Editorials

Lose the extremes in national gun control debate

TBO.com
Published: December 30, 2012

No one's surprised that the topic of gun control is hotly contested. From letters on this page to Facebook postings to just about everywhere, there are opinions on every side, from extreme to moderate. What must be understood to cut out at least part of the noise is what exactly we are talking about when gun control is discussed.

Extremists want everything from a total ban of any firearms to anything goes for anyone wanting a weapon. But that's not where this debate really is for reasonable people to consider. And the whole other side, dealing with mental health issues, must be addressed as well and is just as complex.

One legitimate issue the American people should discuss involves the private seller loopholes that don't require background checks. Should any gun sales be allowed without a background check? A lot of gun owners believe there should be more safeguards. Some say we already have plenty.

Another issue is whether large ammunition magazines should be sold to the public. These magazines allow a semi-automatic gun to fire many rounds before the need to reload. Again, it's a point that a lot of gun owners and non-gun owners can find middle ground.

It's also legitimate to consider whether a license should be issued for people who have firearms. We require licenses to drive cars, professionally cut hair and many other everyday things. Maybe that same license would allow people to buy guns without a background check every time one's purchased. Would a license help make our society safer? If it doesn't, then why bother?

One true fact is that all the laws and regulations in the world will do little to stop a bad guy from getting a gun and killing people if he wants to bad enough. Providing guards for schools is fine, but the real point is someone wanting to kill innocent people will just go to wherever they congregate — a church, mall, sporting event or any other place where people meet.

We don't want to live in a militarized zone with armed guards everywhere. We shouldn't have to live inside a fortress and few Americans advocate such extremes.

There is a risk to living in a free society. No one should be under the illusion that these kinds of tragedies can be completely stopped regardless of any laws enacted. But it doesn't mean we should do nothing.