Do Weapons Actually Make Us Free?

Supply: Picture by Will Porada on Unsplash

One of many frequent claims made by the gun rights motion in America is that weapons make us free. Or, as some put it, the appropriate protected by the Second Modification—the liberty to personal and use a firearm—protects the rights specified by all the others. There may be a lot to say right here, however let’s deal with the truth that typically, the arguments made by some within the gun rights motion contradict this declare.

Registry monitoring for online game gamers

For instance, some have argued that the prevalence of gun violence in America just isn’t on account of weapons, however quite violent leisure media, together with video video games. Elizabeth Hasselbeck, for instance, steered that we create a registry monitoring not solely who buys violent video video games, but additionally how a lot they play.

As thinker Firmin DeBrabander factors out in his guide, Do Weapons Make Us Free?, that is ironic as a result of it’s however one in all many examples the place gun rights advocates are prepared to surrender sure freedoms so as to have an absolute proper to personal a gun. Privateness is essential for gun house owners, however not online game consumers, it appears.

Nationwide database for individuals with psychological sickness

Others have argued that what is required is a nationwide database of people who find themselves affected by psychological sickness. Former head of the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation Wayne LaPierre put it this manner: “The reality is that our society is populated by an unknown variety of real monsters—individuals so deranged, so evil, so possessed by voices and pushed by demons that no sane individual can eve comprehend them. They stroll amongst us every single day.”¹

A number of issues exist right here. LaPierre’s characterization of the mentally sick is immoral and dehumanizing. Placing them in a database will improve the stigma that also exists associated to psychological sickness. Such stigma typically results in extra prejudice and discrimination.

However additionally it is essential to see that his characterization can also be false. For LaPierre, if one is judged to be mentally incompetent, then that individual ought to go into the database. However why ought to the mentally sick be included with criminals in a database? The mentally sick are extra prone to be a sufferer of against the law than to perpetrate one. In truth, they’re 11 instances extra prone to be a sufferer of a violent crime in comparison with others. It could be good if the priority that many gun rights advocates have for victims of crime took these information under consideration.

Some within the gun rights motion declare to strongly worth particular person liberty. It’s ironic, at finest, that lots of them are prepared to infringe on different essential freedoms to guard what they see as their absolute freedom to personal a gun.