… and for the 89th time this year, we’re dealing with the exact same questions and talking points from the pro-gun and anti-gun crowd. A maniac in Roseberg, Oregon on Thursday, Octob
er 1st, 2015, walking into a community college and killed at least 10 people, wounding at least 20 others. A monster in all sense of the word.
How do American politics hold the country together in yet another difficult time. Simple. Each side closes their ears to any sort of compromise and locks into their battle stations ready for the “righteous” fight ahead. The anti-gun extremists on one side and the 2nd amendment trumpeters on the other. The Great US Gun Debate, Round 142.
Now, I live in Canada. I love the USA, but I am happy that we don’t share the same gun laws and culture. It’s no question that while these instances do happen in Canada, they’re far less prevalent. Far less. The fact that someone can pretty much just walk into a Walmart or sporting goods store in the USA and walk out with a rifle, a handgun and tonnes of ammunition, I believe, is fundamentally wrong. The loopholes, such as the one surrounding gun shows, needs to be closed. Most of the weapons available at those shows are not for “self-defense,” … anyone who believes that is either insane or so mentally diluted you probably couldn’t have a proper conversation with them, anyways. These people buy those guns because they’re gun enthusiasts. They think they’re cool and I have to agree with them. I love guns. LOVE THEM. Are you kidding me? You don’t like to hold one of those thunder sticks between your mitts? Are you telling me it’s not an absolute blast to go out into the woods and shoot cans/bottles or trees with that wonderful piece of human ingenuity cocked against your shoulder with a couple of buddies? You’re telling me that you’ve never held a gun at your waist and screamed something like “FREEDOM!” doing your best impression of Mel Gibson in Braveheart while you squeezing the trigger emptying the clip? If you’re answer is no to any of those questions, go out and start shooting. I promise, you won’t turn into a redneck. It really is a lot of fun.
The battle 
stations mentality is what stops this problem from being fixed or logical steps from being taken towards prevention. The Republicans believe that nothing is really wrong and the status quo is just fine. That’s ridiculous and I think speaks for itself. It’s lunacy and frankly irresponsible. The Democrats, however, act like this problem would just go away overnight if stricter gun laws were planted on the general public. Firstly, putting down stricter gun laws doesn’t stop criminals from obtaining guns. Since when has increased government interference, bureaucracy and tougher laws fixed a systemic problem in society in terms of trafficking illegal goods? What about the War of Drugs? That has been an utter failure and in a lot of respects, drugs are more plentiful on our streets then ever before. I mean, people are able to find things like heroine, marijuana and cocaine quite easily, despite it being considered illegal by the state. Aren’t the same anti-gun crowds the same calling for the end to the War on Drugs? Isn’t that left-wing hypocrisy? That’s the biggest problem here, I think. Criminals, or people preparing to commit crimes of mass-murder, will not get their guns threw the right process. They’re the bad guys. They don’t follow the rules. That’s why they’re the bad guys. I don’t live in the states, so I’m not complete sure, but in a country with that many guns, I don’t believe it would be that difficult to obtain one off the street.
Stricter gun laws are not a panacea for this issue, nothing really changes. Sure, it would make gun harder to obtain, but does nothing to solve the underlining issue. How do you stop the deranged and the mentally ill from obtaining these weapons to carry out these heinous attacks. Can you stop it? The checks and balances system has to improve, no question, and it’s complete garbage for President Obama, while I can understand his 
obvious and visible frustration, to politicize this while nothing has changed at all since he has taken office. The problem, in fact, seems like it continues to only get worse. He hasn’t given any of these “common sense laws” any teeth. He’s failed just as bad as anyone else. Another thing that has to change is the immediate jump to action in a mass-killing like this, while ignoring the day-to-day single or double murders not in the public spotlight, usually surrounding drugs, gangs and domestic abuse in American cities every single day.
This is a very complicated issue and stricter access to guns is not a guarantee to work, let alone slow down the killings. In Chicago (in Obama’s home state of Illinois), there have been 374 murders despite there being extremely stringent gun laws, so far this year. 327 of those, due to gun violence. Many cities with the highest homicide rates have the strictest gun laws in the United States. That to me, proves, that this isn’t an issue that can be fixed by nailing the 99.9% of law abiding respectful gun owners.
Here’s the scariest thing in this, for me. It’s a fact that schools are a target – lots of unarmed, mostly young people with limited protection. They’re sitting ducks for animals that seek mass-murder. Is it crazy to suggest that weapons be placed inside these schools so these beasts can be pumped full of lead by trained teachers/school staffers before they can turn on innocent students and faculty? I don’t know. I don’t know exactly how I feel about that. It’s something I’m on the fence about, but it’s time we looked at something actually constructive to be able to cut down this problem.
One thing is for sure… This issue is a lot more complicated then people let on and all the buzzwords, talking points and political grandstanding from either side of the political spectrum won’t do anything to fix this. This issue needs to be looked at with “common sense,” something that the US President has ignored for years while the problem has grown right under his nose. He, like a typical left-winger, passes the buck
and the blame onto the NRA or pro-gun lobbyists. Sure, they hold a piece of the blame for nothing being done, but they’re not the ones pulling the trigger. The butchers are. They should shoulder the blame.
The Great Divider, he’s called by the American right-wingers.
I’d have to agree.
Penned by Jack Madelyn.
Bombing for Logic 