Taking NRA Gun Logic to Logical Conclusion: Just Legalize Everything Reflection on the Aurora shooting has begun. Next we need ideas and action. Two-time ‘Amazing Race’ contestant Justin Kanew weighs in on the tragedy, and the tragedy of not doing something about it. There’s not much anyone can say about Aurora … like Virginia Tech … like Columbine … that hasn’t been said thousands of times before. Gun control proponents see incidents like these and think, “Hey, maybe we should make it harder for psychos to murder people, ya know?” Second Amendment absolutists see incidents like these and think, “That guy was crazy, but it has nothing to do with gun laws, even though gun deaths are way higher per capita in this country, so stop trying to take our guns away you hippies … and go back to your vegan restaurants.” image via TMZ Here’s the thing: I’m not a vegan. I like steak. (My mom is recently vegan, but that’s besides the point entirely.) I don’t believe anyone truly BELIEVES imposing stricter gun laws would be a waste of time just because psychos like Holmes will “find another way” to get their hands on those weapons. I don’t believe anyone really BELIEVES we should just keep guns as legal as they are (including semi-automatic weapons and the ability to buy 6,000 rounds of ammo online, which clearly have no purposes whatsoever other than horrible ones) because “curbing access won’t limit behavior.” But many people SAY they feel that way. They SAY they don’t believe limiting access and tightening gun laws would have any effect. So my question to those people is this: If that’s truly what you believe, shouldn’t we legalize marijuana too? Weed smokers can just get that elsewhere anyway, right? How ’bout prostitution, gambling, and everything else we can “find a way to get?” Why not sell that at Walmart? Let’s be consistent at least. But, sadly, no. Pro-gun people won’t agree to that. Why? Is it because they really think if those things are illegal, people won’t be able to get them? No. They know where there’s a will, there’s pretty much always a way. They spout this code off, always. They’re against making those things legal because they don’t want people to have easy access to those things, because they know that IF SOCIETY TREATS SOMETHING AS THOUGH IT’S NO BIG DEAL, THEN PEOPLE WILL BE MORE PRONE TO USE THAT THING. SEE ALSO: Good Reads: Collection of Reflection on Aurora Which brings us back to guns. The numbers tell the story: America is the Amsterdam of guns. Selling semi-automatic weapons at Walmart next to Frisbees and lax background checks all contribute to a culture that breeds way more than our share of bloodthirsty psychos like Holmes, regardless of what his motives ultimately turn out to be. So yes, guns may not kill people, but this gun culture does, and limiting access and tightening laws might — MIGHT — potentially lessen that culture and stop the seeds of psycho from growing in the next Aurora shooter. Things change. Even Amsterdam has recently tightened its position on weed. Something is obviously wrong here. This won’t be the last incident. The Aurora Police responded within 90 seconds, and 70 people had already been shot. Whether gun law changes would work or not remains to be seen, but just for a few seconds close your eyes, pretend that was your son or daughter in that theater, and ask yourself: Can we really afford to continue not to try? Justin Kanew is a two-time “Amazing Race” not-winner and film producer in Los Angeles. He produced Jean Claude Van Damme’s first comedy “Welcome to the Jungle,” coming in 2013. Tweet him @Justin_Kanew. MORE IN OUR COVERAGE: • Obama in Aurora: ‘Out of This Darkness, a Brighter Day Will Come’ • Playboy Model Cracks ‘Too Soon?’ Joke; Deadmau5 Plays Hero • The Day After: Five Good ‘Reflection’ Reads on Aurora Shooting • Gunman Shoots Up ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Opening in Colorado • James Holmes: What Aurora Theater Shooting Suspect Looks Like • CelebBoutique Asks Whether #Aurora Is Trending … • Denver Post Served Shotgun Ad Above Aurora Theater Shooting Story • Redditor Uploads Photos of Alleged Gunshot Wound From Shooting
Brandon Garrett 24.07.12 @ 10:58 am I DO believe that guns should be easily accessible, and gun control laws are an enormous waste of time, money, liberty, and resources. Contrary to your assertion, however, my fellow libertarians and I DO believe that prostitution, gambling, and drugs should be legalized! In fact, since you seem to understand that making something illegal only prevents law abiding citizens from partaking in criminalized behaviors, it seems that it is YOU who is being hypocritical in this instance. You just demonstrated three perfect examples where prohibitive policies fail miserably. Take your own advice and oppose disarming people who seek to defend themselves! Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. I prefer dangerous liberty to peaceful slavery.
Kablooy1 03.08.12 @ 1:51 pm I’m guessing that theater had stickers saying “No firearms allowed” on it’s doors. How did that help anyone but the shooter? I say if you want to protect people, allow good citizens to carry their handguns wherever they want. That nut job wouldn’t have had an “easy kill zone” if he had to dodge bullets from someone in that theater with a Colt .45! Also, even without any firearms of any kind, he could have killed 100% of the people there in half the time with the right kind of firebomb. It seems he wanted to make a show of things rather than to merely kill people.