The Gun IS the Problem

Kurt Vonnegut made a side reference in one of his books (perhaps “God Bless You Mr. Rosewater,” which was all about volunteer firefighters) to a science fiction writer who had written a story about a “nightmare world where the planet’s atmosphere was always seeking a chance to combine violently with the residents’ most valuable possessions.” And I remember reacting as he intended, an initial “what a horrible place” with a vision of “Dune” or Schwarzenegger’s “Total Recall,” and then the realization, “Oh, that’s us.”

Now imagine reading some outsider’s description of a world where the adults are so callous that they can invent hundreds of reasons to ignore the routine slaughter of their children. What can we possibly say about a people who are THAT depraved and disgusting? Oh yeah, “that’s us.”

The NRA, Ted Cruz, and the rank and file of the Republican party have invented a parade of excuses and deflections. The solution is even more guns. (“Good guy with a gun.” “Arm teachers.” Etc.) Screen out the mentally ill. Right, check out all the “angry loners who are obsessed with violence.” What’s that? 40% of the boys in every school? Fortify the schools. Right, maybe 30 metal detectors per high school times how many schools, plus how many people to work them? No, just a couple per school, you say? Good, when do we start checking in 2500 students, a couple hundred staff, and visitors? 5 am?

Gun extremists have also invented an absolute right to own any gun and take it anywhere that does not exist anywhere in the Constitution. The fact is, regulation of the gun is perfectly permitted, and proven to be effective.

“It’s not the gun, it’s the person who pulls the trigger,” you say? In the case of AR-type rifles, that’s totally wrong. It IS the gun. Without that gun, the shooter can’t kill 19 people in minutes and can’t win a fire fight with the cops.

What are we doing to our children? In the 1950s, when we did our duck and cover drills, at least it was because of big world events far beyond our ability to control. And, nobody died in a civil defense drill. We’re losing hundreds of children a year due to our love affair with the AR-15. And that says nothing of the psychological impact of living with the longterm risk of a school shooting, now compounded by going to school in a combat zone. Imagine having your hall pass checked by a security officer in a batman suit and helmet, carrying an AR-15. Oh, they’ll be locked up until the emergency, you say? Might as well store them on Mars: if they’re not out, they’re worthless. It’s a half mile walk from one end of a big high school to Security, and someone’s going to walk that when there’s an active shooter in the building?

It seems a minimal acceptable approach has to include a) severe restrictions on assault rifles, b) outright ban on large magazines, and c) universal background checks. The people of New Zealand and the UK, who essentially eradicated the problem of gun violence, would say to even that, ”why didn’t you take any real action?”

A bipartisan group of senators is working on a deal. While it’s hard to avoid mental images of Lucy promising to hold the football, maybe this time they’ll agree to something. It seems certain to be heavy on “mental health” and “school security,” and light on “gun safety.”

But let’s celebrate small victories. Weak as it is, the framework agreement, if it holds together, is a step forward. It’s a step back toward the way the Senate used to work, back in the days it was, in the words of Ira Shapiro’s book title, “The Last Great Senate.” You make your case, you settle for the best deal you can get, you identify the problems and start working the next year to fix a few of them. Perhaps a next step, if an outright ban is not possible, would be to require a special background check for AR-type rifles, require special training, etc. The days the NRA ruled Washington are passing. The new organizers after Sandy hook and Parkland are seizing the high ground. Let’s get something this year, end the public careers of more NRA drones, and get better legislation next year.