文/ 他爹    翻译 /他娘

2012年1月8日

比起“拥有枪支”这个话题，没有什么更能激起两党及其支持者之间的政治争论了。这个问题两边的权利集团---全国来福枪协会（NRA）支持拥有枪支。也有无数的反对枪支组织存在，最著名是围绕布拉迪法案集会的支持者（吉姆布拉迪在1981年刺杀总统里根事件中受重伤后实施的一条法律）即是购买枪支必须等候一段时间以便执法部门完成背景调查。

布拉迪法案的目的是避免犯罪分子购买枪支从而减少枪支暴力，因为他们买枪就会被背景调查曝光。但是，势力强大的全国步枪协会说客们成功地限制了可以进行背景检查的人员范围。取得联邦售枪执照的店主被要求对买枪者进行背景调查，当铺和其他零售店主也是如此。然而，私人买枪者则没有要求如此做，枪展商也不必多此一举。因此，基本上罪犯就可以找到合适的卖主了----那些没被要求对他们进行背景调查的卖主。

法律，纵然意愿是良好的，在我的眼里，对于减少枪支暴力或枪杀，尤其是手枪，已经没有多大效力。

但是，限制拥有枪支的渠道是一场棘手的政治舞蹈。首先，公民和政治家们对拥有枪支的历史非常珍惜。强势的枪支游说集团是一个经济上颇有实力，政治上与高层相连的组织，每年给国会的政治同盟们捐款以成千上亿。全国步枪协会的枪支游说集团认为他们这么保护“拥有和携带枪支的”的权利是在维护美国宪法第二修正案。

然而，宪法写成的时候，是与现在完全不同的世界。杰姆斯麦迪森，搭建宪法框架的他写过许多联邦党人文集，指出公民需要拥有枪支，有许多理由：1）防止苛政 2）保护自己 3）狩猎以果腹 4）任何合法目的

但是，美国330年前的18世纪相比，已经是一个根本不同的世界了。英格兰的国王和王后再也不是统治美国的苛政了。我也不需要靠猎鹿或鸭子来养活我的家人—我去KROGER 或者Walmart采购食物就行了。我确实需要保护我的家人，但是我们还有多重的执法部门---警察，治安警，州警，联邦调查局。

我确实拥有枪支。我也很喜欢拥有枪。我用枪打猎，或者进行射击运动打靶。这不是这个国家关于枪所面临的问题。

关于枪这个国家所面临的问题仍然是罪犯可以很轻易地买枪，也可以轻易买到并使用在实施犯罪时可以造成巨大的损害和杀死很多人枪支类型。可以装很多子弹的自动武器或奇异枪支是非常危险的。就在一年前，在亚利桑那州图森市，众议员加布里埃尔吉福兹头部中弹受重伤，另有7人被杀害。那个有心理障碍的枪手使用了一把不需要重新装填子弹就可以发射21粒子弹的手枪。如果子弹匣只能装10发子弹，他就不可能杀死这么多人。

全国步枪协会指出上述枪手精神有问题，这事不能等而视之。全步协没有提到这个枪手之所以有这么多子弹是因为出于全步协的压力，一条先前的法律被废除了。那条法律限制了一把枪的可以装多少子弹。然而，疯子本身就不该拥有枪，对吗？

但是，不仅仅只有疯子不可以拥有枪，其他人和某些枪的种类也不能在我们这个社会存在。如我前面所述，我12岁起就拥有枪了。我用来打猎或体育射击。但是，我认为有些枪我们公民是不应该拥有的---比如攻击性的枪。我想不出有任何理由拥有一支攻击性武器或AK-47式枪。要保护你的家人的话，可以用不那么标新立异的枪，且易于操作。

就像其他产品一样，要看是什么样的而用枪。刀具，汽车，狗和锤子也是同理。然而，我还真记不起有过很多人死伤在一个手持锤子的人手里。

下面的统计数字说明 枪支问题在美国实在是令人不安：

1.       美国将近有三亿支枪（对，相当于美国公民人手一支枪）

2.       美国每年有一万起使用枪进行的谋杀---每小时一起谋杀

3.       日本此类枪杀一年只有一百二十起。

4.       美国用枪谋杀率是欧洲的六倍

5.       美国用枪谋杀率是亚洲的六十五倍（日本，韩国，中国）

6.       美国的谋杀率是每十万人口14.5 人。日本是0.05人----也就是说，美国用枪谋杀的比率是日本的二百八十倍。

人们杀人有许多理由---但是用枪就容易得多。这是一根没有人性的行为。不像掐死，或用刀。用枪可以远程杀戮。这就是用枪的全部目的---可以远程杀人，即使是几米开外。用枪又容易，又快，且有效率。

我当然不认为应该禁枪，那是不可能的任务。但是我确实认为有关私自买卖枪支和枪械展览的法律必须加强以实施背景调查。我确实认为某些如攻击性的武器必须禁止。我也认为一支枪到底可以装多少子弹也要有所限制。

政治上，限制枪权不大时髦。这就像是禁止信仰宗教一样不大可行。但是，当一个国家已经发生这么多无谓的杀戮和毁灭生命时，合理的法律和约束就应该生效了。但是，只有等到作为多数派的选民们对他们选出来的领导说“够了”的时候。

当我们作为美国人珍惜宪法的时候，就像其他许多权利，那是需要责任的。我有权利喝酒—但是不能在驾车的时候。我有言论自由，但是不能诽谤。我有许多自由权利---当时都需要责任并不能伤及他人。

我们的社会拥有过多的枪支使美国成为了世界上的谋杀之都。事实上，人口最多的37个国家里，美国占了全部谋杀总和的50%。那就意味着美国持枪杀人的数字是其他三十六个国家的总和。

总而言之，我珍惜我的国家给予我的权利。但是我希望我们的政治家们优先确保我的权利在我的社会得到保障。而这只能在明智的枪支法出来后才可能发生。

(原文)

OUR RIGHT TO OWN GUNS IS

 KILLING US

By Tadie

（January 8th, 2012）

There are few issues that create as much political argument from both parties and their supporters than the “right to keep and bear arms”. Powerful groups exist on both sides of the issue – the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) are pro gun ownership and numerous anti gun groups exist, most notably the supporters that rallied around the BRADY BILL ( a piece of law enacted after Jim Brady who was seriously injured during an assassination attempt on then President Reagan in 1981 ) which put into place waiting periods when purchasing guns so that a background check could be completed by law enforcement.

