Enough: Time to Do Something About Guns

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

By barbara mcallisTER

Special to The Pilot

On Sunday, Dec. 16, I watched TV coverage of one of the most horrifying shootings in our nation's history.

One week later, I read an opinion piece in The Pilot in which Robert Levy attempted to convince us that no legal remedy is needed to what has become an epidemic in our society.

Instead, Mr. Levy talked about antibiotics and viruses, and offered his diagnosis of Adam Lanza as a "depraved narcissist."

He stated: "If Newtown has spurred us to any action, it should be a professional search for the root cause and cure for a worldwide public mental health problem." He offered no support for legislation that would strengthen regulations relating to the sale of weapons. Instead, he talked about the right to bear arms.

Certainly Adam Lanza had the right to bear arms, as did his mother, who purchased a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle and two pistols (a Glock and a Sig Sauer) and apparently taught her son to fire them efficiently - well enough to kill 20 young children in less than 10 minutes.

Last year, 32,000 Ameri-cans died from gunshot wounds; 11,000 of those deaths were homicides - a rate 12 times the average of other civilized countries. Other countries do experience mass shootings despite strict gun control laws.

Levy cites a 1996 school shooting in the United Kingdom as evidence that gun control does not work - but fails to mention that there are only about 50 homicides every year in England and Wales. The U.S. rate is 30 times the rate in France and Australia.

Of course, Levy does not believe these low homicide rates are due to the limited number of guns available in other countries. He believes, instead, that we cannot "stop school shootings by disarming everyone in hopes that a murderer will be disarmed too." Sensible gun regulation does not demand that an individual's right to bear arms be denied, but it does require the recognition that gun ownership carries enormous responsibilities.

Laws should require thorough background checks for every firearm that is sold (or gifted), whether at a gun show, in a gun shop, or between private parties. Laws should regulate the size of clips that can be manufactured for semi-automatic weapons. Assault weapons should be banned for purchase by any private citizen.

And gun ownership should require at least the same degree of training necessary for anyone wishing to drive an automobile. None of these requirements would affect Mr. Levy's - or any qualified American's - ability to buy a gun for hunting, sport shooting or home protection.

But now we are told by Levy and others that mental health is the issue, or that pop culture is to blame. The truth is there will always be disturbed people. But such people are not just in America. They exist all over the world, in many countries with significantly lower shooting deaths. And they exist even where mental health support is available.

For example, Robert Stewart sought help from a mental health treatment center in Robbins on the Friday before he used a .357 caliber handgun, a .22 Magnum semi-automatic pistol, and a 12-gauge shotgun to kill seven elderly residents and a nurse at Pinelake Health and Rehab in Carthage the following Sunday.

And there are people all over the world who are influenced by the violence that is often part of modern popular culture. For example, the Japanese are on the cutting edge of video games, but their gun homicide rate is close to zero. Perhaps it's because they have the tightest gun laws in the industrialized world.

I was a teacher for 38 years, and I am a mother. As I watched reports from Newtown and listened to the anguished sobs of parents whose children had been killed, I thought about the kids I taught - and my own grandchildren. I thought about their right to live, their right to grow and learn, and their right to be all they can be - rights denied the children of Newtown by a troubled young man who had a right to carry the weapons he used.

I must admit that Adam Lanza's right to bear arms never entered my head. Instead, I thought: "This is enough."

Barbara McAllister is a retired teacher living in Southern Pines.

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Courseaire 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Words have killed more people than guns. We should also do away with the 1st Amendment.

bubbasmith 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Restricting firearms sales to honest, law abiding American citizens will do little to prevent violence and much to undermine the core values of a free society.

geoffcutler 4 months, 3 weeks ago

If every liberal calling for stricter gun control measures would give equal time to cultural and mental health issues, making the conversation one that takes into account all possibilities for what causes a Newtown, it sure would make for a more intellectually honest and legitimate debate.

Noluv4thugs 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Religion has and will continue to cause more deaths over BS than any other idea this world has ever seen. Shouldn't we be talking about making religious dogma illegal too? Only seems fair...

PS I don't really believe we should make religion illegal. Just trying to prove a point

Courseaire 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Noluvthugs - You have it backwards. It's not the religion that causes deaths; it's the people with religion that cause death. Religion is just a tool and the religious people should be made illegal.

Noluv4thugs 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Hahahaha nice Courseaire!!

AFCHIEF 4 months, 3 weeks ago

On Sunday December 17, 2012, 2 days after the CT shooting, a man went to a restaurant in San Antonio to kill his X-girlfriend. After he shot her, most of the people in the restaurant fled next door to a theater. The gunman followed them and entered the theater so he could shoot more people. He started shooting and people in the theater started running and screaming. It’s like the Aurora, CO theater story plus a restaurant!

Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?

There was an off duty county deputy at the theater. SHE pulled out her gun and shot the man 4 times before he had a chance to kill anyone. So since this story makes the point that the best thing to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun, the media is treating it like it never happened.

Only the local media covered it. The city is giving her a medal next week. Just thought you’d like to know.

teufelhunden 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Geoff-well stated. WHODATHUNKIT?

