Shootin' it Straight - Armed Argument (Free Access)

We, as a reactive population, tend to respond emotionally to flashy news stories fed to us. We get upset when the headlines tell us to. We applaud when prompted. All too often, we ignore important issues unless they’re spoon-fed to us. Discussions of consequence should be free from hyperbole. Factual, logical information is how we should sort things out.

We are currently years away from the next presidential election, and the gun control debate has largely quieted down. Now, with cooler heads prevailing, is the appropriate time to sift through the noise and focus on facts.

With that groundwork laid, let’s shine a light on the so-called “spook monster” of the gun control debate: the AR-15 rifle. Make no mistake—the numbers show that AR-style rifles dominate the market. It has become the modern equivalent of the flintlock, with many households owning one. It's estimated that 35 million are in circulation in the United States, and some believe that number is even higher due to various factors.

With numbers like that, one might expect murder rates to be skyrocketing—perhaps even imagine stadiums being converted into triage centers to handle the shootings. (Cough—Covid tax racket.) But to the dismay of those pushing strict gun control narratives, firearm-related deaths have remained steady. In fact, the numbers have held through record-breaking sales years and beyond. There's no clear correlation between increased ownership of so-called “assault weapons” and higher homicide rates.

Consider this: In 1974, the peak of gun-related deaths per 100,000 people occurred, despite AR-15s being rare among civilians. At the time, Colt was the only manufacturer selling to the public, with just over 11,000 rifles sold. Fast forward to 1998–2017, when over 100 manufacturers produced more than 7 million rifles. Estimates suggest that number is now far higher. Yet, gun deaths—half of which are suicides—steadily declined through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, and remain relatively level today. This is despite a staggering amount of firepower sold every week.

It’s almost as if evil doesn’t require a specific weapon to manifest. Does a high-quality firearm make violence more efficient? Of course—but so do modern restaurants when it comes to fueling America’s leading health killers, and we don’t seem too concerned with regulating that market.

No firearm has the power to transform a law-abiding citizen into a killer. However, a trained individual with a capable weapon does present a deterrent—something not lost on high-ranking politicians or celebrities, who are often protected by such people and tools. Deterrence works—most of the time.

So, either the facts are wrong, or the media’s obsession with scary-looking black rifles is unfounded. I choose to believe the facts. If they are accurate, then the weapon itself isn’t the true issue. What is? Could it be that the key word in “gun control” has always been control?

In 1974, we didn’t have video games to blame. The media was tame compared to today’s standards. Music wasn’t saturated with lyrics glorifying gun violence. The truth is, violent tendencies reside in human nature, and evil is always present. For those intent on killing, the method is irrelevant—they will find a way, often one more efficient than a handheld firearm.

Agree or disagree, the “weapons genie” is out of the bottle. We are an armed nation, and will remain so. Firearms have served to keep leaders in check both centuries ago and today. Widespread ownership does not correlate with mass chaos or bloodshed in rural counties. The idea that it does is simply recycled fear—familiar fodder for advocates pushing for restrictions.

As much as this tired debate deserves to be put to rest, facts and logic will never stop a good opportunist from seeking to trample on freedom.