We Need So Much More Than Gun Control

While I think there are good reasons to think seriously about controlling the availability of some firearms, because they can so easily be obtained for misuse, I wish I could see far more wise attention paid to the factors that are responsible for the monstrous, escalating societal problems that are making inevitable at an increasing rate acts of violence (as a general trend, over the last several decades - even if in the immediate past there has been progress in this), gross selfishness, a lack of civility, economical irresponsibility, the denigration and suppression of basic morality, and bigotry towards all things religious. I grew up in a society that, while it had many problems, in general was, in my opinion, "better" in many key ways than what is now present. In many areas there has been positive progress, but these do not outweigh, to my mind, the ways in which we are worse off, and are worsening.

Some examples.  1)  Society has taken many positive steps toward responding to homosexuality in less prejudicial, more loving ways, but at the same time it has rejected the Christian perception of homosexual acts as sin.  You can have one (more love) without the other (relaxing the Christian perspective on what is sinful), but this is not the route we are following.  We should not and cannot forcefully bind Christian moral principles on society, but society is unwise in departing from this standard where it has been freely and well applied.  Allowing gay/lesbian marriage or the adoption of children by gay/lesbian couples is a choice society must be freely allowed to make, but these particular choices are at least as destructive as the prejudicial treatment of gays and lesbians.  And of course I have not mentioned the moves made in society to prevent those who find homosexual practice immoral from freely exercising their faith in uninhibited ways.  What I have written here in no way reflects a hatred of homosexuals, but no doubt someone would want to make such a claim, and for this they would find public support.  That is, to my mind, a far more prejudicial perspective than what I actually hold toward homosexuality, but many fail to see this and continue to think in prejudicial ways toward those whose religious beliefs require of them that they think of homosexual acts as sin.

2) Society has created irresponsibility on the parts of many citizens who survive by taking advantage of social programs that are too easily abused, and we insist on blaming everyone and everything for this problem other than our refusal to hold people accountable.  The other side of this, of course, is that it is a good thing on a large scale to offer social programs, to assist those with all kinds of needs, to give people every opportunity and advantage to succeed and to help provide for them when there is deprivation.  I am grateful that there is so much awareness of the needs in our society and so many efforts made to address such needs.  But as a society we are hugely economically irresponsible, with governmental spending being way too high and taxes being too low. I am afraid that if spending cuts do not take place, if austerity measures are not taken by governments, if taxes are not raised, we will all ultimately suffer the consequences, and there will be less money to help the poor.  We will end up with far more poverty if governmental spending is not reduced.  And it is certainly not just the rich who need to have their taxes raised.  Increasing the taxes of only the most wealthy persons in our society will do very little to correct the huge debt problems of the United States.  For many of us, the reason we do not want taxes raised is not because we will not be able to afford our basic needs, but because we will not be able to afford our luxuries.  And this is as prevalent among my middle-class peers as it is among the wealthy.  Raise taxes for all, cut back on the stupid, huge government waste, and meet the needs of those who need society's help.  It will not be painless, but I don't see a way around these inevitable choices.

3) There is something horribly wrong and degraded about a society that allows free access to and promotes the aborting of unborn children.  This cannot be justified, to my mind, on the grounds of women's rights, economic hardships, or the inconveniences of unwanted pregnancies.  How do any of these attempted justifications adequately excuse the killing of children?  This is not just a departure from the Christian perspective to which I personally hold, it is a departure from civility; it is degraded, narcissistic, barbaric destruction of life, chosen for the sake of convenience and so that we may relieve ourselves of responsibilities and hardships.

These are three examples in which society is making what I would consider to be poor choices, and they are signs of deepseated problems.  I don't expect that in any of these areas we will make huge progress any time soon, but talking about these seems to me way more productive than focussing all our attention on the social evil represented by the ownership of firearms.  Personally, I don't get at all the necessity some feel to have access to assault weapons.  Surely they cannot think that their possession of such weapons is the key to preventing governmental tyranny.  So, I would be happy to have them banned if it means less availability of such weapons to those who would abuse them.  But it is a mistake to think that the banning of assault weapons or limiting our access to handguns is a core solution to the societal problems that lead to violence.  This is the treating of a symptom, and not even one of our most detrimental symptoms of societal degradation.  Actually making progress in preventing violent acts will come with the societal change represented by progress in the kinds of choices I have mentioned above.