NEWS & VIEWS
People kill people… with guns. Preventing killers from having the most murderous weapons is the best way to prevent their murders. Politicians who won’t admit that are the problem.
SHUTTERSTOCK
The Incision
Yes, this is about guns By A b dul E l- S ayed
I can’t bring m
y s el f t o wat c h t h e n ews o u t o f U v al de, T ex as . A s a f at h er, t h e s adn es s o f p aren t s g ri ev i n g t h e p rev en t ab l e m u rders o f t h ei r c h i l dren i s t o o p ai n f u l t o ev en c o n t em p l at e. I c an ’ t i m ag i n e h av i n g t o l i v e i t l i k e 1 9 f am i l i es are b ei n g f o rc ed t o ri g h t n o w. T h ere’ s l i t t l e I c an wri t e t h at h as n ’ t al ready b een wri t t en , l i t t l e I c an s h are ab o u t t h e em o t i o n s t h at h av en ’ t al ready b een f el t . B u t h ere, I wan t t o t al k ab o u t t h e q u es t i o n we s h o u l d h av e an s wered a l o n g t i m e ag o : H o w do we p rev en t t h es e k i n ds o f m as s m u rders ? W h i l e n o t wo murderers are t h e s am e, t h e m u rders t h ey c o m m i t s h are s o m e c o m m o n c h arac t eri s t i c s — s o m e l eas t c o m m o n den o m i n at o rs . P rev en t i n g t h em req u i res u s t o f o c u s o n t h o s e. A n d m o re t h an an y o t h er c h arac t eri s t i c , t h e s i n g l e m o s t s al i en t c h arac t eri s t i c s h ared b et ween m as s m u rders i s t h e weap o n t h e m u rderers c h o o s e: A g u n — an d n o t j u s t an y g u n , b u t s em i automatic assault-style ri es. That’s the k i n d o f g u n t h at h as n o u s e ex c ep t f o r s h o o t i n g a l o t o f p eo p l e i n a s h o rt p eri o d o f t i m e. Y o u do n ’ t h u n t deer wi t h an A R - 1 5 ; t h ey ’ re m ade t o h u n t p eo p l e. O p p o n en t s o f g u n ref o rm wi l l arg u e t h at t h e v as t m aj o ri t y o f g u n o wn ers wi l l n ev er c o m m i t a m u rder. T h at ’ s t ru e. T h ey ’ l l arg u e t h at m u rders c an b e c o m m i t t ed wi t h o u t g u n s . T h at ’ s al s o
t ru e. T h ey ’ l l p o i n t t o t h e m i n ds et o f t h e m u rderers . A f t er al l , ev ery s i n g l e m as s m u rderer h as a c o m p l ex f ram ewo rk o f s o c i al , em o t i o n al , an d c i rc u m s t an t i al f ac t o rs t h at l ed t h em t o t h i s . F i n e. S o , y es , o f c o u rs e we s h o u l d f o rc e ac c o u n t ab i l i t y o n s o c i al m edi a p l at f o rm s t h at radi c al i z e an d i s o l at e v u l n erab l e p eo p l e. O f c o u rs e we s h o u l d i n v es t i n m o re b ro adl y av ai l ab l e m en t al h eal t h s erv i c es . A n d y es , l et ’ s t ac k l e p o v ert y an d t h e c i rc u m s t an c es t h at c o m p o u n d i s o l at i o n , v u l n erab i l i t y , an d p o o r m en t al h eal t h . I ’ m f o r al l o f t h o s e t h i n g s . L et ’ s do t h em ! B u t n o n e o f t h em wo u l d addres s t h e s i n g l e t h i n g t h at m as s s h o o t ers h av e i n c o m m o n : they p ull a trig g er. G u n s are A m eri c an m as s m u rder’ s l eas t c o m m o n den o m i n at o r. I t ’ s t ru e s t at i s t i c al l y – m o re g u n o wn ers h i p p redi c t s m o re g u n deat h s . A n d i t ’ s t ru e an ec do t al l y , b o t h m as s m u rders o v er t h e p as t t wo week s were p erp et rat ed b y 1 8 - y ear- o l ds wh o b o u g h t weap o n s o f war leg ally. S o wh at s t an ds i n o u r way ? G u n ap o l ogists argue that any e ort to reduce g u n ac c es s am o n g wo u l d- b e m u rderers wo u l d ri s k i n f ri n g i n g o n A m eri c an s ’ ri g h t t o “ b ear arm s . ” L et ’ s s t ep b ac k h ere t o an al y z e wh et h er y o u c an c al l ac c es s t o a g u n an ac t u al “ ri g h t . ” P h i l o s o p h ers s p eak o f “ p o s i t i v e” an d “ n eg at i v e” ri g h t s . N eg a-
10 June 1-7, 2022 | metrotimes.com
