Blog: Rokita Readings: The Balm of Gun Control

Statement

In light of a Politico story that reported Vice President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Reid were meeting to discuss a revival of their gun control agenda, I thought a column I recently read by Kathleen Parker would be a fitting choice for this week's Rokita Readings.

In her column, "The Balm of Gun Control," Parker rightly asks what the President and his supporters hope to accomplish with their proposals. Much has been said about the supposed support for expanded background checks by a large majority of Americans, as well as a ban on "assault weapons." Parker asks the questions that deserve answers before we embark on a restriction of anyone's rights. Americans deserve definitive answers as to what, exactly, the President means, and as well as what the American public's understanding of these proposals truly is.

Background checks, while well-intentioned, won't stop crime. Parker contends, as do I, that many do not fully understand the current background checks that are on the books. I'll go one step further and ask, are the laws on the books being enforced as aggressively as they should?

Parker also questions the calls for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. What comes to mind when you hear "assault weapon?" Is it already an illegal automatic weapon?

While this may sound like common sense and make us feel good about ourselves, we should carefully consider (and reject) any further infringement on our rights. We must take action that addresses the root causes of these horrific acts by examining our mental health systems, and attacking the culture of violence that exists in our society. Parker says it best in her second-to-last paragraph, when she states that criminals will always have guns, and taking the guns away from law-abiding gun owners will not stop them.

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