As long as guns exist and are available to the public, they shall always remain a problem. Earlier this year, the gun shows at Fairplex were banned and that action outraged many gun collectors and supporters. This old topic was refreshed this past week with more violence.
On Tuesday morning in Honolulu, Hawaii, another tragedy occurred in which a gun-wielding maniac released unrelenting anger and terror upon the innocent.
Bryan Uyesugi entered a Xerox engineering center and shot and killed seven employees with a nine-millimeter handgun. Uyesugi, 40, was arrested after a five-hour standoff with police. The 15-year company veteran did not, as some may think, steal the weapon to commit the crime.
According to police, the suspect had 18 weapons registered in his name just as the thousands of other Americans who are also registered gun owners. This horrible act of violence is related to other multiple-victim onslaughts that have swept the nation during the past months.
The Columbine High School and Jewish Community Center massacres shocked America and brought the gun-control issue into the limelight. These are only two of numerous assaults that have been placed in the national spotlight; hundreds of assaults from firearms occur daily in America. How many more killings by gun-wielding people will be needed to stop the production of guns, not only at Fairplex, but nationwide?
Supporters of gun shows make poor, overused claims such as “guns do not kill people, people kill people” and “people have a right to collect and preserve them since guns are a part of our history and culture.” These claims are not substantial enough or are more important than human life. The preservation of life is what is most important.
Focusing on the “guns do not kill people, people kill people,” it is only logical to say that if people were not given the privilege to own guns, that would make it a lot harder for them to obtain a handgun. People cannot kill others with firearms if they do not have them.
Yes, guns are a part of our history and culture, but what good has come out of guns? Only murder, robbery and assault. The only solid argument toward keeping guns is for protection. Many people depend on firearms to protect their families and homes. Still, accidental shootings committed by children by the use of firearms are common. People who legally own weapons are also the ones committing the crimes in society.
There are other alternatives for protection instead of firearms. Pepper spray, tazer guns and mace are effective and suitable to be carried at all times. For protection at home, what is wrong with the good old baseball bat?
The best option, one that has yet to be exercised by the government, is to cease all firearms. If that is unsuccessful, then try something else. There are enough guns and ammo in society as it is. The production of more is unnecessary.
Prohibition failed in the past, but in our day and age, violence, murder and crime are increasing. Desperate measures are needed as society is progressively getting worse.
Throughout the nation, minor decreases in crime occur, but in the overall picture, the world is killing itself. For what? Because my religion is better than yours, I want what you have or you piss me off so you die. Guns are the center of society’s crime. Disposing of them will decrease criminal activity.
Damien Alarcon, a senior journalism major, is assistant arts and entertainment editor of the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at alarcond@ulv.edu.