AFCHIEF 4 months, 3 weeks ago

How about enforcing a Nation Wide death penalty that actually works. Just imagine the national savings on taxes we would have.

skylinefirepest 4 months, 3 weeks ago

The man who killed two firemen last week was out of prison...why was he in prison in the first place? Because he killed his grandmother with a hammer...when you bleeding heart liberals want to stop blaming firearms and keep killers in jail FOR LIFE then maybe we can discuss solutions. Guns are not the problem Mrs. McAllister, as today almost three hundred million guns owned in the United States did not hurt anyone at all. People are the problem, the gun is just a tool and banning the law abiding from owning guns ( or a single "style" of gun ) will not solve the problem. Obama wants guns banned and will very willingly go along with whatever bullhockey his committee comes up with...that's called FEELGOOD legislation...otherwise useless.

fugitiveguy 4 months, 3 weeks ago

"Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?"

Hadn't heard a peep about this and I am a news junkie. I guess "gun ends/prevents carnage" isn't consistant with the narrative. The deputy does deserve a medal. I bet even the liberal politicians will try to get their mugs in the photo.

fugitiveguy 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Someone who kills anyone with a hammer should never see the light of day, killing grandma with the hammer are you kidding me. What idiot thought releasing this animal was a good idea? Probably a team of do gooders applied pressure to win him his freedom.

FedUp2 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Adam Lanza was 20 years old. According to CT law he did not have the right to carry a firearm.

FedUp2 4 months, 3 weeks ago

It amazes me how many young people are killed in car wrecks. It's on the local news almost daily. I don't hear a public outcry to get rid of automobiles. National statistics show there are far more deaths from traffic accidents than firearms. Let's use a little common sense and focus on what causes people to become violent rather than jump on the bandwagon to outlaw or restrict guns.

packwilleat 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Fugitiveguy ~ start following http://drudgereport.com/ you'll see all the stories the mainstream media refuses to publish.

fugitiveguy 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Its stunning how may people think outlawing guns will actually make them safer. I think I read that over 500 people were gunned down in Chicago last year and I understand they have very strict gun laws.

packwilleat 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Yup. Good thing Chicago is a gun free zone.

http://www.blacklistednews.com/Merry_Christmas_and_Happy_Gun_Control,_Chicago/23334/0/38/38/Y/M.html

Thatcher 4 months, 3 weeks ago

pack and fugitiveguy-- Chicago could solve this gun violence problem once and for all, if only they took bold leadership: pass a law requiring all rival gang members to try and get along. Or pass a law requiring all gang members to obey all existing gun laws, even the laws with which they may disagree. Problem solved. Cheers!

pinewoodnc 4 months, 3 weeks ago

You have to go through driver's training, take a written and driving test to drive a vehicle (which can be a deadly weapon), you have to take months of training and log many hours to get a pilot's license, but people can go to a gun show and buy a gun. No training needed. A deadly weapon but easy to obtain and use. I also would love someone to explain to me why anyone (besides military and police) need the high powered military style guns. I can understand hunting rifles for use by hunters and small handguns for protection, but who needs an AK47 or these other high powered weapons. I think many want these guns simply for ego reasons. No one can convince me that there is any reason for these type of guns being available to the general public.

fugitiveguy 4 months, 3 weeks ago

The debt goes higher and higher, Obama and the Dems actively make it worse, as if he wants the country to financially implode. As this progresses look for more and more people to purchase arms. The writing is on the wall.

packwilleat 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Ballooning debt, immigration reform, and gun control........ yippee!!!!

http://m.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-quickly-go-immigration-reform-and-gun-control_693547.html

skylinefirepest 4 months, 3 weeks ago

PInewood..."no one can convince me"...so why try?? These are NOT high powered rifles, girl. They are medium powered, quite a bit less than your average semi-auto hunting rifle. Would training have made any difference to the monster that killed those kids?? What would training do to lessen deaths with firearms as the tool?? And as I've already said...gun control would not have stopped this crime...banning your military "style" rifles would not have stopped this crime. In fact why is the left talking about banning a whole series of sporting rifles at all?? Is it because they have no other answer?? Why is the loony left targeting guns when the real cause of this attack was something else? Why do we protest like crazy about having teachers armed or having armed policemen to protect these kids when a percentage of these teachers already have concealed carry permits?? Why do all these assaults happen in gun free zones? About one third of all Americans own guns so we're not talking about some "passing fad" here. The latest informed guess that I've heard is that Americans own some three hundred million firearms and only a miniscule piece of a percentage point are ever used in crimes of any sort. I'm sick and tired of hearing about banning these firearms that are owned by millions of Americans simply because the LOOK different. What is the reasoning behind that, Pinewood?? Oldpilot has already pretty much admitted that he is going to lie about them to get his way...is this the fight we're going to have?

Middleman522 4 months, 3 weeks ago

As long as government idiots like we have in DC control armies and police departments, while buying votes with our money to stay in office, so they can slam more controls down our throats, I will not register my guns or give them up. Oblaima is going to give amnesty to illegals so that he can control policy in this country for 20 years, and he will come after our guns. Remember his comment about Americans clinging to their guns and religion? Those are 2 things he CAN'T CONTROL and he hates them! He controls Student loans, health insurance, energy, unions, banking(Dodd/Frank) auto production, most of the media, ect. If he walks like a punk, talks like a punk, and smirks like a punk, he's probably a punk and I need a gun! Does anyone want the Pinehurst, Whispering Pines or Aberdeen police departments coming to your home to collect guns??? Until we control our mental illness problem and liberal justice system, Americans will need to protect themselves from released crooks and free crazies, as well as control freaks in government!

packwilleat 4 months, 3 weeks ago

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he,then,be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."

--Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural,1801

History has answered this question time and time again. Yet some are destined to repeat it.

Enough: Time to Do Something About Guns

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