A radical thought on Gun Control.

[Cryozombie]

A co-worker of mine recently Murdered his housemate after a Verbal argument. Everyone here seems to want to blame the gun and find it at fault.

However, It got me thinking about how much gun Violence is prefaced by some sort of Violent verbal confrontation, and I'm starting to think what we need is not Gun Control, but Freedom of Speech control.

You know... a 3 day wait to open your mouth to say something. A permit to speak, only after a background check to ensure you don't just spout inflammatory garbage designed to make others want to do harm...

I know I know, stupid and unrealistic. But I know the guy, and I think that if he was angry enough to shoot his housemate, he was angry enough to have used a hammer or a kitchen knife... Gun control wouldn't have mattered.

 

[Mark Jordan]

However, it is easier to kill using a gun than with a knife or hammer. One click will do it and the moment the attacker comes back to his/her senses it's already too late.

 

[Cryozombie]

However, it is easier to kill using a gun than with a knife or hammer. One click will do it and the moment the attacker comes back to his/her senses it's already too late.

Maybe. An average of 14% of all murders are done with Knives, and 25% by "other weapons" and 61% by Gun, does suggest that while guns are used more often, Knives and other weapons don't amount to an insignificant number either... and I think that can't be discarded when making my point.. if guns were at fault, those other numbers should be much more insignificant. Especially when you consider that is the average of all 50 states, and in some states those numbers are significantly higher...

*Shrug* Dunno. Maybe it's easier for us to blame the tool than the person.

 

[David43515]

Tools are much easier to regulate than people.

Whether you`re religious or not, I`ve always thought the 3rd chapter in James (New Testament) should be required reading for most people. Boiled down it says that words can cause as much damage and pain as fires or violence do. It also admits that learning to control your toungue is a difficult feat and says that if you can master that, you can master just about any aspect of your life.

But I agree with the OP, violent over-bearing people are going to be violent and over-bearing no matter what tools they have to use.