Post by bazooka on May 9, 2019 2:05:21 GMT
Guns Are Inanimate Objects
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” may be widely mocked by ignorant gun controllers, but it’s true (also true is the fact that guns don’t kill people, bullets do, if we want to be really pedantic). A gun cannot load a magazine by itself. A gun cannot secure a loaded magazine by itself. An empty gun cannot chamber a round or rack the slide by itself. A gun cannot pull a trigger by itself. Each of these actions requires agency by a human being.
These are all reasons why I personally dislike the term “accidental” shooting, because it suggests a lack of accountability and responsibility. A more appropriate term is “negligent” shooting, since human action is required to load a magazine, secure the loaded magazine, chamber a round, and pull the trigger. It’s why the basic gun safety rules are so important: if followed religiously, they reduce the probability of negligent shootings to 0%.
But what about intentional shootings where innocent people are targeted? Those don’t just require human agency, they require criminal intent. That’s why we try and punish criminals, rather than their weapons. It’s why gun criminals are sent to prison, while the criminals’ guns are often sent to the auction block. Criminal will is a far more dangerous and eternal thing than a simple firearm. It explains why so many criminals use illegally obtained weapons in their crimes. Why, it’s almost as though they don’t care about laws at all!
The mind that wishes to snuff out an innocent human life is far more terrifying than whatever inanimate object he or she decides to use. Don’t blame the tool; blame the individual who wishes to use it for evil.
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” may be widely mocked by ignorant gun controllers, but it’s true (also true is the fact that guns don’t kill people, bullets do, if we want to be really pedantic). A gun cannot load a magazine by itself. A gun cannot secure a loaded magazine by itself. An empty gun cannot chamber a round or rack the slide by itself. A gun cannot pull a trigger by itself. Each of these actions requires agency by a human being.
These are all reasons why I personally dislike the term “accidental” shooting, because it suggests a lack of accountability and responsibility. A more appropriate term is “negligent” shooting, since human action is required to load a magazine, secure the loaded magazine, chamber a round, and pull the trigger. It’s why the basic gun safety rules are so important: if followed religiously, they reduce the probability of negligent shootings to 0%.
But what about intentional shootings where innocent people are targeted? Those don’t just require human agency, they require criminal intent. That’s why we try and punish criminals, rather than their weapons. It’s why gun criminals are sent to prison, while the criminals’ guns are often sent to the auction block. Criminal will is a far more dangerous and eternal thing than a simple firearm. It explains why so many criminals use illegally obtained weapons in their crimes. Why, it’s almost as though they don’t care about laws at all!
The mind that wishes to snuff out an innocent human life is far more terrifying than whatever inanimate object he or she decides to use. Don’t blame the tool; blame the individual who wishes to use it for evil.