Guns Don't Kill People; People With Guns Kill People

Guns Don't Kill People; People With Guns Kill People
by Nathan Poole, Columnist

October 11, 2002

Contributor Nathan Poole You know, for as long as I can remember, I have had to listen to the gun-lovers of America-or the GLA-spouting off logic as they see it. "Guns don't kill people," I have had to hear since I very young, "people kill people." Funny how a gun-lover always feels the need to say this right after a person with a gun kills another person.

The tragic chain of events horrifically unfolding in and around our nation's capital brings this issue once again to the forefront. This time, though, I have noticed a new and even more frightening approach being taken by the gun-lovers to defend their way of life. Now, it seems, that I am to blame for the many senseless killings that take place in this country every year due to the number of guns that are on the streets.

Yes, you have read me correctly. It appears that the GLA wants the American people to believe that we are at fault for these acts of murder because we have chosen not to arm ourselves. According to the GLA, all of these crimes would simply just dry up if you and I-and Grandma Lucy-would just take up arms and defend ourselves.

Oh, I get it. Just like the Old West, right? Oh, yeah, that was an extremely safe period in American history to live in. The man in the black hat rides into town and temporarily terrorizes the good God-fearing townspeople, and then the handsome man wearing the white hat rides in to save the day.

Ah, yes, that was a great movie. Just one problem with that lovely slice of Americana I've just painted, though. You see, the bad guys don't wear black hats. And the good guys sometimes are perceived to be the bad guys. The problem with packing heat and brandishing our guns and mowing down all of the bad guys whenever they present themselves is that you can't always tell who the bad guys are; sometimes the good guys are going to get hurt.

Another problem with this new theory being pushed out into the mainstream by the GLA is the problem that we are currently facing in our nation's capital. Nobody knows who is doing the shooting. What do you do in that case? Pull out your gun and shoot whomever you think might be the gunman? No, it doesn't work like that in our society. That is why we have armed police patrolling our streets.

Again, let me repeat the problem with the GLA's idea to have every citizen arm him or herself and gun down anybody they deem to be the bad guys. We don't always know who is doing the shooting. Just that they are doing the shooting with guns. ***

A native of San Antonio, Texas and a veteran of the United States Air Force, Nathan Poole is employed by the United States Postal Service. He lives in Irwindale, California with his wife and family.

Photo of the author courtesy of staff files