by Kim D.
Imagine two childhood friends, now adults, debating the most important issues of the day. That would be my stepdaughter and her best friend. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and hear the conversations of a conservative and progressive trying to have the last, definitive word, especially when the subject is gun control.
First a bit of background - the conservative.
My stepdaughter was always passionate about photography and elected to go to the Art Institute for an associate's degree. She was finished by 20 and has been working on her photography business for many years now. Once she left home she never returned to live in our basement and has fended for herself even in some of the tougher days while living off of Ramen noodles. She currently lives with her boyfriend, who works for a pipeline repair company as a diver. Both of them are gun owners, and it would not be surprising to find them at the gun range on a date night.
Now the progressive.
Her friend elected a different path, attending the University of California, Berkeley, receiving her degree in elementary education. After an internship teaching in Japan, she returned home to Houston. She currently lives alone, works full time as an elementary teacher, and is a proud receiver of SNAP benefits because she can't afford all the necessities of life (Internet, Iphone, cable, etc) on her own.
I'm biased so I would say the friend has been thoroughly brainwashed by her college experience and "worldly" travels. She is an avid Bernie supporter and champions everything feminista which may explain her single status. She has lectured my stepdaughter ad nauseum on the evils of gun ownership, having lived in Japan and experienced a culture of strict gun control.
Over the weekend, my stepdaughter was excited to share with me that she and her friend had reached a negotiable happy medium in regard to Second Amendment rights. Her friend would like to see all guns banned, however, was convinced a better option was for the government to require anyone who owns and/or purchases a gun to take mandatory gun training and register all guns.
My face dropped, and I know it was horrible but my reaction was that it was a boneheaded idea. You never negotiate away your natural rights. My stepdaughter hates when I burst her bubble; however, once I explained my horror over the negotiation, you could see that figurative light bulb grow brighter. My stepdaughter had fallen for the progressive bait and switch. Start with the worst possible outcome (ban all guns) and then compromise for regulated gun control, which, under the perfect political storm, could lead to eradication of the Second Amendment.
So what's the problem with mandatory firearm training for gun owners? That seems like a common sense step, right? Wrong. My stepdaughter said everyone who owns a gun needs to learn how to operate it properly. In theory, yes, that's a great idea; however, as with most regulatory ideas surrounding the Second Amendment, a simple fact negates it - criminals and some of the mentally ill do not follow laws. A society can create tons of laws but if the criminals won't follow them, they become simply a burden on the law abiding instead of the would-be law breaker. Yes we all would agree that gun owners should know how to maintain and fire a weapon well, but the burden should not be on them to ensure they have access to a natural right guaranteed by the Constitution.
And after all the regulation, at the end of the day, what will have changed other than the fact that the federal government now has a nice database when the right person becomes president who has the right Supreme Court to uphold the legalities of gun confiscation. I asked her what would prevent a mandatory buy-back law as happened in Australia? She said what happened in Australia? At which point I reminder her that Google is a great friend to have and point her to an article by Townhall.com - "Friendly Reminder: Australia's Gun BuyBack Program Was a Disaster, Created 'Violent Black Market' for Firearms."
For more in-depth debate on this topic watch the epic gun control chatter between Stephen Crowder and Christopher Titus:
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