Law-psided

Some of you may have heard about recent events in Colorado where a psychopath going under the pseudonym of “The Joker” opened fire on a crowd of innocent civilians, killing a dozen and wounding several more in the process. Now, an article in The New York Times has revealed that the suspect was able to purchase ammunition worth $3,000 on the internet. This included 3,000 rounds of handgun ammunition, 3,000 rounds for a rifle and 350 shotgun shells. During the process of acquiring this firepower, not once was Mr. James Holmes subject to a background check of any sort. His identity remained virtually anonymous throughout the entire transaction process.

Since this is the USA in question, organisations called “Gun Groups” have quickly jumped to the defence of the online system, saying stricter controls would only limit constitutional rights of individuals. This is understandable, when you consider American “culture” consists of guns, pick-up trucks, camping and spending nights everywhere except in one’s house. The obvious solution would be to regulate the sale of ammunition to ensure it doesn’t end up in the hands of deranged lunatics. But here, too, there appears to be an issue. Firstly, Republicans tend to be supportive of gun rights and secondly, restrictions on ammunition sales constitute a violation of rights (in the USA).

What is hard to comprehend is this. The USA as a nation has not ratified the convention on the rights of the child (CRC). This is because political and religious conservatives believe that the treaty is “Anti-family” and that the authority of parents is undermined as a result. So are the same “conservatives” arguing that arms and ammunition are pro-family? Juveniles should be given life sentences without parole but people should not be restricted from purchasing enough ammunition to rip the life out of a small city. From the various sources that are anti-CRC, it seems as if this lobby comprises citizens who are generally upset that the UN is trying to “undermine” the US’s standing as the godfather of the world. Why else would they be upset that other nations have agreed to it? What do US conservatives know about the interests of countries in Africa when they can’t prohibit people from filling their homes with firearms?

Agreed that most mass murderers, like Mr. James Holmes, are mentally “unstable” to say the very least. But that doesn’t mean law-abiding citizens should be allowed to order .50 BMG from online websites. That would be like uploading world intelligence data to Facebook and hoping nothing bad happens. Or leaving a bank vault unlocked because 99% of the customers are loyal. The only way is trial and error. Everyone needs to be screened before they are allowed to purchase firearms. This is the only method by which such tragedies can be prevented. And it is certain that gun owners who feel their rights are being violated would make the most dramatic of U-turns if they lost loved ones in such an incident. And if this violates constitutional rights, perhaps it’s time someone came up with the brilliant realisation that people’s rights to firearms don’t need to be consistent with their rights to vote or their right to fast food. Consider Singapore, where people are fined for chewing gum, drinking Coca-Cola on a bus, riding bicycles through an underpass and so on. It’s not as if any of these activities are remotely as life-threatening as a fully-loaded .357 Magnum. So why then, aren’t there stricter laws regarding firearms? The time has come for this to be changed.

In conclusion, not regulating the sale of ammunition can only be a bad thing. Regulation will not be bad, only inconvenient. Sadly, it does seem as if people would prefer convenience at a higher risk of tragedy. And at the end of the day, firearms are as destructive as explosives on a plane, for instance. So if people can bear the inconvenience of being frisked at airports to make sure their flights are safe, why should they complain about laws that will ensure their children are safe too?


-  Chap.

 Sources:

1.        http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/us/online-ammunition-sales-highlighted-by-aurora-shootings.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&hp
2.        http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2001/02/un-committees-take-aim-at-family-structure-and-morality-analyst-says
3.        http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2001/02/bg1407es-how-un-conventions-on-womens