- submitted by steve levenstein on 03/28/2009
America, Show Us Your Guns!
By Steve Levenstein
"The recent spate of gun violence has renewed the debate over gun control..." No, this is not a repeat from 2008, 2007, 2006 and so on. The situation is such that one might say American society is one long shoot-out punctuated by periods of calm. Since society seems to accept the status quo, perhaps it's time to take another look at popular gun culture and, instead of whining about the negative aspects (death, shattered lives, blah blah), use those precious Second Amendment rights to fix a few wrongs.
First a little background. According to the National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms (NSPOF), Americans own 192 million guns. 192 million! Enough to equip all the armies in the world, I bet. That survey was done in 1994 by the way, so you can add a whack of Wal-Mart sales to that double-barreled figure. I won't even try to estimate how tall a stack of 192 million guns might reach, end to end -- OK, why not? Assuming a handgun is 6 inches long from stock to sight and ALL guns are handguns, the chain would rise 18,000 miles into space. Factor in the "long guns" and the astronauts aboard the space station can start experimenting with ballistics in zero gee.
The bullet point is, there are LOTS of guns around... so where are they when they're needed? I don't mean for protection against an oppressive government; the stated reason for having the things around in the first place. Your firearms aren't doing anyone any good buried beneath your collection of orphan socks in the bedside night table -- just waiting to be found by Little Johnny. Nope, you're doing it wrong, folks. Get those pistols out where we can see 'em. More importantly, where the criminal element can see 'em. I propose we make carrying permits mandatory, since the safest place for a gun is on your person, exposed to view, loud & proud! Just think of all the crime that'll be stopped dead (sorry) in its tracks...
Muggers will think twice before pulling a stick-up 'cause you never know when the mark will go all Dirty Harry Meets Crocodile Dundee and chuckle "That's not a gun, THIS is a gun!" Bank robbers, take note: don't take a note. Hijackers will be history once the TSA starts presenting weapons to passengers instead of confiscating them. You get the idea... make guns so omnipresent they have no real meaning as a threatening weapon.
Don't think this is just a shot in the dark either, look at Israel: bulldozer drivers with mayhem on their minds get plugged within a minute by whomever happens to be in the area. Schools are safe and the crime rate is low. It may be the only country in the world where widespread gun ownership has resulted in a safer society. That's my proposal, America, bang on. If you want to be taken seriously as a Gun Culture, then go all the way.
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Steve Levenstein was born & raised at the then-northern edge of metro Toronto, Canada. Looking through the prism of the suburbs has not only given him a slightly skewed view of society, but has also helped frame the wider world as a series of variations on a theme. Closer to home, Toronto's multicultural mix acts as a rich, vibrant tonic -- an essential elixer that, by putting people out of their place, highlights the common humanity which lies within.
After a 15-year dip in the corporate pool, Steve abandoned the daily commute to focus on his first love, writing, and spending time with his family. Steve's wife of 18 years hails from Tokyo, Japan, and provides a unique window into the delights and diversions of modern Japanese culture while his 2 sons (the younger an established tech blogger in his own right) help keep the house from getting too quiet. Steve writes for a number of respected blogs including InventorSpot, WebUrbanist, Dark Roasted Blend and The Thinking Blog.
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