In the wake of another mass shooting deemed the deadliest in history, the gun control debate is once again coming to the forefront. I've waded into these murky waters before and I'll be the first to admit the answers aren't easy or readily apparent. I am a gun owner. I was taught how to use and respect guns for hunting and sport. But I'm also a realist. Common sense gun control might not stop every mass shooting. But if it saves just a few of the 33,000 lives lost each year due to gun violence, isn't it worth trying?

Lawmakers in Congress, including Republicans, have actually taken up the cause following the deadly shooting in Las Vegas. The shooter there used what is called a bump stock. They can be purchased legally and when installed on a semi-automatic weapon can mimic the fire rate of a fully automatic weapon. Automatic weapons are illegal to own for the most part in the U.S. Top Republican lawmakers have said this week that they are open to looking at a possible ban on bump stocks. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has been asked to convene a hearing on the topic in the near future. Many retailers who have sold bump stocks have stopped selling them in stores and online.

If such a bill is eventually passed, it won't represent any great shift in the dynamics of the gun control battle. But at least it would represent BOTH sides coming together and agreeing to get rid of something that isn't relevant in hunting or for sport. That's one small victory I would take.

 

[via NY Times]

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