Pro Gun VS. Anti Gun

Well I've already made my feelings on this perfectly clear in both seminars and on previous blogs but for those of you who don't know, I am strictly ANTI GUN. I watched Michael Moore's documentary 'Bowling for Columbine' as a young teenager and the events that occoured that fateful day still sends shivers down my spine. And to think that a Brit was killed the other day in Amarillo who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time- he was on a road trip with his buddies and dropped in because he was a fan of the Tony Christie song. And why did he die? Because some gun toting maniac lives in a state that has the slackest rules when it comes to gun control. Well, does it have any control?! Disgusting. As was the picture shown this week in class. Giving a 10 and 11 year old a firearm?! HELLO! In any civilised culture, who in their right mind thinks that that is acceptable? And to think that their dad is a University Professor....it really does make you think.


Anyway, onto this weeks task. My Pro Gun website is an obvious one, but you can't get more pro gun than the mac daddy of them all, the NRA. National Rifle Assosiastion.

http://www.nra.org/

The reason I'm so against the NRA and all their beliefs? Two words. Charlton Heston. He was formely the President of the NRA before he died and I previously thought he was a damned good actor. Until I watched this scene from 'Bowling For Columbine'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1iuEcu7O50



And what happened in Columbine in 1999?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ13CZ4Hekg&NR=1&feature=fvwp

For those of you who are unaware or just need a brief reminder, two students from the school, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into school one day in April '99 and opened fire on their teachers and fellow students. 12 students and 1 teacher were killed and 21 others were seriously injured. They then turned the guns on themselves. And as you heard in the Michael Moore video, the NRA showed up not long after for a pro gun rally.

So what does the NRA say? Well, their motto is quite famously 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people'. So famous in fact that I don't even have to look it up, it's something embedded in my memory forever. But maybe that's just me! Their website uses celebrity endorsements such as Chuck Norris. However, in their favour, they are encouraging people to register their weapons.

I feel deeply uncomfortable looking at this site, but I do see their point. In a nation of 300 million where the vast majority of people own guns, why wouldn't you want to protect yourself and your family? The cop's aren't doing a great job, but neither are they in this country. Granted, America is bigger, but why all the violence? I agree that a gun is an inanomate object and it requires the squeeze of a trigger so it may do it's worst but the fact that the NRA are so anti gun control is what is worrying. Gun activists know that the Second Amendment applies to them, and boy don't they run with it! I agree that if you have a right to excersise something you believe in then you should. And personally, although I am against guns and the use of them (except in the armed forces), if I was living in America it would probably be a different story. I wouldn't touch the Southern states with a barge pole, I'm strictly a Northern girl in that sense so there aren;t as many around, but knowing that gun's were already out there would make me want to own one. As mentioned before, you cannot rely on the police anymore. These day's you have to stick up for yourself. And one thing that does jump out at me on the webpage is the Executive Vice President's opinion that gun-control activists seem to be more focused on getting rid of guns and less on reducing violence in general. Some sense is displayed here at least. And just so we are up to date, there is a scrolling news bar at the bottom of the page keeping you up-to-date with all the gun news in America.

However, most amusing is that you can support the NRA by shopping at Amazon.com! And if you are a member you can get discounts on rental cars, hotels, shopping, and health services. And then there's the massive advertisment that tells me that there has never been a better time to join. Hmmm....I'd want to defend myself, but thankfully I still live in Britain. So thanks, but no thanks.



On the other side of things are the victims of gun crime. My anti gun website is the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

http://www.bradycampaign.org/
James Brady was President Ronald Regan's Press Secretary in the 80's. On March 30th 1981, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate the President and thankfully only managed to puncture a lung. Unfortunately for Brady, he was shot in the head and as a result he is now disabled. Since that day, James and wife Sarah are now anti-gun campaigners and managed to make a difference in the world by getting government to pass 'The Brady Bill'. Named for James, The Brady Bill means that "anyone who legally purchases a gun in the United States is subject to a federal background check and if they pass and there are no further state restrictions then it is transferred to individual approval from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) which is maintained by the FBI. " (All info on Wikipedia).

Basically if it weren't for this bill, then goodness only knows who could have gotten hold of a gun and what further damage they could have done. In order for lives to be saved, a man has had to live with a disability for nearly 30 years. Some may argue that if Brady had not been shot then this would not have come in to place- and what caused this? Guns. But in my opinion that does not mark one in the pro box for guns.

On James and Sarah's website they give some very useful information on both state and federal gun laws and even gives you their 'score' for each state. California being the highest having the best gun laws and Oklahoma being one of the lowest due to their lack of laws. It also gives you information on the bill, the history, what their mission statement is and how you can get involved.

This website doesn't try and shove it's opinions down your throat, it tries to show you how you can get involved and help. The NRA website is slightly aggressive in it's tone, whereas Brady's website offers you facts and figures. The point is with this website is that they are looking for stricter laws. No one said anything about outlawing guns completely like they have here in England, they just want to make sure that if you own a gun, you are not likely to run amok with it and kill people. Obviously there is no real way of telling this, even the most sane people could snap one day. But they are not of one extreme. They believe in outlawing gun violence and enforcing harsher gun laws so that america is a safer place to live .

Obviously, I had already made up my mind before I even started this blog. But now I am more aware of the opinions of both sides and although I am not neutral, I can see the viewpoint of the NRA. It is their right as Americans to own a gun and to protect themselves from any potential threats. But then I look at James the victims of Columbine and I'm filled with a deep sadness that these events had to occour because the proper precaustions were not in place. America lives in fear of terrorism, of it's own government and now their own neighbours? I'm afraid I side with the anti-gun advocates as that is not the kind of place I would like to be living in right now.