This Is Why Gun Control Is Bullshit

This is why gun control is bullshit: you can't fix a demand-side problem with a supply-side solution.

America is not a violent nation because of an easy supply of guns, America has an easy supply of guns because it's a violent nation.

(I'm not implying America is unique in this regard. Violence is a characteristic of human nature, and every country and every culture has its own level of tolerated violence)

Each side in the debate likes to cherry-pick data to support their preconceived conclusions and claim the problem is one of "simple math". It's not. You can't apply simple diagnoses (or remedies) to complex sociological problems. And believe me, America's thirst for violence is not a case of "simple math".

In a nutshell, the gun control fallacy amounts to this: It assumes that controlling the supply of guns will complicate and mute people's demand for guns, thereby resulting in a drop in violence. But this isn't the case. People who commit acts of violence don't have a demand for guns, they have a demand for violence. And as long as individuals in any given society believe that violence is an acceptable or workable solution to their real or perceived grievances, they will continue to turn to that solution. And they will use any tools available: guns, knives, poison, fertilizer, whatever.

Anyone who's had to endure training in sales techniques knows the difference between features and benefits, and they know that consumers purchase benefits, not features. Benefits are the things consumers are looking for: comfort, security, alleviation of pain, peace of mind, sexual gratification, etc. Features are the details, not the motivation. People choose violence because they perceive the results of violence as a benefit. Guns are merely features, one means to an end, nothing more.

Gun control will not only do nothing to stem the demand for violence, it will most likely produce unintended consequences that are anathema to the people who propose it, just as outlawing abortion resulted in coat-hanger terminations and alcohol prohibition resulted in "bathtub gin" and cocaine prohibition resulted in "crack". I shudder to think of the horrific ways in which people will alleviate their demand for violence in a world where guns are difficult to procure.

So, does that mean I'm saying the "causes" of violence are prescription meds or video games? Not necessarily. As I said above, violence in America is a complex sociological problem, requiring us all to address a complex set of sociological solutions. Which means applying close scrutiny to our institutions from the top down.

If America is truly a violent society, then we need to ask why our fellow countrymen seem to have an inordinate demand for violence, a propensity to choose violent or force-based solutions to their perceived problems. The answer, most likely, can be found in our institutions, those organizations to which we delegate the education and propagation of our most deeply-held convictions. That means: schools, churches, businesses, and most especially governments.

This means focusing on solutions that address the core problem: the Ideology of Violence. It's in schools that teach authoritarianism instead of critical thinking. It's in governments that choose military solutions to problems of diplomacy. It's in a culture that promotes cheating and success over adding value and practicing thrift. It's in families that use corporal punishment instead of positive reinforcement. It's all around us, and that's where we should be focusing our efforts.

And when I say "we" I'm addressing my fellow voluntarists and anarchists and libertarians--at least, all who care about this issue and wish to address it. Because statists sure as hell aren't going to. They're too wedded to their Ideology of Violence to understand how it's a suicide pact with the State. They're too attached to the political theater surrounding the proposal and passage of legislation to realize that they're utterly wasting their time on irrelevant, irresponsible poppycock. "We"--those of us who understand the Non-Aggression Principle and oppose the violence of Statism--are the only ones cognizant enough to identify the real problem and courageous enough to address it. We are the best--if not only--hope for the future of civilized society.

In the end, "gun control" is simply a nonsensical, unworkable "solution" to a misdiagnosed problem. It's not "simple math", it's simple minded. It's pseudo-science: it's like using homeopathy to cure cancer. It not only WON'T fix the problem it's adherents want fixed, it will most likely make it worse.

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