Guns
I am strongly anti-gun. I believe that, except in very rare cases, firearms simply make the world a worse, more dangerous place to live in. Pretty much all available data supports the assertion that more gun possession leads to more violence and death. [1] [2][3][4][5][6]
There are virtually no compelling evidence-based arguments in favor of guns. They are used for self-defense, yet they cause more violence than they prevent. They are horrible at the main thing they are used for. It’s like if a fire extinguisher sprayed fire. Additionally, there is pretty good reason to believe that the only reason we have so many guns in the United States is due to fervent efforts from groups such as the NRA to propagate them and stifle any movement against them.
In America, our Supreme Court has ruled that the 2nd amendment to the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to bear arms for personal use. It obviously wasn’t intended to be interpreted that way by the people who wrote it - and it’s pretty much a matter of fact that propaganda and lobbying is the reason this ruling exists. The fact remains, however, that this is the current law of the land in America. My view is that this is a dangerous and outdated ruling that should be repealed.
Of course, I am under no illusions that gun abolishment is likely to occur any time soon, most likely not in the lifetime of anyone reading this. But I continue to support basic regulations that reduce the availability of guns and provide more discretion in terms of who can possess them.