Gun Control: The Solution? Or a Distraction?

by Phil Erwin

The latest gun assault against unarmed Americans has triggered a new wrinkle in the age-wrinkled debate over gun rights. Over the weekend, student-survivors of the Parkland, Florida school attack showed up on camera proclaiming that Something’s got to be done! And “they” (or someone who knows how to use “they” as a political front) are organizing a “March For Our Lives” rally next month. Which means we’re gonna hear about “gun control” pretty much nonstop for that entire time, even if the rally actually fizzles out on the day of.

Heard in a group interview reported in part on Fox News Sunday:

Student 1: “This is a student-led grass-roots discussion between Americans. This is not a debate, because we’ve had too many debates before, and we’ve gone nowhere…”

Student 2: “This is a case of simple… ‘Please STOP!’ Please stop allowing us to be gunned down in our hallways! People are telling us that we should run for President – We want an education!”

Student 3: “People say it’s not time to talk about gun control… Here’s the time: March 24^th. We’re gonna be marching in every major city… This isn’t about the GOP, this isn’t about the Democrats – This is about the adults! We feel like we’re being neglected, and you’re either for us, or you’re against us!”

FOX’s Alicia Acuna noted, “These kids are … survivors, who look to become activists out of something they experienced first-hand. They have the passion, the agony, of watching their friends and others die in front of them; and now rage, pushing them to call for a change in our gun laws.”

Well, the kids may have passion, although “angst” might be a better description. They went to school for math lessons, and instead got an indelible lesson in the reality of life in a war zone: Gunfire, panic, blood and bodies. (Kids these days actually see plenty of such things – just not in three dimensions and without popcorn and sodas.)

But there’s no mistaking their expectations: They believe that laws must be passed, and by that action guns must be controlled, in order for them to be “safe again.” They believe these things because that’s what they’ve been taught to believe; by their teachers, by the Media, by Democrats. Likely they consider the NRA “The Enemy,” guilty of tacitly facilitating armed slaughter by preventing “gun control.”

You can’t blame ’em. Virtually 100% of news coverage following mass shootings is about “gun control” – hardly ever about addressing what’s really failing in our society that leads to mass shootings. It’s so easy to blame the “tool” (guns) and demand a political solution (laws) rather than looking for the real cause (people mentally misfiring,) thus illuminating what actually needs to be addressed – society’s breakdown, which can’t be legislated away.

But kids aren’t old enough to figure that out on their own; and they don’t have any real clarity on the politics concerned. “Student 1” clearly doesn’t grasp the subtleties of “debate” vs. “discussion,” but I’m not sure our Senators understand it either, since they “discuss” issues on camera for months, and then proclaim “Now we’re gonna have an honest debate on the floor!” As if delivering scripted comments in the Senate somehow magically leads to clarity, to understanding, to agreements they can’t reach by just sitting down over lunch and talking it out. I don’t blame the kids for thinking they’re getting shafted by useless, perpetually grandstanding legislators. We all are.

But most of us aren’t required by law to enter gun-free zones five days a week and wait for the next attack to happen.

What the kids from Parkland want, really, is what we all want: To return to the “good ole days” when Life was good, and We were all safe, and War was a thing that happened Elsewhere. Not here, in our communities. Certainly not in our schools.

Not gonna happen, no matter what “common sense” gun laws you pass, outlawing bump stocks, or AR-15s, or even all handguns. All mass shooters have decided, consciously or not, to ignore all relevant laws. And no amount of background checking will eliminate this problem. Because you can’t eliminate guns from the Universe, and you can’t eliminate Evil from the Universe, and there are plenty of people in the Universe for whom Evil and guns are feel-good things. Terrorists. Militant religious nuts. Militant atheists. Nazis.

Troubled teens.

Did I mention “terrorists”?

What the kids drawn to “March For Our Lives” need to understand is this: There are bad people in the world, and they can get access to weapons, and they might choose to do harm to people. Anywhere. For whatever reason. And there are a lot more of them around now. Because there are a lot more people around.

To borrow Geena Davis’ startling line delivered to her injured, crying daughter in The Long Kiss Goodnight: “Life is pain! Get used to it!”

You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to acquiesce to it. You shouldn’t. You should accept the reality, and prepare for it, and steel yourself to counter it, and strengthen your resolve to live through it, to better it, to thrive despite it.

But the one thing you can’t do is: Legislate an end to it.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing a legislative solution is the only solution. That’s how Democrats get you to stop thinking.

The only way to solve a problem is to understand it, and then plan a strategy that actually addresses it.

So: The problem with school shootings is that American schools are wide-open venues with captive targets who are guaranteed to be unarmed, unprotected and inexperienced/untrained at self-protection. And they are “led” by teachers steeped mostly in sociology, psychology, poly-sci and other such mental quicksands.

What more could a mass killer ask for, in the way of a target-rich, low-difficulty environment?

So, kids: If you want legislation to make you safer, focus on figuring out how legislation can solve that problem.

The Israelis, for example, live in a far more violence-prone corner of the globe. Their schools are fenced and gated, their doors locked, their grounds guarded like our banks. Uniforms and guns visible. Deterrence on display. Sure, it’s restrictive. You want free, or safe? It’s always a trade-off. When danger increases, either you get more careful, or you get dead.

Other than focused, mandated changes to our approach to school security, no legislation will reduce the dangers kids face today. Our background checks could stand some strengthening, but don’t do a damn bit of good when law enforcement “professionals” fail to actually enforce the law. Which, in Parkland, clearly they did not. They were alerted multiple times, in no uncertain terms, that this guy was an armed, school-aimed missile.

Apparently, they (the FBI, and maybe local law enforcement) were out to lunch. Metaphorically.

The solution to that problem is to put ’em on diet. Metaphorically.

Law enforcement is not a best-efforts profession. Those guys need to Get It Right! or get in the unemployment line.

As to those outspoken survivors: You have to admire their chutzpah. But if those kids actually understand the real problems better than the legislators they’re trying to influence, we’re all in big trouble.

Phil Erwin is an author, IT administrator and registered Independent living in Newbury Park. He would like to support some Democrat ideals, but he has a visceral hatred for Lies and Damn Lies (and is highly suspicious of Statistics.) That pretty much eliminates supporting most Democrats, and a bunch of Republicans to boot.

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