Memphis Paper Talking About Gun Control

Now that King Willie is on his way out, many people are speculating that Shelby County's Anti-Gun Mayor, AC Wharton, is the heir apparent to take the reins of Memphis government.

That being said, I bet we're going to see lots more of this in the future:

The right to bear arms may be guaranteed by the Constitution, but to force states and municipalities to forfeit regulatory authority over the ownership of handguns, in particular, would raise the white flag of surrender to the well-armed criminals who are trying to take over the streets by force.

No, taking guns out of the hands of the law-abiding is what raises that white flag of surrender. It tells the criminal "We're not going to fight back, do what you will." All the regulation you can bring won't keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

News reports had the Supreme Court on the verge of endorsing an interpretation of the Second Amendment that gives people the right to own guns.

Interpretation, huh? What part of "shall not be infringed"* do you not understand?

Less certain was the future of the law that brought the issue before the court -- an ordinance passed by the District of Columbia in 1976 in a bid to do something about its reputation as a murder capital.

Yeah, how did that work out, anyway?

What effect that ban has had on subsequent events in D.C. is impossible to measure. What should be recognized, however, is that the people, through their elected representatives at all levels of government, have a right to set gun ownership limits that can help ease the pain, suffering and fear produced by the gun culture.

So, because there was no significant change in violent crime, it's impossible to measure? Ok, I may not be Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius, but here's some numbers for ya.

Yes, the violent crime numbers did initially drop somewhat, but guess what? So did the population. And, while the violent crime numbers quickly rose and surpassed pre-ban levels, the population continued to decline. You may call that "impossible to measure", but I call it "did not work".

The inconvenient truth about gun ownership is that too many people own them who shouldn't. Too many guns are drawn in the heat of an argument that could be settled without them. Too many stored carelessly in automobiles or nightstands fall into the hands of thieves. Too many are casually left in bedrooms for 6-year-old boys to find.

What's inconvenient to you is the fact that the vast majority of guns are possessed by responsible gun owners. They don't leave them around for kids to find. They also teach their kids what to do if they run across a gun, as in "don't pick it up" and "go tell a grown-up".

It would be wrong to deny the people of Washington the right to make their own decision about how to deal with a serious threat to their community.

It would be more wrong to deny the citizens of DC their right to bear arms, which is why the Supreme Court is now deciding a case that will hopefully clarify the Second Amendment in the minds of all, especially people like you.

* I'd like to note, I was not yelling when I typed this, nor was I standing on anything.