71 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 9 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 12/31/12

Ban Those Bullets!

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   10 comments
Become a Fan
  (9 fans)
After waiting a week "out of respect for the victims of the Newtown school shootings, and their families," America's premier gun promoter, the mislabeled National Rifle Association (today, National Assault Weapons Advocate would be considerably more accurate) has come up with its solution to the seemingly-endless horrific school shooting tragedies.

According to the NRA President and Executive Vice President, we need to station armed guards in each and every American school.  Aside from costing tens of billions of dollars, the fact is that armed guards have not prevented past school shootings, and indeed they increase the likelihood of innocent victims being caught in the crossfire.  But then, such niceties have never bothered the NRA, not when a return to the Wild, Wild West within our schools is possible.

Since those NRA leaders are fond of quoting the trite and tired saying that "it's not guns that kill people, it's people who kill people" -- actually and more accurately, people with guns kill people, but then the NRA is not one for fine distinctions -- here is my proposal for reducing substantially school and workplace shootings: Ban Those Bullets!   This proposal would include banning all high capacity bullet-delivery systems for automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons, except for valid and justified law enforcement and military purposes.  Severe penalties for possessing, let along using, such bullets and related equipment, would reinforce the prohibition on them.  There is no valid civilian purpose for such bullets and bullet-delivery systems, which are primarily used for threatening, robbing, wounding, and killing people. 

The NRA is very fond of citing that part of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows "the right of the people to keep and bear arms."  The opening portion of that Amendment, "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State," is not nearly as popular with the NRA and other gun advocates, as it makes clear that there must be a valid purpose for our right "to keep and bear arms."  America's Founders never intended guns ownership and use to be a free-for-all, nor could they have envisioned the development of assault weapons, IEDs, and the like.  The horrendous shootings in Newtown, and Aurora, and Tucson, and so many other locations, had nothing to do with a "well-regulated militia" -- they have been the result of disturbed people's easy access to weapons of mass killing.

Banning those bullets, and bullet delivery-systems, used in assault weapons, can make a major contribution to the safety and security of Americans.  At the same time, those owners of such weapons who get satisfaction from parading around with their weapons would still be able to do so -- they just would not be able to use them against innocent parties, or anyone with whom they have a real or imagined grievance.  This past year, five hundred murders were committed just in Chicago, an all-time record achieved mainly by easy access to guns.  This past month, a disturbed man with a felony record got a a neighbor to buy assault weapons for him, so that he could gun down and kill first responders to a fire he had set.

The best resolution we can make for 2013 is to reduce American gun violence to the much-lower level prevalent in other civilized nations, where access to weapons is much better-controlled, and assault weapons are banned.  And that is a resolution which the National Rifle Association needs to adopt, the sooner the better.  Until then, let's Ban Those Bullets!   It is the least that we can and should do.

Must Read 1   Well Said 1   Funny 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Eugene Elander Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Author's Biography Eugene Elander has been a progressive social and political activist for decades. As an author, he won the Young Poets Award at 16 from the Dayton Poets Guild for his poem, The Vision. He was chosen Poet Laureate of (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

American Banking's Shameful Double Standard

The Decline and Fall of AARP

Georgia's State Bar is a Bar to Complaints Against Attorneys!

Meet the Worst Post Office in America!

Ukraine and Putin: Shades of Adolf Hitler!

Romney's Rancid Rant!

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend