by A. C. Crabtree

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2009

It should be understood that guns are devices that are very powerful in a very literal way. But they are also very powerful within our collective psyche as Americans. Many gun owners and gun rights advocacy groups, use extreme rhetoric, making claims that gun control is only for the most sinister of historical regimes or that individuals involved in gun violence are inherently bad people. But gun owners are better served by a moderate stance, and responsible participation in society.

Owning a gun is to assume a gun's literal and societal power, but that means gun owners need to assume every grain of responsibility that comes along with that power. A responsible gun owner needs to understand the differing points of view of Americans and behave accordingly. The easiest way to defend rights, is to prevent them from being attacked in the first place.

Most Americans have heard the phrase "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." While this mantra of gun rights advocates is ultimately true, the quip fails to recognize the societal factors that create the will to kill, and also neglects to acknowledge the victims of gun violence. A responsible gun owner should be aware of and sensitive to other societal views on guns. Obviously it's not OK to brandish a gun, but it's also not OK to brandish extreme or insensitive points of view to those whose lives have been negatively affected by the misuse of guns.

Guns can hurt and kill people and crime and accidents do happen. Violence, very reasonably, causes strong emotional reactions in people. It follows that people so affected by violence involving guns, typically want to see guns removed from their future life experiences. Responsible gun owners need to understand this. But exercising one's right to own a gun obliges one to honor the spirit of the 2nd Amendment; to be prepared to protect their rights, to bear arms or otherwise. To this end, gun owners should seek to identify and eliminate the inequities within society that lead to violence. If gun rights groups want to stop the assault on our freedoms, they too should make a serious effort to stop the root problems that lead people to believe that guns themselves are bad.

If gun rights groups, supported by gun owners, focused on changing the public perception of guns, and creating campaigns to address the causes of gun violence, then they might find the attacks on their gun freedoms ease. Initiatives to keep guns out of children's programming, or to intervene in the lives of "at risk" youth, or to provide access to justice for the disenfranchised would certainly cut back on gun violence and begin to improve the public's perception on guns, gun owners and gun rights advocacy groups.

Owning a gun is to take part in one of the freedoms that America was founded on. But a big part of that freedom is remaining vigilant that your rights are not taken away. If you own a gun for sport, a hobby or for hunting, then you also need to understand your responsibility to be a positive contributor to American society, especially where the public image of guns is involved. Gun owners need to understand their responsibilities involving their guns, they also need to understand their responsibilities to their fellow Americans.

Learn more about this author, A. C. Crabtree.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.