The NRA Doesn't Kill People (But They Sure Do Their Part!)

In the aftermath of the horror in Connecticut, discussions, debates and arguments about gun control are rightfully rampant.

On a recent Facebook post I participated in, “gun rights” folks were going head to head with folks advocating for more restrictions on guns. One guy, who was defending the NRA, suggested that people who think guns are dangerous should therefore also think spoons are dangerous, because some people use them to overeat, gain too much weight and suffer health consequences. Some even die from it. Do we blame the spoon? (Spoons don’t kill people, people kill people!)

The same guy, in defense of his apparent right to own any kind of weapons of mass destruction he so chooses, also proudly mentioned what he would do if an intruder broke into his house:  

“I'll be splattering pieces of that motherfuckers brains and body on my walls and floor with about 8 rounds of 00 buck...might even break out the AR and put 30 extra rounds in him just for making me hafta clean up the mess.”

Let’s be clear: Those 8 rounds of 00 buck and the 30 extra rounds from his AR wouldn’t actually kill the intruder, he would be killing the intruder. He just happened to choose those weapons instead of a spoon.

His response to someone who disagreed? “You’re an asshole!”

I keep reading and hearing the tiresome old NRA cliché: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people!" Which is inevitably followed by arguments of how dangerous baseball bats, cigarettes, knives and even spoons can be, yet no one is calling on banning them. But when was the last time a sick and twisted person walked into a school or a movie theatre and was able to quickly kill a lot of people with a baseball bat, cigarettes, a knife or a spoon? Even if they tried, could they kill a lot of people quickly with such weapons? I doubt it: it takes a semi-automatic or automatic weapon to pull such a tragedy off.

I hope I never lose the right to keep the rifles and shotguns I use for hunting. I keep them locked in a secure safe at all times, unloaded (and separate from the bullets and shells) where only I can get access to them. There was a time I supported the NRA, back when they focused more on teaching people how to properly and safely use and store rifles and shotguns, and worked in a bipartisan manner to protect sensible gun rights – long before they became a radical, uncompromising, irrational, extreme right-wing arm of the GOP.

I became pretty confident, capable and proficient with some powerful and dangerous weapons while serving in a Marine Corps Force Recon unit. They are tools of war. I think it’s ridiculous to think citizens should have a right to have such weapons in their possession. Perhaps it’s not the “weapons” that kill people, but I assure you from my experience you can fire a lot more rounds more quickly, and kill a lot more people a more quickly, with a 7.62 mm M60 machine gun than, say, my 7mm-08 bolt action hunting rifle. That is why Marines and soldiers are issued and trained to use more proficient tools of the trade. And why nobody walks into a school or movie theatre and kills a whole bunch of people with baseball bats, cigarettes or knives.

After everyone within a five meter radius of a detinated M67 fragmentation grenade is killed, I’ve never heard anyone say: “Grenades don’t kill people, people kill people.”  People do indeed pull the pins and release the handles (actually known as “spoons”), but they certainly wouldn’t have the same results if they threw silverware, knives or cigarettes at people.

After such a horrifying tradgedy in Connecticut, it's not only appropriate that the people of our nation collectively have more honest, open discussions and debates about guns, and gun-related laws and regulations -- it's essential that we do! It makes perfect sense to try and grasp and make sense of such a incident; to examine what happened and how such things might be prevented from happening again and again and again.

Incidences like what happened in Connecticut exceed and overwhelm the ability of my heart, mind and emotions to even comprehend.

There are no simple answers; it’s a pretty confusing, complex problem that I don’t think any of us can or will ever fully understand. Gun restrictions and mental health care are part of it, but certainly not all of it – and the problems aren't unique to just the U.S. Sure, it seems to happen more often in our country, but just last year a sick and twisted man went to a youth camp on an island in Norway and killed 77 people in a country with fairly strict gun regulations and good mental health care.

Should people really be able to own any kind of weapon they want? Is there really any justifiable reason for a citizen to own an automatic weapon? Should parents and others who leave weapons lying around, unsecured (making them easier for people to steal, or for kids to find, take and play with) be held accountable for their actions? Will putting money into mental health care programs serve to effectively identify potential psychos and prevent tragedies from happening? Does living in a society where a majority of people, from a very young age, are exposed to brutal and glorified versions of death and violence on television, in movies and on video games contribute to the problems? Does living in a society that, in general, finds it acceptable for kids to watch people shooting each other on screen but is offended by exposing kids to notions of love between two people contribute to the problems?

I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows. But I think they are good, legitimate questions and I don’t think anyone is an asshole for discussing and debating such questions.

On the other hand, making a bullshit, macho statement glorifying violence (even, perhaps, justifiable violence) by stating something like: “I'll be splattering pieces of that motherfuckers brains and body on my walls and floor with about 8 rounds of 00 buck..might even break out the AR and put 30 extra rounds in him just for making me hafta clean up the mess.” . . . well, THAT is something a real asshole would say -- and someone who has obviously had the good fortune of never really having to face or experience the crazy, intense, chaotic, confusing, terrible emotions of being directly involved in actual violent gun shootings. Shooting another human being, even one who is a thief breaking into your home, is not very macho, glorious or fun.

Maybe such an NRA-driven macho mentality that seems so prevalent in our society is part of the problem. The NRA doesn’t kill people, but they sure do contribute to the problems.

We live in a society that glorifies violence; we live in a society where weapons are easy to obtain; we live in a society where some people think we should all be able to own any type of weapons we want; we live in a society not very understanding or supportive of mental health issues and programs; we live in a society where violence is considered good, legitimate entertainment but love between some people is considered disgusting, immoral and sinful, and we live in a society where far too often people walk into movie theatres, offices, fast-food restaurants and schools and randomly kill innocent people.

It really makes no fucking sense. I hope we figure it out.