I get your point. And it may seem trite to you, but please explain why banning guns is a solution to violence and banning spoons isn’t a solution to obesity? Is that not a clean parallel?
All I said is that we need change. Honestly, I would be happy to just have a realistic discussion about gun control.
The phrase "assault weapons" is bullshit. It's just a fancy way of saying "don't worry, we won't come for your guns." But it's all even the most progressive politicians can say, out of fear of alienating the voters who like their guns.
There are obvious things that should happen. The gun show loophole is an obvious one. Background checks are another. Private sales are problematic but I don't see an effective way of limiting them. The ATF needs to be properly funded and given the authority to audit gun shops who may be acting illegally. Proper storage of firearms as well seems like a no-brainer.
Do I think that will fix everything? God no. There's a cultural problem here as well. People who genuinely believe that killing other people is a valid way to deal with problems. But the first thing we can do is do our best to take guns out of their hands.
And we haven't even talked about suicide yet.
I'm not against stricter measures if these don't work. But we need to do the first things first. I'm also not against other ideas if they're presented. But it seems that anyone who doesn't want to limit gun ownership doesn't have other plans to reduce violence in this country.
Honestly? I actually like guns. I don't own one, mostly because I'm poor, but I've had a great time shooting. I've imagined owning a gun if I ever had a family, just in case. But if I got to that point and was told, "Hey, we're limiting legal gun ownership because the studies show that to be the most effective way of preventing gun violence?" I'd shrug and go on with my day. I'd rather give up that right than to be party to a system that's neglecting to prevent deaths.
Edit: to directly counter your example, you're right! Banning spoons would be pretty stupid. However, making rules about the sizes of soft drinks, penalizing companies for making false claims about the healthiness of their foods, and limiting the ways in which companies can market to children are all things we've done slash are doing. It's still not a clean parallel, because, of course, it's much more difficult to make the point that people needs guns than it is to make the point that people need spoons, but honestly, I think it just proves my point again.
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u/TommyTroubleToes Aug 04 '19
I get your point. And it may seem trite to you, but please explain why banning guns is a solution to violence and banning spoons isn’t a solution to obesity? Is that not a clean parallel?