issue of weapons and ownership. I wonder what the original framers would think of the current weapon dilemma the nation experiences today.
I presume the amount and death capacity of today’s weaponry would overwhelm them with emotions. In 1776, life was harsh and central/local militias were required. Today, missiles have the capacity to travel half the globe in an hour and destroy an entire nation.
While I concur with the right to ownership, I do not concur with the right to any and all weapons simply because I can. As a practical matter, is there any reason a college student seriously requires an AK-47 and over 5,000 some odd forms of ammunition, simply because he can?
We can only progress to inspired dialogue by asking the proper questions. If we start to ask great questions, maybe we can get better answers.