Like most hot button political issues in America, extremists can scare people on both sides. The “we’re gonna outlaw ALL guns” people, and the “I’d like to see you try and take my guns” people. They are equally ridiculous.. There are a lot of people who can comfortably engage in civil discourse about the issue, but there are so many people that will not bend their stance even an inch. Even to just hear a point or read an article. It seems as if most people insert themselves into the debate without ever looking at situations that others may be in. “I am a legal gun owner, and I shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to obtain a gun.” Or “nobody needs that certain type of gun and that much ammo.” The main problem is that the “legal owner” doesn’t think about the fact that if he was crazy and didn’t have access to a gun, our system makes them readily available. And the anti-gun person doesn’t think about people who live in dangerous locations where the criminals will always be well armed regardless of the law, already own multiple weapons with no problems, and hunters/sportsman. As usual, it goes a lot deeper than some simple idea from a politician, or an NRA representative. Their stance usually centers around the fact that they either make money or get votes, so they will find a myriad of ways to vilify the opposition. There are countries that have outlawed guns and it has worked great, and some of the places with the highest gun ownership are also the safest. We can always find an argument to fit our narrative, but like always, the best case scenario is somewhere in the middle. I want everyone safe from gun violence, but I also want to retain my freedom to own whatever gun that I like. Closing the loopholes, longer waiting periods, and scrupulous background checks are fine with me, but I understand why some people oppose them. This will never be resolved completely and I’m just wasting my time, but here’s an invite to a common sense discussion that you will never see on your TV.
