Insanity

Either Albert Einstein or Benjamin Franklin first said the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. That should not be confused with the 'try, try again' maxim, which would suggest you try, try something a little different each time. But if something fails, it does seem insane to do the same thing over and over again.

In 1919, Americans decided to ban the sale of alcoholic beverages. Resulting unintended consequences proved to be untenable and the policy was changed. More recently, we launched the 'War on Drugs'. Unintended consequences are everywhere, most notably in the violence of drug cartels and the overcrowding of our prisons. We are waiting for a better idea.

Now it is guns. Unlike a club or a sword, a gun is easy to use. A small woman can pull a trigger. More Americans own guns than ever owned swords. And, those guns in the hands of law-abiding, peaceful  citizens pose no problems. But, a gun in the hands of a criminal, or a deranged person, is very much a problem.

It is fair to note that there have been a high number of murders in Russia, mostly from domestic violence, often with alcohol involved. Since guns are effectively banned in Russia, those murders are by primitive weapons.

In America, like Russia, we could just ban all guns. But no thinking person believes a criminal would give up his or her gun. Which means we could only ban guns from law-abiding citizens. If you want to see the results of that policy, look to Mexico. Recently the soon-to-retire Police chief in the Mexican city of Juarez said he will have to leave his country when he retires, as so many Mexican criminals have promised to kill him. As a private citizen in Mexico, he will be prohibited from defending himself.

In light of recent shootings in America, numerous politicians are vowing to fix the problem. So far, none have offered a new idea. Perhaps some day, someone will.