Is it a healthy fear though?

As an outsider I do appreciate the setting up of the historical context which helps me understand a particular mindset towards gun control and how this came about. However, In just about every corner of the world the move away from frontier justice (ie. not justice) to a centrally controlled police force/army is seen as a marker of progress towards a more civilized society.

The citizens of most democratic, developed nations do not live in perpetual fear of their Governments. If, for some bizarre reason, the Government actually decided to get all up in someone’s grill and firebomb their house it wouldn’t matter how many assault rifles that citizen had strewn about their home. The Government has the bigger toys and the means to deploy them. It is up to us to ensure the right checks and balances are written into law to prevent Governments from abusing their powers, and the necessary system to hold them to account if they do. And it is up to the members of our police force/armed forces to recognize Govt. overreach and/or tyranny and to oppose both.

A private citizenry will not win an arms race against their own Government. Those assault rifles will not repel ordinance, but they do seem to come in handy for shooting up schools, clubs and offices. As I understand it from reading your piece and Mr Thin Man’s comments, the means to add gun regulation do exist. The Constitution is not a sacred text. The problem is the very strong opposition from those politicians who gain financially from the Gun Lobbyists. They would also fear a loss of support from their voter base if they pushed the legislation through.

Politicians in Australia went through the same thing recently, many helping to pass the gun regulation laws and being rewarded with.. loosing their seats in Parliament. But since the legislation has passed, guess what? Gun violence in Australia has declined. Some politicians displayed personal integrity and lost their jobs. This is preferable, however, to the loss of life.

Good governance does not always mean accepting the will of the people as being the best course of action. To do so is to assume that every citizen is politically engaged and well read on the issues. It is a Brexit sized error.

So my solution is threefold. First, follow the Australian model. Make it abundantly clear which politicians are receiving funding from the NRA. Play firm, but fair. This is not just the traditional press I’m talking about, but citizen journalists and bloggers. Secondly, educate the public about the benefits of gun control laws. Most of Europe can be used as a case study here if you like. Use statistics and hard data if you wish, ’tis all available. And thirdly, use the political machinery available to push for reform.

This was an informative piece Mike and I thank you for it. I can’t see things changing overnight but I hope one day you chaps give gun reform a go. After all, if what you’re doing isn’t working, why not try something else?