Over the past day, I’ve seen many different reactionary proposals and talking points unleashed across, television, twitter and facebook.  All of these reactions are understandable as people are almost universally shocked and disgraced by the actions in Netown, CT.  

Unfortunately, I’ve found that the arguments around Gun Control have become untied from facts and more aligned with a political and sensational reality.  Defenders of the right to bear arms often use the phrase “Guns dont kill people, People Kill people.”  Although I hate this statement, instead of outright dismissing it, you need to understand that it is, if anything, a true statement of words.  However, this is purely a talking point unleashed to protect the abstract idea of “gun control.”  To steal a little from Jason Alexander’s gun rant:

As passed by the Congress:“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.”As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:“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.”

So the patriots are correct, gun ownership is in the constitution — if you’re in a well-regulated militia. Let’s see what no less a statesman than Alexander Hamilton had to say about a militia:

“A tolerable expertness in military movements is a business that requires time and practice. It is not a day, or even a week, that will suffice for the attainment of it. To oblige the great body of the yeomanry, and of the other classes of the citizens, to be under arms for the purpose of going through military exercises and evolutions, as often as might be necessary to acquire the degree of perfection which would entitle them to the character of a well-regulated militia, would be a real grievance to the people, and a serious public inconvenience and loss.”

Or from Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Definition of MILITIA

• 1a : a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergencyb : a body of citizens organized for military service
• 2: the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service

The advocates of guns who claim patriotism and the rights of the 2nd Amendment – are they in well-regulated militias? For the vast majority — the answer is no.

Regardless, people will and do use the same information to defend the right to bear arms and they are entitled to that opinion.  In addition, there is also another valid point to owning guns, saying that the government should not have a monopoly on force (this seems valid in countries like Egypt, Tunisia, etc.. but in the US? Maybe I am Naive).  That debate, however, is a political one and will go on forever with Pro-Gun people always winning due to the long history, the deep pockets of gun manufacturers and lobby groups and well developed (and impressive) propaganda and influence tactics.

That debate will go on and on.  Instead I propose starting a new debate with a question like “How do we get less people to die from firearm related deaths and what do the facts tell us about this?”  Even with facts, people can manipulate them to back up their arguments.  For example, people say that gun deaths are incredibly low in places like Switzerland and Israel where laws are lax.  Unfortunately, this is hogwash.  However, the other side points to Japan, where guns were banned in 1971 and gun related homicides are as low as two per year.  Japan is almost the polar opposite of the United States and it would be near impossible to achieve such a dramatic change (as much as I love change) in the gun loving US.

Lets go down fact lane a little with some ugly truths:

• Our gun laws are some of the loosest in the modern world (Trayvon-related article with all the ugly details here)
• in 2008, 587 Americans were killed just by guns that had discharged accidentally
• Our gun homicide rate is 19.5 times higher (4.1 per 100,000) than the next 22 Developed countries combined (0.2 per 100,000) (Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom (England and Wales), United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) and United Kingdom (Scotland))

• Substantial negative correlations between firearm deaths and states that ban assault weapons (-.45), require trigger locks (-.42), and mandate safe storage requirements for guns (-.48).

I am hopeful that things like this can gain momentum because even though a majority of Americans are now against gun control, many are for specific measures as seen in this chart (From a  must see Twelve facts about guns and mass shootings in the United States):

At the same time,  I am pessimistic about any true change.  The following disturbing chart shows that people have short memories: