Yesterday some shootings in the USA – two people dead – today again a report about a shooting at a church – four people dead. Some days ago a shooting at a mall – some people dead. Before that: shootings at schools – and at other places.
And the news services report the surprised and shocked responses: “”Why would anybody want to hurt those kids?” What I always miss is the question: “How long is our society going to tolerate the arguments of the gun lobby?”
Most civilized countries have long ago made a clear distinction between the legitimate agents of law enforcement, where some of these units can carry arms, and the society at large, where nobody is allowed to carry arms, unless it is for very clearly and legally defined special exceptions – people transporting huge sums of money for banks, hunters etc.
The reason always given is the Second Amendment to the US Bill of Rights – the right to keep and bear arms. It says: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
None of the recent shooters was identified as having their guns as part of a legally “well regulated Militia.” I never read any reference to this “well regulated Militia” clause.
How many more such shootings, in addition to the “normal” daily fatal criminal shootings, will happen before there will be real progress in abolishing the outdated “everybody-can-carry-a-gun” mentality in the USA?
