One Nation Under Guns: An Essay on an American Epidemic

Gun violence is not a political issue. Violence is instead a social problem. One where one person in a senseless act can march into an Amish one-room school house and kill 5 young girls. It's true that a gun, by itself without human intervention, does not kill people - that in fact it requires a person to use the gun, to create this terrible means to an end. However, the question that we as a society need to evaluate - or at least being open to consider, is how do people that are likely to commit violent crime get the weapon to do so. It is this question that leads us back to the courts, and the laws that both protect the right to bear arms, and the need to protect the citizens of this country. I bought and read One Nation Under Guns after I heard Arnold Grossman on a Denver radio show. His arguement was sound, moderate, and leaned towards finding a solution for this exact problem, not stripping away the right to bear arms, or destroying every gun. After reading the book, and reviewing the statistics provided (which are from the FBI, ATF and the National Crime Lab - not Mother Jones). It reinforced my concern for finding a solution to this issue, where the average "smart" gun-owning American does not lose or impede his rights to own a firearm, while those at "high risk" of commiting a dangerous crime are limited in their ability to get a gun. Sure, if someone "really wants" to get a hold of a gun they will find a way on the black market, or steal one, but here is where the statistics in the US compared to other countries where guns are legal, but controls exist to keep felons from owning them are in place - prove that smart gun purchasing and ownership laws make a huge difference. Let's consider the gun violence that we hear about - it's not someone commiting some large scale assualt on the government or massive terrorist acts, it's a milk truck driver who flips out one day and decides to enter a school room and commit a senseless crime. The odds of this (idiot) guy taking the time and initiative to track down a black market contact to buy a gun to commit this crime are highly unlikely if not impossible. Grossman argues for sensible laws to be put in place - not an outright end to guns. These laws include requiring background checks so that felons and those previously convicted of violent crimes cannot buy a weapon. It includes hardening specific state laws - for example - Texas has some of the most stringent requirements of any state to receive a concealed carry permit - why don't other states follow this model? And, Grossman focuses a lot of attention on gun shows - and how the lack of stringent controls here has enabled anyone (legal, Illegal, terrorist, or felon) to walk into a local show and purchase guns without going through the existing requirements if you were to go to your local gunsmith. Those that are law-abiding gun owners, should be concerned about the fact that a select statistical few are bringing "a bad name" to guns and in

I found the book extremely enlightening. I believe the information and point of view will appeal to all moderate peoples. Grossman is not anti gun, he is anti gun VIOLENCE and anti ILLEGAL gun ownership. The most telling part of the book are the statistics at the end. The more gun laws outlawing illegal gun ownership that are on the books, the less gun violence there is. That bit of education alone is worth the price of the book.