Those who\u2019ve known me for a while (especially on Facebook) will probably know that I\u2019ve been in favour of gun control as a measure to curb gun violence.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve changed my mind.<\/p>\n
This will probably come as a surprise to a few people, but I want to explain the reasons why I, as an anarchist, can no longer in good conscience support gun control.<\/p>\n
One reason that governments embrace gun control is that the control is only ever directed at the citizens; it never applies to the state. Police forces will always be exempt from gun control laws. As such, gun control keeps power in the state while taking it from the public.<\/p>\n
State power breeds inequality, as does any institution where a handful of people hold more power than the vast majority of the people. As long as power inequality exists, all other inequality will continue (sexism, racism, homophobia, etc).<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t about the Second Amendment of the American constitution. Well, not specifically. Gun control takes away the right of the citizen to own and use a firearm as they see fit. Whether it is for hunting, target practice, or hobby collecting\u2014or, heck, even self defence\u2014gun control restricts the freedom of those pursuits. We should be advocating for more freedom, not less.<\/p>\n
If the idea behind gun control truly was about reducing gun violence, it should be working. The thing is though, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
Take Chicago and Washington, DC, for example. Both communities implemented handgun bans (1982 and 1976, respectfully). Following those bans, over time, murder rates actually rose in those communities instead of fall.<\/p>\n
Same goes for England and Wales. And Ireland. Australia has a ban, too, and has not seen a significant reduction in their murder rate.<\/p>\n
Even Canada isn\u2019t immune to gun violence. If Canada were part of Europe, it would rank 4th in gun violence (after France, Germany, and Italy). That\u2019s despite it\u2019s gun control laws. (And we haven\u2019t even touched on the fact that 80% of firearm-related deaths in Canada are suicides.)<\/p>\n
The problem isn\u2019t guns. It\u2019s murder. And people don\u2019t kill because they own a gun. They kill for a variety of other reasons. To lay stake in a drug war, for example. Or because of revenge. Or\u00a0rage. Or\u00a0medication side effects. Or oppression.<\/p>\n
Gun control doesn\u2019t address any of that. It\u2019s a bandaid solution that doesn\u2019t target the underlying cause of violence.<\/p>\n
I predict that decriminalizing all drugs, for example, would have a much more positive effect on gun violence than gun control does.<\/p>\n
I predict that reducing stigma that prevent people (specifically men) from seeking help in dealing with things such as rage, revenge, and jealousy would have\u00a0a much more positive effect on gun violence than gun control does.<\/p>\n
I predict that improving mental health care would have a much more positive effect on gun violence than gun control does.<\/p>\n
I predict that reducing systemic oppression would have a much more positive effect on gun violence than gun control does.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong. I haven\u2019t switched sides. For that matter, I\u2019ve given up taking a side. I just now see this seemingly dichotomous debate through a new paradigm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Those who\u2019ve known me for a while (especially on Facebook) will probably know that I\u2019ve been in favour of gun control as a measure to curb gun violence. I\u2019ve changed my mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[44],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-2921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-violence","tag-gun-control"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/05\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1920%2C1281&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4NkW7-L7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3929,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2019\/10\/22\/gun-ownership-isnt-the-problem\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":0},"title":"Gun ownership isn\u2019t the problem","author":"Kim Siever","date":"22 October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"If gun ownership breeds higher gun violence, then countries with higher gun ownership should have higher gun violence, right?","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-4127187_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-4127187_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-4127187_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-4127187_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-4127187_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3940,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2019\/10\/29\/poor-mental-health-care-isnt-causing-gun-violence\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":1},"title":"Poor mental health care isn\u2019t causing gun violence","author":"Kim Siever","date":"29 October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"When the topic of gun control comes up, it\u2019s inevitable that someone will mention mental health. They claim that guns aren\u2019t causing gun violence, but rather poor mental health care is.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3995,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2019\/11\/27\/gun-violence-and-race-and-gender\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":2},"title":"Gun violence, race, and gender","author":"Kim Siever","date":"27 November 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Maybe it\u2019s not gun ownership we should be talking about.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/10\/gun-2227646_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3006,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2016\/12\/10\/nameless\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":3},"title":"Nameless","author":"Kim Siever","date":"10 December 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A hundred people near me, but I am\u00a0all alone. A city full of houses, but I\u00a0am\u00a0without\u00a0home. A sea of salty water, but\u00a0I am just\u00a0a leaf. A court of kings and rulers, but\u00a0I am not a chief. A pile\u00a0of coloured ribbons, but I\u2019m a\u00a0drabby grey. A kennel full of purebreds, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith crisis poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Faith crisis poetry","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/poetry\/faith-crisis-poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/08\/IMG_3025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/08\/IMG_3025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/08\/IMG_3025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/08\/IMG_3025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/08\/IMG_3025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":367,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2008\/11\/11\/remembrance-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":4},"title":"Remembrance Day","author":"Kim Siever","date":"11 November 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"We went to the Remembrance Day ceremony downtown today. A few years ago, I came across something that made Remembrance Day memorable for me each year. Somehow, I found out my Grandma Abel (technically, she was my great-grandmother) had an uncle who fought and died in World War I. His\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Laying her poppy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3074\/3023611138_dda6e1be0e_m.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3831,"url":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/2019\/09\/28\/portugals-drug-decriminalization-doesnt-go-far-enough\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":5},"title":"Portugal\u2019s drug decriminalization doesn\u2019t go far enough","author":"Kim Siever","date":"28 September 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Their results are certainly better than Canada\u2019s, so it makes sense that Canadians would want to mirror that. Except, Portugal\u2019s approach doesn\u2019t go far enough.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/syringe-3908153_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/syringe-3908153_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/syringe-3908153_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/syringe-3908153_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/08\/syringe-3908153_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2921"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2923,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2921\/revisions\/2923"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siever.ca\/kim\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}