Good editorial in the Philly Daily News today...
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20080702_Gun_ruling_shines_spotlight_on_real_problems.html
Gun ruling shines spotlight on real problems
By CHARLES A. WILLIAMS III
I'M A CARD-carrying Democrat. Moreover, as a former co-chairman of Philadelphia Against Drugs, Guns and Violence, I abhor guns and the carnage they create. While working with Operation Ceasefire, I helped to promote a program that promises a mandatory five years tacked onto a defendant's sentence when the defendant uses a gun in the commission of a crime.
Rally after rally and march after march, we would talk about the need to put down guns and "stop the violence" - but let me be clear, at no point did I believe that restricting an individual's rights to own a gun would improve the situation in the communities hardest hit by drug-related gun violence.
So, when the Supreme Court ruled last week that the rights of a U.S. citizen to own a gun for hunting and personal protection could not be infringed upon, thereby making Washington's gun law illegal, I wasn't the least bit upset.
I never felt so good about a decision rendered by the court's conservative majority. I never thought that I would agree with Associate Justices Scalia or Thomas. (I generally despise the two, on the basis of their legal renderings.)
But Thursday's ruling makes perfect sense to this Democrat. (Alito and Roberts were spot on as well.)
The court's conservative majority decided to ignore the liberals who believe that the only way to make our communities safer is to impose further gun restrictions on law-abiding Americans.
Essentially, the court upheld the Second Amendment, which is contained within the U.S. Constitution, as . . . well . . .constitutional.
In my opinion, the National Rifle Association has always been right (pun intended) on this issue. Wrong on most others, but right on this one.
And this ruling will force liberals to focus on the real reasons for gun violence.
At some point, liberals and anti-gun folks will have to realize that it is failing families, schools and communities that lead to drug-related gun violence, not guns purchased by law-abiding citizens.
Even if you examine straw purchases, the impact is infinitesimal when compared with the impact of poor education, absentee fathers and a community lacking a moral focus and appropriate priorities. All of these things lead a young person to make the wrong choices, which is at the heart of our gun violence problem in urban America.
By the way, the same can be said for this silly public-relations hoax that we call gun "buyback" programs. What a waste of time, energy and effort. There is no research to demonstrate that such programs lead to even a slight decrease in gun violence.
So, why do we do them? We do them because it allows incompetent politicians to feel as though they're doing something. They want to be able to go back to their under-informed constituents and say, Hey! Look at me. I'm doing something about the 400 murders, on average, in Philadelphia yearly, or the five or six gunshot victims a day! When they really aren't.
To add insult to injury, these ineffective buyback programs are usually supported by the very radio stations that are responsible for playing rap songs glorifying drug-dealing, homicide and gunplay. Hypocrisy, thy name is . . .
These are the kinds of things you won't hear from Al Sharpton's mouth. These are the words of truth, which many, though unwisely, choose to ignore. IN OTHER WORDS, guns don't kill people - misguided, unloved, disconnected, uneducated, angry youth kill people. Youth without mentors and role models kill people.
So, those liberals who purport to really want to end senseless gun violence should focus on changing that unfortunate reality - instead of U.S. gun laws.
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20080702_Gun_ruling_shines_spotlight_on_real_problems.html
Gun ruling shines spotlight on real problems
By CHARLES A. WILLIAMS III
I'M A CARD-carrying Democrat. Moreover, as a former co-chairman of Philadelphia Against Drugs, Guns and Violence, I abhor guns and the carnage they create. While working with Operation Ceasefire, I helped to promote a program that promises a mandatory five years tacked onto a defendant's sentence when the defendant uses a gun in the commission of a crime.
Rally after rally and march after march, we would talk about the need to put down guns and "stop the violence" - but let me be clear, at no point did I believe that restricting an individual's rights to own a gun would improve the situation in the communities hardest hit by drug-related gun violence.
So, when the Supreme Court ruled last week that the rights of a U.S. citizen to own a gun for hunting and personal protection could not be infringed upon, thereby making Washington's gun law illegal, I wasn't the least bit upset.
I never felt so good about a decision rendered by the court's conservative majority. I never thought that I would agree with Associate Justices Scalia or Thomas. (I generally despise the two, on the basis of their legal renderings.)
But Thursday's ruling makes perfect sense to this Democrat. (Alito and Roberts were spot on as well.)
The court's conservative majority decided to ignore the liberals who believe that the only way to make our communities safer is to impose further gun restrictions on law-abiding Americans.
Essentially, the court upheld the Second Amendment, which is contained within the U.S. Constitution, as . . . well . . .constitutional.
In my opinion, the National Rifle Association has always been right (pun intended) on this issue. Wrong on most others, but right on this one.
And this ruling will force liberals to focus on the real reasons for gun violence.
At some point, liberals and anti-gun folks will have to realize that it is failing families, schools and communities that lead to drug-related gun violence, not guns purchased by law-abiding citizens.
Even if you examine straw purchases, the impact is infinitesimal when compared with the impact of poor education, absentee fathers and a community lacking a moral focus and appropriate priorities. All of these things lead a young person to make the wrong choices, which is at the heart of our gun violence problem in urban America.
By the way, the same can be said for this silly public-relations hoax that we call gun "buyback" programs. What a waste of time, energy and effort. There is no research to demonstrate that such programs lead to even a slight decrease in gun violence.
So, why do we do them? We do them because it allows incompetent politicians to feel as though they're doing something. They want to be able to go back to their under-informed constituents and say, Hey! Look at me. I'm doing something about the 400 murders, on average, in Philadelphia yearly, or the five or six gunshot victims a day! When they really aren't.
To add insult to injury, these ineffective buyback programs are usually supported by the very radio stations that are responsible for playing rap songs glorifying drug-dealing, homicide and gunplay. Hypocrisy, thy name is . . .
These are the kinds of things you won't hear from Al Sharpton's mouth. These are the words of truth, which many, though unwisely, choose to ignore. IN OTHER WORDS, guns don't kill people - misguided, unloved, disconnected, uneducated, angry youth kill people. Youth without mentors and role models kill people.
So, those liberals who purport to really want to end senseless gun violence should focus on changing that unfortunate reality - instead of U.S. gun laws.
