None of These Gun Laws Will Make Difference

They'll make us feel better, but that's about it: Kathleen Parker
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 10, 2013 11:46 AM CDT
None of These Gun Laws Will Make Difference
Rifles line a wall above in front of people standing in a gun shop Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, in Seattle.   (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Background checks? Sure, put them in place. Bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines? Fine. Just don't expect any of these things to make a difference in the nation's gun violence, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post. Parker, a gun owner, says she is "eager to do whatever will make a difference," but seems resigned to the fact that crazy people will get their hands on guns no matter what we do.

Consider that Adam Lanza's mother legally bought the weapons he used and even taught him how to shoot. What she didn't do is address his mental illness or keep the guns safely locked away. "Forcing law-abiding gun owners to submit to new regulations will not prevent another Newtown or Aurora or Columbine," writes Parker. "This is not to say we should do nothing. But, lest we delude ourselves, whatever we do we will do because it makes us feel better. Perhaps that is enough." Click for Parker's full column. (More gun control stories.)

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