Don't listen to the 'where they came from' twisted logic

When someone uses a car as a runaway vehicle in a crime, does the media run out and see where they bought the car? Or when a man beats another with a bat, do they call Louisville Slugger or the sporting goods store for comment? Of course not. So why do people get all twisted in knots about where a legally acquired gun came from?

The fact is bad guys can get a hold of guns, even in countries like Russia, England and Mexico where they're illegal. Sure, we should work to keep guns out of the criminal's hands, but making such a big deal out of the origin of a gun is foolish. It's the crime that matters. Law enforcement should be working to put bad guys in jail for the illegal acts they commit, not the legal ones.

And would have the source of the gun (or car or bat) stopped the crime? No, the bad guy would have just found another source.

So next time you hear the media panting about where someone got the gun, dismiss it. Remind people it's the crime that's important, not the means.

From the story: "The guns used in the shootings at the Pentagon and a Las Vegas courthouse this year were traced back to the police and court system in Memphis, Tenn. Authorities originally seized the weapons, which were then sold to licensed gun dealers, before making their way to the shooters. State Sen. Doug Jackson, who co-sponsored the measure that limits law enforcement's ability to destroy seized weapons, says the sales help in raising funds.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NprProgramsATC/~3/k58cnLVaIpI/story.php