Is It Time For Gun Control?

Time and again in the last few weeks there have been voices in the media, voices on the right and voices on the left that have wondered aloud if it is time for the control of guns in this nation.  With the tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado and now the shooting at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, many are wondering what it would be like if things were more tightly controlled.

Some could make the case that control would mean less of these types of things getting through the cracks.  It would highlight large, unusual purchases by people that want to carry these things out because they would be flagged.  All in all, it would provide for more of a guide to law enforcement so they knew where to go to get someone before they set out to harm the innocent.

Others have made the case that the Constitution calls for the right to keep and bear arms.  They say that they meant this to be a check on the government because they knew that they faced a well armed citizen if they got out of line.  While not everyone that believes in the right to keep and bear arms believes the previous statement, you can imagine that it gets bandied about when the debate comes around, as it usually does.

In the end, what we need is some good, honest common sense.  What that means for me is that yes, we are absolutely allowed to have guns as we like.  I think it also means having sense.  Automatic weapons are something that I want our soldiers to have on the front lines, but I don't think it is something you or I need to go hunting on the weekend.  Common sense must prevail in an argument about this.  That means that we need to agree that sensible weapons should be on the list of things that we can all have, but an automatic weapon seems like it might just be a bit much.

Overall, having a weapon is something that we all have the right to own and I encourage it.  The best thing to remember as we discuss all of this is to remember the one important fact that it wasn't the guns that killed people, but people with deranged ideas that did so.  If we can agree on that and we can agree that most clear thinking people are fine with a gun, then we are two thirds of the way there.