While the BRADY BILL intended to reduce gun violence by keeping the guns from being purchased by criminals who would be exposed during a background check the powerful gun lobby NRA was successful in limiting the scope of who had to perform the checks. Federally licensed gun dealers were required to perform background checks as were pawn shops and other retailers. However, private sellers of guns were not required to do so and neither were sellers at “gun shows”. So, essentially criminals just had to buy a gun from the right seller – one who wasn’t required to perform a background check on them.

The law, while well intended, has in my opinion been largely ineffectual at reducing gun violence or murders with guns, most notably hand guns.

But, to limit the access to guns is a very tricky dance politically. First, the history of gun ownership is treasured by citizens and politicians alike. The powerful gun lobby is a well financed and politically connected group that contributes millions of dollars per year to political allies in Congress. The gun lobby NRA see’s that they are upholding the SECOND AMENDMENT OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION by preserving the right to “keep and bear arms”.

However, when the Constitution was written it was a much a different world. James Madison, a framer of the Constitution who wrote much of the Federalist Papers noted that citizens needed to own guns for many purposes: 1) to deter an oppressive government 2) to protect themselves 3) for hunting wild game to feed themselves 4) for any lawful purpose.

But, the USA is a much different place now than it was in the late 18th century 330 years ago. The King or Queen in England is no longer an oppressive government ruling the country. I don’t need to hunt for deer and ducks to feed my family – I got to Krogers or Walmart and buy food. I do need to still protect my family but we also have many layers of law enforcement – police, sheriffs, state police, FBI.

I do own guns. I enjoy owning guns. I have used them for hunting and sport shooting at targets. That’s not the problem this country faces regarding guns.

The problem facing this country about guns is still the ease with which a criminal can buy a gun as well the type of guns that can be purchased and when used in the commission of a crime can cause enormous damage and kill many people. Automatic weapons or exotic weapons that can hold many bullets are very dangerous. Just a year ago, in Tucson, Arizona, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded when she was shot in the head and seven others were killed by a psychologically impaired gunman who had a handgun that could fire 21 shots without being reloaded.  If the clip holding the bullets would have only held 10 bullets he may not have been able to create so much death.

The NRA noted that the above mentioned gunman was disturbed and you just can’t equate for that. What the NRA fails to mention that the reason his gun could have so many bullets was because a part of a previous law was allowed to expire due to pressure from the NRA which limited the number of bullets that could be held in a clip for the gun. But, crazy people shouldn’t have guns anyway, right ?

But, it’s not just crazy people that shouldn’t have guns it’s also others and the type of guns that shouldn’t be allowed in our society. As I noted before I have had guns since I was 12 years old. I used them for hunting and sport shooting. But, there are some guns available that I don’t think citizens should have – such as assault weapons. I can think of no reason for  anyone to own an assault weapon or AK-47. There are much less exotic guns that you can use for protection of your home or family which are also much easier to use.

But, like many products – guns are only a problem when they are in the wrong hands. The same can be said about knives, cars, dogs, or hammers. However, I don’t recall that many people were killed or injured by someone with a hammer.

Some statistics that show the problem with guns in the USA are very very disturbing:

1.       There are approximately 300 million guns in the USA ( yes, 300 million – one for each citizen )

2.       The USA has about 10,000 murders a year in which a gun was used – 1 murder every hour

3.       Japan had 120 such murders

4.       The USA murder rate where a gun is used is 6 times higher than that in Europe

5.       The USA murder rate where a gun is used is 65 time higher than in Asia ( Japan, Korea, China )

6.       The murder rate in the USA is 14.5 people per 100,000 population. Japan is .05 – the USA murder rate is 280 times that of Japan when a gun is used.

There are many reasons that peope commit murder – but using a gun makes it easier. It’s an impersonal act. It’s not like choking or someone, or using a knife. It’s being able to kill from a distance. That’s the whole purpose  of a gun – being able to kill from a distance, even if it’s only from a few feet away. It’s easier and much faster and efficient.

While I don’t think guns should be banned , that’s impossible to accomplish, I do think that the laws concerning private sales and gun shows must be strengthened to implement background checks. I do think some sort of ban should be implemented on certain types of guns such as assault weapons. I also think that limits should be implemented on just how many bullets a gun may hold.

Politically it is not popular to limit gun rights. It’s almost like limiting religion. But, when the country has had enough of the senseless killing and ruined lives then reasonable laws and restraint can take effect. But it won’t happen until  the day comes when the voters as a majority say to their elected leaders that enough is enough.

While we value our Constitutional rights as Americans – like many rights they also require a responsibility. I have the right to drink alcohol – but not while driving. I have right to free speech as long as it is not slanderous. I have many rights of freedom – but they all require responsibility and not injure others.

The overabundance of guns in our society makes the USA the murder capital of the world. In fact – of the top 37 countries by population the USA accounts for nearly 50% of all the murders. That means the number of murders with guns in the USA is equal to the total of the next 36 countries.

So, in summation, I value the rights my country has given me – but I want our politicians to also make my right to be more secure in my society a priority and that can only happen with sensible guns laws.