In recent months we have seen a noteworthy number of public mass shootings causing the gun issue to arrive front and center in the public dialogue. These types of instances instill fear and dissolve morale. It is not uncommon for these types of instances to occur during prolonged economic hardship especially when people such as Americans, who are wired by nature to work, cannot find employment with which to occupy his or her time. Money aside, the pride from going out each day and contributing to society makes working a crucial aspect of the human existence especially in America where our career portfolio often defines us in the eyes of others. 

Aurora, Colorado, a copycat bust in Crofton, Maryland, a double murder suicide in Owings, Maryland, a shooting in Arizona that left congresswoman Gabby Gifford’s in a brain damaged state and unable to complete her term, and the mass shooting at a Sikh mosque in Wisconsin leaving seven dead have all happened within a few weeks of each other. The common denominator with all of these events and the dozens of others defining our public dialogue is that most of the weapons being used, even the complete arsenal of automatic weapons seized in the Crofton copycat case were legally owned weapons. These instances unfortunately punish responsible gun owners and lump everyone together. Further, our tendency is to legislate everything that happens to the point that a tragedy is not just a tragedy, but also a systemic human failure that the government needs to regulate in order to keep us safe. 

Even to the families suffering such losses from public shootings, many feel that no matter what regulations blossom, senseless tragedies will still happen. The Constitution provides that each individual has the right to bear arms. Certainly this mass public ownership was crucial during the Revolution when there was no government to provide support and militiamen needed to show up for service with hunting rifles, pistols, rakes, and sabers to protect their caches of weapons from British seizure. Certainly the fear of revolt was never enough of a deterrent that the drafters of the new government felt guns should be excluded. Even today groups like the NRA promote responsible gun ownership. Hunting groups abound and they have become the new partners of conservation and safety. 

That being said is there really any good reason for an individual to own an AK-47 or M-16 for private use? Most hunting is regulated to determine the types of weapons used and the seasons. No hunting season anywhere in the country offers open season for M-60’s or Bazookas. Why can’t the gun lobbyists and legislators work together to simply offer a regulation that at least makes ownership of military grade automatic and semi-automatic weapons more difficult? There is no good reason they have not except that everyone fears precedent and that if this is done, what might be next. It all comes down to where the public sentiment is on the issue. There is no shortage of bills related to firearms in the House and Senate. The 112th Congress alone is hearing over 100 bills related to guns, ammunition, and ownership. Below is a list of just a few that as you can see do not really address the growing issues taking place in public.

•   H.R. 58:This bill would: allow an individual to purchase any firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in another state by going to his place of business.” This would extend provisions of already existing legislation that basically would permit the crossing of state lines for the purpose of transporting a purchased gun from a