How precious is a child’s life? Or anyone’s, for that matter? IT IS HYPERBOLE to think that requiring background checks in gun purchases is the devil’s handiwork and meant to give Big Brother a nefarious means of intruding on the lives of citizens.
Those questions should be front and center when Congress debates gun-control legislation, now that 68 senators have agreed to pursue the issue. Thirty-one, including Kansans Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, would have preferred to filibuster and leave legislation at the wayside.
Consideration of legislature shouldn’t be derailed by such tactics.
Many polls indicate strong public support for legislative action to stem gun violence in the wake of the distressing tragedies at the Newton, Conn., Aurora, Colo., and elsewhere.
However, it seems certain that outlawing assault weapons — those designed to provide overwhelming firepower in military applications — won’t be a part of any legislation that comes from Congress this session, nor is it likely that large-capacity magazines will be a part.
The best hope for proponents of gun control is some form of stricter background checks, a portion of which may mesh with the National Rifle Association’s position that mental health assessments should come into play.
Foes of background checks maintain they would lead to the federal government developing a catalog of gun ownership, which they argue could prompt all sorts of infringements, including confiscation of weapons.
Those concerns are pedestrian.
Also, the temptation of gun-control opponents is to compare gun ownership to that of an automobile, from the perspective that cars, like guns, can kill people.
Taking a logical step further, it should be noted that cars are registered and that drivers must not only be licensed but also are legally bound to purchase insurance to protect themselves and others on the road.
But, hyperbole isn’t in short supply when a topic is as polarizing as gun control.
The consideration should be what is best to curb gun violence and reduce the number of lives that are ended prematurely. If that means a little inconvenience associated with assuring, as well as possible, that gun purchases are made by people with good intentions, that’s small price to pay.
— Bob Johnson
Gun bill debate will move ahead
