Gun-free Zones
Recently, a columnist in the local paper wrote about "gun-free" zones and blaming the eight deaths at an Omaha shopping mall on the fact that it was a "gun-free" zone. His argument was that since nobody was allowed to carry a gun in the mall, there was no one to shoot back at the gunman.This was the real reason that eight people died. I'm not sure I agree with his reasoning. But the one question I would have is "What would be the reaction if I walked into the the newspaper's offices with a gun?" Would I be met by a bunch of employees with guns? Would I be asked to leave? Would somebody call the police? Or would I be calmly received as a citizen exercising my right to bear arms? I would be very curious to find out what the newspaper's policy is on customers walking into their offices carrying guns. I would also be curious to know if the columnist personally keeps a gun at work. Is the newspaper's offices a "gun-free"zone or not?
His argument about "gun-free" zones is tantamount to driving on the freeway. The sign says the speed limit is 65 so I follow the rules. Along comes someone driving 80 miles an hour. Now my life is in danger because this idiot does not want to follow the rules. So to protect myself, I speed up to 80. Now there are two idiots driving 80, endangering even more people. Pretty soon, everyone is driving 80 just to protect themselves. Now everyone driving on the freeway is an idiot. But they all feel safer. Personally, I would stop driving the freeway, just like I would stop going to public places if everyone was carrying a gun. Not everyone can handle driving 80 and not everyone can handle a gun responsibly. Sooner or later, there is going to be a big pile up on the freeway, just like sooner or later there is going to be a pile of bodies at the mall.
If you really want to stop all the shootings in public places, try banning 24/7 news organizations. The instant world wide celebrity these organizations provide would encourage even me to to "go out in a blaze." But then that would be giving up a freedom, just like banning guns would be giving up one of our freedoms. It seems like the only freedom Americans don't have is the freedom from living in fear.
His argument about "gun-free" zones is tantamount to driving on the freeway. The sign says the speed limit is 65 so I follow the rules. Along comes someone driving 80 miles an hour. Now my life is in danger because this idiot does not want to follow the rules. So to protect myself, I speed up to 80. Now there are two idiots driving 80, endangering even more people. Pretty soon, everyone is driving 80 just to protect themselves. Now everyone driving on the freeway is an idiot. But they all feel safer. Personally, I would stop driving the freeway, just like I would stop going to public places if everyone was carrying a gun. Not everyone can handle driving 80 and not everyone can handle a gun responsibly. Sooner or later, there is going to be a big pile up on the freeway, just like sooner or later there is going to be a pile of bodies at the mall.
If you really want to stop all the shootings in public places, try banning 24/7 news organizations. The instant world wide celebrity these organizations provide would encourage even me to to "go out in a blaze." But then that would be giving up a freedom, just like banning guns would be giving up one of our freedoms. It seems like the only freedom Americans don't have is the freedom from living in fear.
posted by Senor at 12:49 PM
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