According to Firearm Chronicles
The state of Missouri has been a pretty pro-gun state in recent years. For a while, there was a licensing requirement prior to purchasing a firearm, but that’s in the past. Now, they’ve been adopting some of the best pro-gun laws of just about anywhere I’ve seen in the entire nation.
It’s a good sign, to be sure.
However, it seems that while the work isn’t done, some seem to believe that the recent spike in violent crime–a spike that’s literally taking place everywhere in the nation, regardless of gun laws–is a sufficient reason to stop.
While Missouri continues to struggle with one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the country, Republican lawmakers are advancing a litany of bills aimed at further loosening the state’s gun laws.
One proposal would allow guns on college campuses, while another would ban churches from prohibiting guns in places of worship. Others aim to keep local authorities from banning guns on public transit and property owners from banning guns in parked cars.
But the legislation drawing the most attention, and scrutiny from law enforcement, is the “Second Amendment Preservation Act.”
The bill, which has already been approved by the Missouri House, would deem federal gun laws to be infringements on Missourians’ right to bear arms and restrict local law enforcement agencies from collaborating with federal agents on certain crime-fighting efforts.
Earlier this month, legislators heard opposition from business leaders and police who said the bills will not help cities decrease the rising murders and violent crime. Both St. Louis and Kansas City broke homicide records in 2020, with no sign of slowing this year.
“The more people who are armed, the higher potential for criminal activity and tragic, fatal accidents,” said St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell. “These bills are dangerous and take us in the wrong direction. We’re not going to decrease crime and keep our communities safer with more guns in more hands.”
I think these individuals should note that the spike in violent crime has nothing at all to do with guns. After all, as previously noted, this spike can be seen in every community, regardless of what gun control laws govern them. While we see it in plenty of cities in pro-gun states, we also see it in New York City, the most gun-controlled city in the nation.
No, the problem isn’t insufficient gun control.
But much of what Missouri is doing may well help push it back down before things get stupid. After all, federal gun control laws–something that looks entirely possible right now–would disarm millions of law-abiding citizens, depriving them of the necessary tools with which to fight back against the violent offenders.
Seriously, a lot of the violence is gang-related, sure, but an awful lot appears to be people who interrupt property crime and get shot for their trouble. Do we really need to disarm these law-abiding citizens? Or should they have every tool necessary to fight back when faced with a deadly threat?
That answer should be obvious to anyone who uses the squish organ between their ears.