In a powerful and important juxtaposition on the gun debate, two state senators have proposed drastically different pieces of legislation designed to curb gun violence in the United States. One Missouri state senator wishes for parents with firearms to disclose their weapons to the authorities at their child’s school, while another senator from South Carolina has proposed firearm education and safety courses for students.
Missouri State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D- MO) recently proposed legislation that would require parents owning firearms to report that information to their child’s school.
The proposed legislation pries further by even inquiring about how firearms are stored in the home. When asked about the breach of privacy, Sen. Nadal said disclosure would merely help school districts promote gun safety.
“It encourages parents to make sure they store guns safely in their home, it also gives the school districts the opportunity to help encourage gun safety in the community and the household,” said the senator.
This legislation is the latest chapter in a post-Newtown America, where increased regulation and government overreach is designed to somehow magically deter and cure evil. However, not all legislators across the nation buy into this approach.
South Carolina State Sen. Lee Bright (R-SC) proposed legislation last week that would allow high school students to take a course in gun safety. The “South Carolina Gun Safety Program” challenges students to not only learn marksmanship, but also learn the history of the Second Amendment.
Sen. Bright considers this proposal no different from existing educational avenues. “We’ve got football, we’ve got basketball, and we’ve got baseball,” he said. “I think if they had a hunting team, it would be a great idea.”
The legislation on the table is further proof of a symbolic moment in current American culture. The progressive sentiment du jour says that regulation will assuage violence, while the conservative approach champions education and individual empowerment.
With regulation, one assumes all actors will play by the same rules. In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, places like The Huffington Post offered platforms to those with rose-colored solutions to “just get rid of the guns,” as a means to prevent future tragedy. By the way, criminals aren’t known for their sterling adherence to laws.
Furthermore, the regulatory approach prompts intrinsic questions about responsibility in personal safety, like “Why should an overburdened institution mandate how I can or cannot protect myself?”
Educating the public on firearm safety enables average citizens to participate in public safety and that is why Senator Bright’s solution offers more practical applications. When it comes to guns, what you don’t know can hurt you, and firearm training mitigates this.
It is imperative that Americans recognize that regulation is “the opiate of the masses.” Strict laws lull well-intentioned citizens into thinking they are safe from harm. Firearm education is the difference between empowerment and another national tragedy.
