Guns have been available and in use for hundreds of years. Some of the older ones are beautiful with intricate woodwork and fine engraving. Collecting antique firearms is a very legitimate hobby and often a good investment as well.
Some guns, such as shotguns, are designed to kill birds such as ducks, pheasants, or quail. Duck hunters have their own favorite kinds of shotguns and take pride in their quality and workmanship. Other guns are made to kill large mammals such as deer or even bears. All guns are designed to kill something.
In the 19th century there were Buffalo guns designed specifically to kill buffaloes. They apparently worked as intended because buffalo were hunted almost to extinction. We don’t need buffalo guns anymore because hunters killed 99.9% of the buffalo.
Whether killing animals for sport, instead of just for food, is ethical or even a good idea is a legitimate debate that is ongoing.
Guns that are designed solely to kill people in war do not appear to have any other use. These assault rifles are designed for military use to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible on a battlefield. These types of guns are made in several countries and are used by armies around the world. It is very difficult to walk into a gun shop and buy a military style weapon designed for nothing but killing people, except in the United States. In this country it is apparently extremely easy. That is a dominant reason why the number of mass murders in the U.S. are off the charts compared to every other country. It is compounded by poor mental health but that is not its only cause. As a nation, we see more anger in our society, and that exhibits itself in many ways. Because we have more guns than any other country, especially guns designed to kill people, a crisis indeed exists.
We must not confuse these weapons of war with hunting or other traditional uses that do not result in human loss. They should not be lumped together or given equal legitimacy.
During the Vietnam war era, I worked at a pawn shop near an Army base. If a soldier was caught with an assault weapon in his car or off the base, he would be court marshalled. We sold guns in our shop and quite a bit of paperwork was required with a waiting period, background checks, and so forth.
All of these regulations are apparently now gone, thanks to the strong gun lobby and the congressmen they support. The ban on assault rifles ended in 2004 and the dramatic increase in mass shootings, or shootings with multiple victims has become epidemic. There has been no stronger example of cause and effect in our society than the end of the assault rifle ban and the increase in mass shootings.
It makes no sense to debate that there is a good reason that individuals should own weapons of war intended to kill as many people as possible quickly. It is ludicrous to argue that a person needs an AK-47 to protect their chicken house from varmints or keep the prairie dogs out of the pasture as some politicians contend.
Reversing or changing the course of this tragic situation will take effort. Background checks, establishing Red Flag Laws and reinstituting the Assault Weapons Ban would help. Courage and steady progress toward a better future are needed now.