t i v e ri g h t s are t h o s e t h i n g s t h at o t h ers s h al l n o t t ak e away — t h at y o u c an n o t b e den i ed as a f unc tion of b eing human. T h e ri g h t t o b reat h e c l ean ai r o r s p eak as y o u c h o o s e t o wi t h o u t i n f ri n g em en t b y y o u r g o v ern m en t — t h o s e are t h i n g s t h at c an n o t b e t ak en away f ro m y o u . T h en t h ere are “ p o s i t i v e” ri g h t s . T h o s e are t h i n g s t h at y o u o u g h t t o b e provided in order to live a dignified life. T h e ri g h t t o an edu c at i o n o r h o u s i n g o r h eal t h c are. B u t g u n s ? G u n s do n ’ t add t o o u r l i v es . T h ey t ak e t h em . W e are t h e o n l y c o u n t ry i n t h e wo rl d t h at i n an y way en u m erat es a ri g h t t o arm s . A n d ev en t h at ’ s u p f o r deb at e. E x t rem i s t s wo u l d h av e y o u t h i n k t h at t h e S ec o n d A m en dm en t i m p l i es an y o n e h as a ri g h t t o h av e an y g u n , an y wh ere at an y t i m e. B u t l et ’ s l o o k at wh at i t real l y s ay s : “ A wel l reg u l at ed M i l i t i a, b ei n g n ec es s ary t o t h e s ec u ri t y o f a f ree S t at e, t h e ri g h t o f t h e p eo p l e t o k eep an d b ear A rm s , s h al l n o t b e i n f ri n g ed. ” Regulation shows up in the first t h ree wo rds ! A n d i t ’ s c o u c h ed i n t h e n o t i o n t h at t h o s e ri g h t s ex i s t t o p ro t ec t ac c es s t o a “ wel l reg u l at ed m i l i t i a. ” I t ’ s al s o wh y i t g u aran t ees t h e ri g h t t o “ t h e p eo p l e, ” rat h er t h an ev ery p ers o n , t o “ k eep an d b ear A rm s . ” T h e m ean i n g o f “ A rm s ” h as al s o c h an g ed s i n c e t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n was ratified. Those were the times of mus-
k et b al l s t h at y o u h ad t o rel o ad af t er ev ery s h o t . T h e f ram ers c o u l d n o t h av e i m ag i n ed t h e l as er g u i ded h i g h - c ap ac ity semi-automatic assault ri es their wo rds wo u l d al l o w t o p ro l i f erat e. U n t i l 2 0 0 8 , t h e S ec o n d A m en dm en t was i n t erp ret ed as a c o l l ec t i v e, rat h er t h an i n di v i du al ri g h t . M ean i n g t h at c o m m u n i t i es h ad a ri g h t t o a “ wel l reg u l at ed M i l i t i a. ” T h at was u n t i l t h e S u p rem e C o u rt rev i s ed t h at i n t erp ret at i o n i n Distric t of Columb ia v . H eller i n 2 0 0 8 . I n t h at ru l i n g , t h e c o u rt s t ru c k do wn a W as h i n g t o n , D . C . , l aw b an n i n g h an dg u n s an d req u i ri n g t h at l o n g g u n s b e s t o red di s as s em b l ed an d u n l o aded. T h e C o u rt h el d t h at t h e l aw i n f ri n g ed o n an indiv idual ri g h t t o b ear arm s — i n t erp ret i n g t h at i n di v i du al ri g h t i n t o ex i s t en c e. Y et t h e c o u rt ’ s i n t erp ret at i o n i s v as t l y o u t o f s t ep wi t h t h e A m eri c an p u b l i c , wh o b y wi de m arg i n s s u p p o rt as s au l t weap o n an d h i g h - c ap ac i t y m ag az i n e b an s , u n i v ers al b ac k g ro u n d c h ec k s , red ag laws, and other sensible gun p o l i c i es . W h at ’ s s t o p p i n g u s f ro m p as s i n g t h o s e l aws ? P o l i t i c al ex t rem i s m . The National Ri e Association has f u l l y c ap t u red t h e G O P — s u p p o rt i n g an y t h i n g s h o rt o f an y g u n f o r an y o n e, an y wh ere, an y t i m e wo u l d b e p u n i s h ed t h ro u g h t h e p o l i t i c al p ri m ary p ro c es s . C o n s i der T ex as S en at o r T ed C ru z wh o h ad t h e g al l t o b l am e t h e U v al de m as s ac re o n … t h e f ac t t h at t h e s c h o o l h ad a b ac k do o r. T h e i ro n y , o f c o u rs e, i s t h at t h e s am e p eo p l e wh o are o p p o s i n g g u n ref o rm s el f - s t y l e as “ p ro - l i f e. ” I t s eem s t h ey v al u e t h e l i v es o f u n b o rn f et u s es m o re t h an t h e v al u e o f ac t u al c h i l dren — b ec au s e t h ey v al u e t h e ri g h t s o f g u n s t o b e o wn ed m o re t h an t h e ri g h t s o f wo m en t o c h o o s e wh et h er o r n o t t o c arry a p reg n an c y . M ean wh i l e, a f ew D em o c rat s c are m o re ab o u t an arc an e p arl i am en t ary procedure than finally canning the filibuster and passing sensible gun ref o rm . O t h ers , i n c l u di n g t h e en t i re D em o c rat i c H o u s e l eaders h i p , j u s t b ac k ed an an t i - ab o rt i o n D em o c rat wi t h an A rat i n g f ro m t h e N R A wh o s e h o m e was rai ded b y t h e F B I i n a S o u t h T ex as H o u s e di s t ri c t o v er h i s p ro g res s i v e p ri m ary c h al l en g er. I t ’ s b een t en y ears s i n c e el em en t ary ag ed c h i l dren were m u rdered b y a m as s s h o o t er i n t h ei r s c h o o l s at S an dy H o o k . M o s t o f t h e c h i l dren wh o were k i l l ed i n U v al de h adn ’ t b een b o rn y et . T h ey l i v ed t h ei r en t i re l i v es i n a wo rl d wh ere we k n ew t h e ri s k s t h ey f ac ed, an d f ai l ed t o p rev en t t h em an y way . O rig inally p ub lished M ay 2 6 in T he I nc ision. Get more at ab dulelsayed. sub stac k . c om.
