Gun Control and the Right to Bear Arms

In class today, our symposium kind of dissolved, but we ended up discussing a very important topic: gun control.  We discussed the "open carry" law that is currently going through the Oklahoma legislature.  There are two articles on that here and here and the actual existing legislation here (scroll down to Chapter 53).  There is a lot of support for this law in Oklahoma, part of it from concealed-carry licensed gun owners who are afraid that a "wardrobe malfunction" revealing their weapon would get them in trouble for carrying it as if it were unconcealed.

First, let's examine the very divisive issue of gun control.  Those who support the carrying of weapons cite the Second Amendment and cases where strict gun control laws did not prevent violent gun-related crimes, but instead saw an increase in them.  Graphs confirming the latter claim can be found here under the "Crime and Self-Defense" headline.  Keep in mind that these data are from major metropolitan areas, such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, and England.  There are some more data further down the page (under the headline "Right-to-Carry Laws") that show a decrease in murder rates in Texas, Florida, and Michigan after right-to-carry laws came into effect there.

  

I'd also like to point out that citing the Second Amendment is merely an appeal to authority, and does not serve to confirm whether the right to bear arms is just or gun control laws unjust.  Never mind that there is an alternative (and I would say more correct) interpretation of the Second Amendment, one accounting for the phrase "A well regulated Militia," that nullifies any arguments in favor of an individual's right to bear arms.

Empirically, it seems that right-to-carry and lack of gun control has a positive effect on crime in an area.  This makes sense, given that most criminals will not risk their lives for the benefits of minor crimes.  But where do we draw the line between gun control and free access to all firearms?

I'd like to bring up another point, this one not so much about the legality and benefit of the right to bear arms, but instead the moral ramifications.  Reading some of the reactions to Oklahoma's open-carry law, I was stunned.  It's true that many people carry weapons in order to protect themselves from crime, but what is the impact on our moral conscience?  Many of the supporters claimed that they would kill any criminal who attempted to make a victim out of them.

Does such an attitude not in turn dehumanize criminals?  What will the ramifications of such extensive dehumanization be?  

My own support for gun control comes from a moral position, one that stresses the danger that guns pose to the person in the crosshairs.  The power that gun owners wield is partially a corrupting one, and one that endangers the sacredness of human life.  I fear a society where the proliferation of guns has diminished the importance we, as humans, should place on other human life.

What are your opinions on gun control?  Does morality have any place in determining legislation on the matter?  Or do the statistics on gun carry laws show that the right to bear arms has a positive impact on our society?

Thanks for reading,

Matt