I've lost count of the number of state legislators who are filing their so-called politically correct gun control bills in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 19-year old Nicholas Cruz is accused of gunning down 17 people with an AR-15 rifle.
I've lost count of the number of bills the Florida Senate has passed; I've seen where at least one Alabama legislator is ready to ban all semi-automatic guns. A lot of the bills I've seen or read about in the news are looking to increase the age of when someone can 'legally' purchase a gun from 18 to 21. I guess that means the age someone can walk into a Walmart or Mike's Gun Shop in Jay and buy a gun.
I really didn't want to return to gun control since I wrote about it two weeks ago, but some of the stuff I've listened to and read makes me want to cringe.
Most of it is a knee-jerk reaction to a growing problem. Legislators want to ban the sale of 'assault rifles' but to this day I've yet to have someone tell me what an assault weapon is. As I said two weeks ago, the AR-15 used in the mass shooting in Florida shoots .223-caliber bullets. It gets a bad rap from gun control nuts because if looks like something Rambo or Arnold Schwarzenegger carries in the movies. But there are a lot of .223 semi-automatic hunting rifles on the market that aren't considered 'assault rifles' because they don't look bad enough.
The two issues I see being pushed forward are increasing the age limit to 21 to legally buy a weapon and having more extensive background checks for those legally purchasing guns or ammunition.
Let's say we have all those laws in place right now, do you really think it will stop somebody who wants to shoot up a school, a mall, a church or a community center?
De'Andre Lamar Mitchell, 17, of Atmore was arrested last week on attempted murder charges when he allegedly opened fire on a group of other teenagers in Atmore. It's my understanding that Mitchell was likely carrying a semi-automatic .9-mm pistol.
My point is that Mitchell was 17-years old (I do need to pause and remind you that Mitchell has only been accused and not convicted, so under the law he is presumed innocent until proven guilty).
So, let's take Mitchell's name out of the equation. Hypothetically speaking a, 17-year old has a gun, drives to a scene and shoots multiple times with a semi-automatic pistol.
First of all, under current law, this 17-year old couldn't purchase a firearm; this 17-year old couldn't carry that weapon in his vehicle because he was too young to get a pistol permit. This 17-year old was too young to buy bullets. But this 17-year old is accused of attempted murder that left another 17-year old paralyzed for life.
We have laws on the books now that are designed to prevent such acts and those laws don't work. Ask Escambia County High School student Trenton Atchinson, who will likely spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair, if raising the age of purchasing a gun will allow him to walk again.
How could this 17-year old have a gun? He wasn't old enough. How did he carry it in his vehicle since he didn't have a permit? We've got laws against such things.
I've covered murder cases in Escambia County, Ala., where the shooter was as young as 14. It didn't stop him from getting a gun and killing his mother and stepsister.
I put 'legally' purchase guns earlier in this column for a purpose. Raising the 'legal' age to buy guns and bullets won't stop gun violence; people who want to attack schools, churches or family members will find a gun.
I guess it makes politicians feel proud when they do the politically correct thing in addressing gun violence but they fall real short in addressing the root of the problem; which is what prompts a 17-year old, 19-year old or 14-year old to get a gun and kill people.
I watched (off and on) the movie Patton the other night, and he had that great line about not having to fight for real estate twice. So, I don't want to keep writing about how gun control won't stop gun violence, but will say that until we agree to spend more money on our juvenile justice system we are spinning our wheels until the next person decides to take an 'illegally-purchased or obtained gun' and starts firing.
