Still Free

Yeah, Mr. Smiley. Made it through the entire Trump presidency without being enslaved. Imagine that.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Asking The Wrong Quesion In California

People tell you what they are obsessed about. You just have to let them talk long enough and know how to listen for key statements. You know, things you were supposed to learn in grade school. California would like to bring down the number of deaths by homicide. No problem there. The problem is how they go about it. Which brings us to the point of this post:
What's the best way to minimize the number of guns on California's streets? That's the question confronting gun control supporters after this month's ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals striking down San Diego's restrictions on carrying handguns in public. That case was brought by gun owners who applied for but were denied permits to carry concealed weapons.[My Emphasis]
See. The question really isn't "the best way to minimize the number of guns on California's streets". No it is not.

To rephrase the Merovingian of Matrix fame, to ask about guns on California streets is to ask to means to what? Why? What is the why? Guns do not kill people. Guns are inanimate objects. What is the why? The why is the statement made in the opening paragraph. The wish to bring down homicides.

Next question: Do criminals care one bit about open or conceal carry laws? Do they care about magazine limits? Do they care about assault weapons bans? No. No they do not. Therefore the entire question about open carry is irrelevant isn't it? Law abiding citizens, the vast majority of people in California, whether they conceal a weapon or not have not and will not contribute to homicide by gun rates.

The thing is that there are a lot of people who are quite scared at the sight of a firearm. There are programs for that.

As to the actual problem that California is trying to address, how about they deal with conflict resolution skills starting from young ages? Police reports on gun violence that I have seen have pointed out that most of the conflicts come from anger issues and beefs. So really California has a mental health issue not a gun issue.