Control of Guns

Today Nicolas Kristof states in his New York Times op-ed column that gun control possibly cost Sen. Kerry the election. And maybe the time has come for the party to abandon gun control as unobtainable. Focus on gun safety issues as the best way to curb gun deaths in America.

His argument certainly has merit. He points to automobile deaths and subsequent safety gains as the model. Seat belt laws, air bags, and host of other technological advances have lead to dramatic decreases in auto related deaths. Gun control would benefit from similar initiatives. Gunlocks, enhanced gun safeties, and more education about securing guns from children are all excellent ideas to curb guns deaths. And then we could just forget about gun ownership since senseless gun deaths would be on the decline.

There are just minor flaws in Mr. Kristof’s theories, gun owners didn’t vote for Kerry because of concerns regarding gun ownership and that safety issues alone account for a majority of the gun deaths in America. Gun owners were not terrified of Mr. Kerry taking their weapons. Gun owners in the critical regions for the party to wrest from Republican control actually gave President Bush a smaller share of their vote. Non-gun owners increased the share of their vote they gave the President. So, it appears that Sen. Kerry rather meek position on gun control correctly cost him votes. But it was not because he was too stringent on the issue, but instead too soft. A strong stance on all gun ownership may have won him the election.

Safety issues along will not end senseless gun deaths. Gun owners are five times more likely to be shot by their own gun than by a criminal. Violent gun deaths are committed in the heat of the moment and victims are well known by their assailants. Gunlocks, new safety mechanisms, or gun safes will not curtail these crimes. The only way to stop them is to curtail gun ownership.

The Democratic Party has not yet lost an election nationwide because of its stance on guns. A majority of Americans favor gun control laws. A majority of Americans supported the Brady Bill. A majority of Americans are dismayed in the defeat of the assault weapons ban. We should not back down on gun control; we should be more serious about it. Stop trying to compromise on the issue. Non-gun owners do not respect the candidates when they straddle the issue, allowing certain weapons and not others. This is a moral value issue we can win. Killing people with guns is not a moral value, and as the party must start making its own moral campaign we could certainly start here.

Implementation of Mr. Kristof’s suggestions is important. We should not stop there. Gun control is a winnable issue and we need to use if more effectively.