Brandon Hausenfluck
Senior
Journalism major
| Columnist
Brandon Hausenfluck Senior Journalism major |
Although handguns may be an effective tool to protect an individual's home, home is where guns should stay unless they are being used at secluded firing ranges.
Ronald Reagan once said, "As long as there are guns, the individual that wants a gun for a crime is going to have one and going to get it."
Opponents of gun-control laws claim although laws have become more strict over the past three decades, more criminals have guns. What they fail to mention is handguns have become the weapons of choice for more criminals.
United States Representative Cliff Stearns of Florida is sponsoring a bill, if passed, to give Americans the right to carry handguns with them regardless of their state laws.
The Second Amendment gives Americans the right to keep and bear arms and to form a militia as a safeguard against tyranny from the U.S. Government or Military. As Thomas Jefferson and other framers of the Constitution were concerned about this, today, more than 220 years later, it's inconceivable to be distressed about the possible takeover of the United States by its own government.
If the National Rifle Association had its way, every American with a somewhat clear criminal record would carry a concealed handgun. The NRA claims America would be much safer if citizens were able to defend themselves from criminal attacks.
In a Beaumont Enterprise article, Daniel Polsby of The Northwestern University School of Law and Dennis Brennen of Harper College, cited the Warren vs. District of Columbia case which explains a situation where a handgun would be beneficial.
Three female rape victims sued the District, because they were not protected by police nor did they have the ability to protect themselves.
Two of the victims were upstairs at home when they heard their roommate being attacked downstairs. About an hour after calling the police the first time, the screaming stopped. The girls upstairs assumed the police had arrived. In reality, the police had not shown up and the other roommate had been beaten unconscious.
The two girls went downstairs and found the assailants had not left.
This was just the beginning.
"For the next 14 hours the women were raped, robbed, beaten, forced to commit sexual acts upon each other, and made to submit to sexual demands," a court official said.
The police never arrived because of poor communication with the dispatcher.
This is an extreme example of what kind of crime Americans are subject to. In this case, a gun would have saved the girls a lifetime of horrible pain.
Closer to home, imagine what would have happened after the 1995 U.T. vs. A&M football game when the Corps brawled with Texas fans after they beat us then set foot on our precious Kyle Field. If an angry Aggie had brandished a gun and pulled the trigger, a chain reaction of gunfire would have erupted. Many innocent bystanders could have been hurt or killed.
Authorities have a hard enough time keeping the streets safe. Arming every John Doe out there would be detrimental to America's safety.
Law abiding citizens do have the right to have handguns, but they should not have the right to tote them wherever they go. Most public establishments do not allow concealed weapons on their premises. They, like most people, do not feel comfortable knowing everyone is carrying a handgun.
Guns are a part of many Americans' lives. Personally, I enjoy shooting skeet, dove hunting, quail hunting, and have even killed a few deer. I have a shotgun, a rifle, and a 4 wheel-drive. However, I don't consider myself a country boy, and I can survive without carrying a handgun to class.
It is ludicrous to say less crimes will be committed if more people are given the right to carry a handgun.
Americans should have every right to be safe. But putting more handguns on the streets will kill more people than it will save.