Gun Control Poses Threat to American Liberties

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One of the reasons Al Gore lost his home state in the 2000 presidential elections was his support for gun control. In the past, Gore had been an opponent of gun control, but he flip-flopped, obviously in an attempt to improve his stock among liberal Democrats. It worked to some extent; Gore did serve as Vice President for eight years. But it also cost him the Presidency.

Gun control, along with abortion, is one of the major topics that separate Republicans from Democrats, liberals from conservatives. Liberal Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Charles Schumer, as well as liberal Republican John McCain, lead the gun control crusade. Other prominent historical gun control advocates included Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Prominent gun control opponents include President Bush, Sen. Bill Frist, and conservative Democrat Zell Miller.

Gun control supporters claim new laws will lead to a decrease in crime. This argument is flawed because it is not more laws that decrease crime, it is the ENFORCEMENT of laws. There is already a long list of gun laws, but they are not often enforced. As Wayne LaPierre points out, "we don't have a gun problem in America, we have an enforcement problem."

One excellent example of a gun control law this is enforced is the case of Ronald Dixon. In December 2002, a burglar with a 14 page rap sheet broke into Dixon's house. When the burglar entered the room of Dixon's infant son, he had no choice. In acting to protect his family, Dixon shot and wounded the intruder. Dixon, a Jamaican native and Navy veteran, is now being charged with illegal gun possession and could do time. This for protecting his family from a criminal.

The Clinton Administration is widely credited for a decrease in crime due to its gun policies, but the facts tell a different story. Under the Reno Justice Department, referrals for prosecution of federal gun laws from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms decreased by 44 percent. Did the rate of crime drop that much? Of course not; prosecutions simply decreased. How can laws mean anything if they are not enforced?

It is necessary to look at where gun control laws have been implemented. Great Britain is perhaps the country most similar to the United States. Prior to 1998, all handguns except .22s had been declared illegal. In 1998 those were banned as well. Since guns have now been taken away from all law-abiding Brits, one would think crime would decrease. Wrong! Crime rates skyrocketed. The London Evening Standard reported in 2001: "Gun crime is rocketing, with increases of almost 90 percent in some firearms offenses, Scotland Yard reported today. New figures show London murders with guns increase by 87 percent in the first eight months of the year compared with the same period last year."

Back across the pond, the United States Constitution protects the rights of law-abiding citizens to own guns. The Second Amendment states: "… the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Gun control advocates argue this only refers to state militias, but it's not difficult to find quotes from our Founding Fathers that refute this claim. Patrick Henry had this to say: "The great object is that every man be armed." Thomas Jefferson also said, "None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army. To keep ours armed and disciplined is therefore at all times important." Obviously, these men would disagree with Sen. Clinton.

Even with these facts, the most compelling argument against gun control is simple common sense. If a thug is going to break into someone's house, whose house will it be, someone he knows has a gun, or someone he knows is unarmed? The same holds true of robbers and rapists. Who is he more likely to attack, someone he thinks might be carrying a concealed weapon, or someone he knows is unarmed?

Some people claim to be not anti-gun, but simply "pro-registration." While some are sincere in this view, this is mostly just "step one" towards full disarmament of honest citizens. Registration has been the first step towards confiscation in Canada, Australia, Cuba, Ireland, and, as we stated earlier, Great Britain. Senator James A. McClure (R-Idaho) said it best in 1975: "Gun registration is the first step toward ultimate and total confiscation, the first step in a complete destruction of a cornerstone of our Bill of Rights."

The pro-gun control zealots will certainly continue their crusade to remove guns from the hands of lawful citizens. Some are motivated by a need to control, and many are well meaning individuals who are only guilty of thinking emotionally, not logically. But all of them remain a threat to our liberties, and they must not be allowed to dictate our lives.

- John Brown is a senior in political science and history at the University of Tennessee @ Knoxville. Contact him at johnnyb325@aol.com, or visit www.johnnorrisbrown.com. This column originally appeared in the September 23, 2003 edition of The Daily Beacon, available here.