Notice that I said discussion, not debate. That's already taking place on cable and in a lot of blogs, I'm sure; people staking out positions in the pro-gun control, anti-gun control, Second Amendment absolutist camps, and, for good measure, a fair amount of speculation about how this tragedy will play in Campaign 2008 because it goes without saying that someone somewhere will exploit this for political gain. It would be an event if they didn't. Indeed, NTodd has already found an example of one such commentator who, based on the preliminary report that the assailant was a Chinese national, tries to tie in the immigration issue because, as NTodd notes with the appropriate tinge of sarcasm, "white Americans never have done anything like this before." One prominent conservative commentator is blaming the fact that Virginia Tech is a "gun-free zone;" apparently this could have all been prevented if everybody on campus was allowed to pack heat. And I am sure that there are plenty of examples of preliminary exploitation from the anti-gun side; I heard a commentator on progressive radio this morning blaming the lax gun-control laws of Virginia for the gun crimes in New York City; it seems that all the illegal weapons in the Big Apple are imported from there. So it seems as if the stakes for the debate have already been planted, and they are the same ones we've heard over and over again every time there is a horrific crime like this. No one gives any ground, no minds are changed, fingers are pointed, and the death tolls continue to mount.
It may sound like we're having a semantical difference here; "discussion" vs. "debate." What's the difference? A discussion usually means that people listen to one another and leave the talking points meant to score points with the audience off the table. A debate is two sides making their case and letting the viewer decide who's right or who wins. In reality, a debate merely enforces and energizes the opposition whereas a discussion allows for both sides to listen and possibly even change or evolve their points of view about the matter. Extremism on both sides accomplishes nothing but scores ratings. Discussion, on the other hand, leads to a resolution.
And something must be resolved. An absolute prohibition against guns is both unworkable and unnecessary, but a strict constructionist view of the Second Amendment doesn't work either. As noted before,
Since it is unlikely that there will ever be an amendment to the Constitution that will change the Second Amendment, it might be a good idea to consider some reasonable interpretations of it with judicious constraints in place. Just as no one in their right mind would argue that the First Amendment, which enshrines freedom of the press, permits the unregulated distribution of child pornography, there could be limitations placed on the Second Amendment that reasonable people can agree on without damaging the Constitution. Just as you can't yell "Fire!" in a crowded theatre, the average citizen shouldn't be allowed to keep a howitzer in his garage, and even the most passionate of my deer-hunting friends in Michigan -- the guys who live for the second week of November and dream of getting their twelve-point buck -- don't go to deer camp with a MAC-10. And just as it's stupid and irresponsible to keep liquor in a house with children without keeping it under lock and key, the same applies to guns. I'm not saying the government should necessarily pass those kinds of laws; there are some things that common sense should provide for. However, if a teenager guzzles down a fifth of his dad's Johnnie Walker and goes for a drive, the person who didn't keep their booze under control is liable for the actions that result from that event, and if a child shoots his friend with his dad's .45, there's a level of responsibility there, too.There are going to be any number of views aired about yesterday's tragedy, and the politicians will descend on Blacksburg and the families if they haven't already. But once the posturing and the exploitation is over -- and the grieving families are mericfully let out of the glare -- let's get down to the task of finding a way to preserve the rights of the people and keep them alive and away from the insanity at the same time.
