A Convicted Murderer's Case for Gun Control

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/a-convicted-murderers-case-for-gun-control/278824/



It was swift and cowardly.

Defenseless, distracted by music, Alex sat in the passenger seat of the rental as I made my way to the trunk. I remembered Frankie’s words: “It’s loaded, cocked, and the safety is off. All you have to do is pull the trigger.”

At that point in our lives, Alex and I, both in our early twenties, were gun-toting thugs immersed in gangster culture. We were out on bail for separate gun charges. A few years before, Alex had been acquitted of murder for allegedly shooting a woman through the peephole of a Brooklyn housing project door. After that, his reputation preceded him.

On that night I knew Alex had been extorting a man who sold drugs for me. It sounds sick but part of me aspired to murder because it’s considered an accomplishment in gangster culture -- it would enhance my reputation, complete my image. Yet another part of me knew this culture was foul and murder was horrible.

[leftyohiolib]

1. "I’m where I belong. But without a gun I would not have killed. " if you lack the self-control to

not pull a trigger what makes you think you wouldnt have used a knife

[Atman]

2. A knife is messy and takes considerable effort.

A gun takes a quick finger movement.

[leftyohiolib]

4. true but someone who has so little regard for life is not going to not-kill b/c he cant get a gun

iow he didnt kill b/c he had access to a gun he killed b/c was a killer

[Atman]

7. I'm not so sure.

The way we glamorize guns, I don't think a knife would have the same appeal. Your granny has a damn knife in her kitchen, but she don't have this bitchin' Glock. And you hold it sideways at shoulder level and look all bad-ass and powerful. One squeeze *POP* and you walk away. A shiv will get you all bloody, and you have to be right there in the dude's face.

A gun is fast, fun and glamorous. A knife is messy work.

[Lee-Lee]

9. It is pretty well documented that lacking one weapon

Criminals just move to another. Not unlike drugs. Here in NC the sharp crackdown on prescription painkillers did not reduce drug use, it caused a resurgence of heroin use. Even though shooting up heroin is a lot scarier and messier than popping a pill.

In the UK they now have very strict knife control laws because strict gun control made criminals favor knives. In fact it is funny you mention Granny's kitchen knives, because in the UK they want to ban those too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4581871.stm

That shows the futility of trying to fix a violence problem by focusing on the tools, you end up taking Granny's kitchen cutlery and still have the problem.

Criminal violence isn't caused by whatever implant is used, and won't be solved by focusing on those tools. You have to focus on the root causes of violence. And despite this guys attempts at blame shifting the gun did not cause him to kill.

[Lee-Lee]

5. "But without a gun I would not have killed. "

Bullshit.

This guy is just like every other convicted criminal sitting in jail- either with a tale of why they are innocent, or a tale of why it really isn't their fault.

Cry me a river. You killed a man, not the gun. You bear 100% of the responsibility. You are just as guilty as a person who stabs or beats a person to death.

He also displays a profound ignorance of how some the gun smuggling stuff works. He is correct in that criminals do recruit people who can pas background checks for them to buy guns. He then claims somehow "expanded" background check will deter this. While I support expanded background checks (if done with proper regard for privacy and not in a cumbersome, expensive manner), expanding background checks won't in any way affect people who are already taking and passing that check, as even he admits these buyers are.

If they are already passing the check, expanding checks won't change anything. A person who goes and straw purchases and sells or gives it to a person who can't pass a check is already committing multiple felonies. Another won't deter them. Same goes for people who run guns across state lines for profit without a license.

He is a criminal, but his opinion doesn't jive with my experience with how criminals react to changes in the law. When faced with aggressive enforcement and prosecution, criminals do shift methods. They are not stupid, they know risk.

But he still is, in the end, just another criminal sitting in jail looking for somebody else to blame for his acts.

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. He only did it because it was just a tiny finger movement.

I read it upthread. Maybe they should make trigger really hard to pull or something. Answer an algebra problem or identify a couple of countries on the map.

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. It's a good case for criminal vermin control.

For gun control? Not so much.