General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why anti-gun laws will never work in US [View all]billh58
(6,635 posts)America was also once a slave culture, and we went from slavery to "equal but separate" apartheid. Now we are left with only pockets of racists who are being rapidly (but not rapidly enough) marginalized.
America was also once a cigarette culture, but due to education and public pressure that habit is on the decline. We were also once a get drunk and drive culture, but a concerted effort by law enforcement and concerned communities has made that habit "uncool."
The point is, that just because our parents and grandparents had certain customs and habits that were detrimental to society, doesn't mean that newer generations can't overcome them and strive for improvement. America is constantly evolving and improving itself, and although meaningful change may come slowly, it eventually happens.
I understand that the argument against the examples I have used will be, "but those things are not guaranteed by the Constitution." Does it really make a difference? A bad habit, remains a bad habit, and even though five Republican SCOTUS neoconservative Justices chose to overturn 150 years of jurisprudence concerning the interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, all it will take is the appointment of just one more impartial Justice to amend that decision.
Slavery and the American brand of apartheid violated several provisions of the Bill of Rights, but we are on the verge of completely wiping that piece of American shame from our plate (but not our history). Of the roughly 35% of Americans who own guns, more than half of them agree that stricter gun regulation is needed in this country. I believe that ALL Americans agree that our children should be free from the fear of being gunned down like combatants in a war zone.