2nd Amendment

Europe Knife Attacks
Europe has very strict anti-gun regulations, and is still experiencing serious crime from knife attacks. In April 2019, the United Kingdom experienced record levels of stabbing homicides. Britain is struggling to find an answer to what has become a national emergency.

As a result, the U.K. is now trying to ban knives. As aptly pointed out by the Federalists' Robert Tracinski, "Britain’s knife control is a bad, real-life parody of gun control." Even apart from guns, there are a growing number of mass murders perpetrated through stabbing, bludgeoning, and arson.

Nor is the U.K. an isolated situation. France is also seeing mass knife attacks. In August 2019, one person was killed and nine were wounded in Lyons. Less than two weeks earlier another knife attack in Paris left two dead and one injured. Growing knife crime has been a global concern since 2008.

Even if guns were outlawed altogether, that would still not prevent evil people from harming others, because guns are simply a tool by which that is accomplished, not the cause. Addressing the symptom does nothing to resolve the underlying root cause; namely a degradation of societal morality. The problem is not one of regulating the weapons but addressing the spiritual issues that drive people to harm others in the first place.

Bludgeoning and Arson
What do Democrats plan to do? Outlaw sharp objects? People will bludgeon one another as occurred in the 2017 Boston bludgeoning of four people, 2017 Lin Family murders in which five people were bludgeoned to death, murders by Ted Bundy, or 2004 Deltona Massacre when 6 people were bludgeoned to death in Florida. A 73 year-old woman recently bludgeoned her friend to death with a brick in September 2019 for example. In December 2018, a 30-year-old woman pleaded guilty to attempted murder for committing an unprovoked hate crime in trying to bludgeon a 92-year-old man to death with a brick out of racial animosity.

Democrats by outlawing guns will not solve the problem, as seen from the U.K. They will then have to outlaw all blunt, somewhat heavy objects as well as sharp objects. Glass can be broken to create sharp objects, as can pieces of wood, so they'll have to be outlawed also. Then there is the risk people will kill one another through mass arson, as occurred in the June 2019 Japan arson which killed 33 people or Happy Land Fire which killed 87 people in 1990. So clearly fire will have to be outlawed. But people can still murder each other through drowning them, so water will have to be outlawed also.

Logically, where does it stop? You can't simply outlaw everything that can be used to harm others. The solution is to address WHY people are doing these things, the underlying causes of moral decay in society, not the tools being used to commit them.

A Necessity for Democracy and Freedom
As stated by the 2nd Amendment, the right to bear arms is indispensable to preserving freedom. Given that firearms are a defense against government tyranny, it is dangerous for government to begin deciding which weapons or ammunition are permissible for citizens to have, so any legislation effecting gun control should be passed via nationwide ballot referendum.

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

-Amendment II in the Bill of Rights

As stated by the Declaration of Independence, inalienable rights are 'God-given.' Governments exist to 'secure these rights' and, when becoming destructive of those rights, may be replaced by the people. However, that right of the people to free self-determination of government, vis. to replace corrupted governments with new ones, cannot occur if the people are deprived of their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." -Declaration of Independence

As John Basil Barnham once famously observed, "Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty." The 2nd Amendment helps safeguard not so much against violent criminals as against corrupt governments, which historically are even more dangerous.

U.S. Defense Conditioned On Militias
According to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 12, permanent standing armies are unconstitutional and should not exist after two years.

"To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;"

-U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Sec. 8, Clause 12.

Gun Control and Tyranny
Examples of corrupt and tyrannical governments using gun control to enact horrible genocides include the following:

Nazi Germany
The Nazis did not confiscate weapons from everyone, but did confiscate them from their political enemies such as the Jews.

Soviet Union
The Bolshevik Revolution in 1918 led to a widespread seizure of firearms, culminating in gulags targeting political prisoners, as millions were executed or starved to death by Communism.

Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide from 1915-17 occurred after the Armenians were targeted with gun control measures.

1971 to 1979 Uganda Massacres
Idi Amin's predecessor, Obote, instituted a nationwide gun ban with the exception of government officials, resulting in genocide.

Khmer Rouge
Pol Pot implemented the 1975-77 genocide using the Khmer Rouge following a program of gun confiscation.

Gun Control and Slavery
Research by 2nd Amendment researcher Clayton E. Cramer reveals that gun control laws dating back to the 1700s in states such as Louisiana and Virginia were used to protect the institution of slavery and prevent African-Americans from resisting.

Christianity

 * See also Moral Relativism

School shootings are the inevitable result of societal decay. As society has rejected the Christian ideals upon which it was founded, people have become empty and self-centered; manifesting itself in horrible actions like massacres. There are more laws and regulations than ever before, and a more advanced police force than America has ever seen, yet mass murders have become a national emergency.

Unsurprisingly, most school shooters are irreligious, and Muslims are over-represented relative to their 1.1% of the U.S. population. After all, Christians comprise over 70% of the U.S. population, and most school shooters ought to be Christian assuming an even distribution. That most shooters are irreligious indicates that real Christians, guided by their strong moral convictions, will not give into the unjust action of harming innocent people, regardless of the negative circumstances they are undergoing.

