Whenever a tragedy strikes about a gun-related homicide, such as a mass shooting, people suddenly mobilize again to be tougher on guns and pass draconian measures. However, their efforts have been mostly unsuccessful due to Americans' inalienable Second Amendment rights.
Senator Jill Schupp of Missouri pre-filed legislation that sought to impose universal background checks, which also mandated face-to-face gun purchases. On the surface, this looked reasonable, but a second look revealed the fault in this proposal.
Making it more challenging to buy a gun does not just affect a potential criminal or a person with a propensity for gun violence. However, it also restricts potential gun violence victims from being able to purchase a gun to protect themself. Further, the screening process Senator Schupp proposed is not foolproof and allows people of troubling backgrounds to purchase firearms.
Another common adage is 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people.' The argument is inconsequential. For example, the state of Illinois - Chicago has some of the nation's strictest gun laws, yet gun-related homicides are well above national levels.
This is also true in Michigan, another state with strict gun control measures, yet they have record numbers of gun-related deaths. Detroit has been consistently ranked as the most dangerous city in America. This is not a coincidence that stricter gun laws lead to more gun deaths.
However, Missouri is committed to protecting Second Amendment rights, and Governor Mike Parson has affirmed his support for it. He stated that while he believes gun violence is a concern for Missourians, he would not support draconian gun laws.
Governor Parson noted that gun reform should not be a blanket approach but a targeted one. He proposed enacting policies that tackle mental health problems, substance abuse, and witness protection.
House Speaker Elijah Haahr and Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo of the Missouri State House of Assembly also voiced their support for gun rights and their opposition to any form of gun control.
Majority Leader Vescovo said, "if heavy penalties that already exist for murder and assault do not effectively deter people from committing them, then how will new laws produce better results, especially if they are little more than window dressing."
Majority Leader Vescovo makes a compelling argument — gun control laws do not decrease gun deaths; they simply make it less likely for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves.
In conclusion, self-defense is crucial because it supports the fundamental right to life. If gun-related deaths can exist with strict gun laws, it is no use depriving people of a resource they need to defend themselves.
