The Gun Control Lobby is Lying

Gun control might not have been an oft-discussed topic recently, but I think that it is an important one to write. Why? Because the gun control lobby is lying to us. Like with other supposed “pandemics,” such as the topic of the moment, Coronavirus, our friends on the left use fear and very misleading numbers as the basis of their argument. Rather than objectively looking at the evidence, they cherry-pick data and then misuse or misrepresent that data. Especially data about firearm-related violence, the data for which is skewed because of gang violence and suicides.

Gang Violence:

Gun violence is a problem in America. I completely agree with that and think that there are potential solutions to it. However, law-abiding gun owners are overwhelmingly responsible. Other than an insignificant minority, they don’t commit crimes.

On the other hand, gun-related gang violence is a massive problem in America. Those gun owners frequently use firearms to commit crimes. Then, those gang-related shootings, homicides, or other forms of violence show up in gun violence data. So many on both the left and right propose gun control as a response.

But that gun control won’t work. It only is relevant to the law-abiding gun owners. The ones who don’t use their weapons to commit crimes. Gang members, on the other hand, don’t care about the law. They’re criminals. So it doesn’t matter to them that new classes of weapons are illegal, they’re breaking the law anyway.

Gun violence could be limited by focusing on reducing gang membership. Education and policing reforms could be very effective at cutting down the number of gangs, and gang members there are in America. Then, we would certainly see a drop in gun violence. As the tweet at the top shows, many homicides are gang-related killings. So are many so-called “mass shootings.” While those incidents are still tragic, including them with more traditional mass shootings and homicides is misleading.

Because most homicides are gang-related, gun control will be ineffective at cutting the homicide rate, and the only ones who think otherwise are people who don’t understand that the gun control lobby is lying. Instead, it will only punish law-abiding gun owners. That shouldn’t happen; the 2nd Amendment rights of all law-abiding gun owners should be respected.

Suicide:

Suicide is a horrible tragedy. I firmly believe that society should do every reasonable thing that it can to cut down the suicide rate around the world. But gun control is not a rational response to suicide.

Most people who commit suicide are people that technically should be allowed to own a weapon. Although they are often depressed, they have done nothing wrong. It would be a gross violation of civil liberties to prohibit the sale of firearms to anyone who seems depressed. Not only would that be ineffective, it, like all gun control attempts, would punish the innocent along with the guilty.

Furthermore, it is not the role of government for it to get involved in the lives of law-abiding citizens. That is a cure worse than a disease because of how much it would limit individual liberty and our right to privacy. Controlling the availability of weapons to law-abiding citizens is morally wrong and would most likely have a limited effect on suicide rates.

So, what can be done? The mental health system should be reformed. Concerned friends and family should be able to report people that they think are struggling so that those people can be checked out. Having a professional work with those that are struggling with suicidal thoughts could be effective, but the patient and doctor have to be connected. Setting up a report line and allowing concerned friends and family to submit names to it could be a great way to connect patients and doctors.

Additionally, those involved with treating patients that have suicidal tendencies should rely on more personal care and fewer pills. Medicines have their place. But many psychoactive drugs have dangerous and unpredictable side effects on the mental health of those taking them. They are powerful tools, but also quite dangerous. Doctors and psychiatrists should work with their patients in-person to help them through their problems rather than relying on pills.

Suicide is a complex problem. I definitely don’t have all the answers; I probably don’t have any good answers or solutions. But what I do know is that gun control won’t work and that when people say so, they only think that because the gun control lobby is lying to them. Like with gangs, those who want a gun will always be able to get a gun. We should focus on patient care, not restricting individual rights.

Conclusion:

Suicide and gang violence are complex topics. They are also responsible for the overwhelming majority of firearm-related homicides. Too many people die from gun violence. That is an issue that needs to be fixed as soon as possible. But gun control will not fix it, and restricting a law-abiding citizen’s access to firearms is unconstitutional and immoral. Gang members will always be able to get weapons. Those who really want to commit suicide will find a way to do so.

However, if gun control is put in place to try and fix those issues, then everyone will be punished. That makes is not only an ineffective policy but also immoral. We need to be on the lookout for those attacks of an emotional majority on our 2nd Amendment rights, especially now that we know that the gun control lobby is lying.

The gun control lobby is lying to us. It wants us to believe that not only is gun-violence rampant in America, but also that gun control is an effective solution to that problem. Don’t listen to the gun control crowd; their ideas won’t work. They will only restrain your liberty.

By: Will

The author of this article runs a blog, www.genzconservative.com, on which gun control is a frequent topic. Please consider checking it out!