"What is most shocking is how few of these killers appear to be religious, let alone Christian. Just 16 percent have any type of religious affiliation at the time of their attacks, with a slight majority of those being Muslims. Over just over 20 years from the beginning of January 1998 through today, there have been 69 killers committing 66 mass public shootings in the United States where at least four people have been killed. Of those attacks, just four have been identified as Christians, with just three clearly regular churchgoers. With 70 percent of Americans identifying themselves as Christians and over 33 percent going to church at least once a week, those numbers are a long way away from the 48 or 23 we would respectively expect."

-John Lott, ''Daily Caller'

Shooters Lack a Moral Compass
After all, it takes a certain kind of person, namely one lacking a moral compass, to recklessly harm those who have done nothing wrong to them; or even to harm several people who have done them wrong. To a degree, such a fault can be laid at the feet of America's education system, which has prioritized the teaching of liberal orthodoxy in public education over the conventional teaching of moral values such as fear of God and patriotism that were once prevalent among American youth.

The doctrine of moral relativism is antithetical to moral absolutism, and moral absolutism, or a belief that morality actually exists, derives from a belief in God. After all, as recognized by Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and Declaration of Independence as well as James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments inalienable rights are given by God. As Ravi Zacharias has frequently called attention to, for there to be a universal moral law by which right and wrong exist, it must have been put in place by a Lawgiver, i.e. God, who has the authority, power, and morality necessary to institute it.

Stop Attacks on the Nuclear Family
Furthermore, with the breakdown of the nuclear family, school shooters are coming from broken homes. The actions they commit are simply symptomatic of the pain caused by American society's war on the conventional family structure. Research by Peter Langham shows that only 18% of school shooters came from stable homes with both biological parents present.

"Among the 25 most-cited school shooters since Columbine, 75 percent were reared in broken homes. Psychologist Dr. Peter Langman, a pre-eminent expert on school shooters, found that most came from incredibly broken homes of not just divorce and separation, but also infidelity, substance abuse, criminal behavior, domestic violence, and child abuse."

-Emilie Kao, Heritage Institute

Media Correlation
Violent video games are not the problem, video games that encourage criminal behavior are. After all violent video games no more expose a person to violence than sports or military service. Exposure to violence does not make them a bad person.

On the other hand some video games and movies encourage criminal behavior, including Grand Theft Auto, Jailbreak (Roblox), and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. They should be banned for inviting criminal behavior. It makes no sense to allow media that glorify massacres, such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, at a time when a national goal is to discourage such atrocities.

Violence in Games Not the Problem
Studies repeatedly show there is no link between violence and video games. This is likely because for every video game that promotes violence to promote immorality, there are probably at least as many video games promoting violence to promote morality. Depictions of violence in video games no more produce immoral behavior than one's participation in sports or the military.

Banning Games that Promote Illegal Immorality
Video games that encourage modern-day illegal immorality should be banned. Examples include:


 * Grand Theft Auto: Promotes bank robbery, prostitution, auto theft, etc.
 * Jailbreak Roblox: Promotes all types of criminal behavior including bank robbery, auto theft, murder, etc.
 * Standoff: Previously called Active Shooter, it simulates school shootings. Needless to say, it makes no sense to allow such a game while attempting to reduce school shootings.

Ban Movies that Glorify Massacres
Movies that glorify massacres should also be banned, including the Texas Chainsaw Massacre / Leatherface films. Many of those prosecuted by Britain's Obscene Publications Act or listed on the Section 3 Video Nasties list should probably be banned for inciting violence against the public.

Distinguishing Between Terrorism and Warfare
For political science purposes, a terrorist is distinguished from a guerilla in that a terrorist attacks the civilian populace/general public to spread terror, whereas a guerilla only attacks military and government targets. Thus, a distinction can be drawn between bannable movies that emphasize massacring civilians, and acceptable movies that depict violence through military warfare (e.g. Rambo). Although Rambo does show military violence against civilians, it depicts this as unacceptable, something to be opposed and fought against. By contrast, movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre glorify and emphasize needless violence against civilians; and lack such a military element.

Addressing Employment and Inequality

 * See also Reforms

To a degree, shooters are likely acting out against pain they are feeling in their own lives. With the growth of outsourcing and automation, as a growing income inequality takes over the globe, people are no longer able to be independent and achieve the American dream; a few wealthy individuals are monopolizing all land and wealth for themselves. Thus, reducing economic inequities with reforms that improve the economic situation of people nationwide would likely mitigate the likelihood of school shootings.

The Defending Conservatism Institute has called for a number of Reforms that would help average Americans economically. To address outsourcing of U.S. jobs to low-minimum wage countries, the DCI calls for a system of trade embargoes on countries that have less than a $4.00/hour minimum wage and imports below a set level such as $8 billion annually. To address automation or machines replacing workers, the DCI calls for reform of the tax system and tax breaks for companies that hire more U.S. workers in relation to company earnings. To address land monopolization, the DCI recommends a regulation requiring that those who do not own land be allowed to purchase a single acre of land from those who have 1,000 or more acres for $500. To address regulations that prevent ownership of land by the poor, regulation of HOAs and POAs as well as standardized zoning laws will prove effective.