The Great American Gun Debate

The following story, written by OFCC PAC Senate District 10 Coordinator Larry S. Moore, was published today in the Greene County Dailies (Xenia Daily Gazette, Fairborn Herald, Beavercreek News Current).

November 5, 2004

The great American gun debate has been in the spotlight throughout this election year. There are many points on both sides of the debate. Perhaps those who claim to be in the moderate midsection of the political spectrum are tired of hearing about the gun issue. Along with freedom of speech, voting issues, national security, and civil rights, the gun issue is one of the key issues in determining the future of the United States.

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute at The Ohio State University hosted a debate between two of the leaders on each side of the issue. The question was “Should Government in a Free Society Limit Gun Ownership". Arguing for the affirmative side was Mr. John Kessler, Policy Director for the Americans For Gun Safety, where he develops new policies for legislation to control guns. Kessler has a Masters Degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Dr. John Lott, who is a Research Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, argued against gun controls. Dr. Lott earned his Master and Doctorate degrees at UCLA.

Kessler, who spoke first, noted, “I thank Dr. Lott, who is the intellectual backbone of the gun movement, for being here. Forty-seven per cent of homes have guns with roughly 250 million guns in private hands. There are seven to eight million new firearms purchased each year. Massive gun trafficking operations are taking guns into high crime areas through the black market. Ninety per cent of crimes are committed with handguns. There are one hundred thousand Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders in America but only thirty-two gun stores were prosecuted in 2003. There is little to no enforcement of the laws. Additionally 150,000 guns are stolen each year. The only two products that sell for more on the black market than their retail price are prescription drugs and guns.”

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During the rebuttal period Mr. Kessler continued to hammer Ohio for lax gun laws that contribute to gun running and the need to close the gun show loophole. Kessler remarked, “The gun problem is a black market problem. Every law passed should be designed to thwart the black market. The number one key is to require background checks for all firearms purchases. Where guns come from and where they are used are very different locations. Guns come from states where gun laws are lax. We have to stop the gun running.”

Dr. Lott, who amplified his responses with statistics, countered, “Guns make it easier for bad things to happen and easier to provide protection. It is an emotional debate but facts matter. During the same year as latest crime statistics there were two million defensive uses of guns. Four to five times more guns are used defensively over those used in crime. The news coverage of the top one hundred major network news media outlets included about 190,000 words on gun crime but not one story about a gun used for self-protection. Ninety five per cent of the time a gun is brandished but not fired in self-defense situations. Two citizens who got their guns from their cars stopped the Appalachian Law School shootings. Only a handful of the reports included any reference to the defensive use of firearms. Gun control is counterproductive in terms of cost and benefit. It only disarms the good citizens.”

Dr. Lott continued to offer a wide range of illustrations and statistics from his research studies and publications. He touched on a variety of topics within the gun control issues. Dr. Lott often left the podium to speak directly to the crowd. Lott emphasized, “Waiting periods, cooling off periods and one gun a month rationing programs are pushed as sensible gun control. There are no studies that prove such gun control schemes reduce the violent crime rate. Additional penalties for crimes involving the use of firearms do not deter crime. The criminal involved in this activity is already facing multiple felony counts. Is one more charge of using a firearm going to stop the criminal? Statistics do not indicate any reduction in violent crime as a result of additional penalties. What comes after the gun show loophole ban is not effective? What is the next buzzword for the next level of restrictive gun laws? Restrictive gun laws have only contributed to the black market problem. The gun culture in the United States is often cited. Many countries, including Switzerland and Israel, have higher gun ownership and lower crime rates than the United States.”

It is important to understand some facts about current gun laws. The FFL holder must complete the background check on all guns sales whether at the retail store location or at a gun show. There is no gun show loophole that allows anything else to legally occur. Casual sellers and collectors are clearly defined in the Gun Control Act of 1968. These are private sales between individuals. However, federal law already specifies to whom a gun may be sold. Gun running and straw purchases are currently federal offenses.

Cesare Beccaria, was a Milanese jurist who in 1764 wrote "On Crimes And Punishment". Beccaria wrote, "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

No single debate will make the case for either side of the gun control issue. It will continue to be played out in elections, among policymakers, and the organizations on both sides of the issue perhaps for centuries.