The article “Our Blind Spot About Guns” by Nicholas Kristof deals with an acute topic of modern America – the need to regulate weapons use. In the United States, guns are considered an essential part of the culture. The Second Amendment of the Constitution protects the right to bear arms, which has been used by many people for self-defense and hunting purposes (Kristof, 2014). However, there have been many cases of gun violence in recent years that have led to debates on how to regulate guns in order to prevent future incidents from happening. The lack of regulations has resulted in an upsurge in mass shootings and other violent crimes. In his article, Kristof (2014) compares the problem of lack of gun regulation with car deaths, which have been significantly reduced through sensible regulation of cars and drivers. While cars are becoming safer, practically all attempts to make it more difficult to fire weapons have been blocked by the gun lobby. Laws that restrict but do not prohibit weapons would help minimize shootings and fatalities.
The author successfully compares the difficult history of traffic regulation, which in the past was no less dangerous than unregulated weapons are now, with the current problem of armed violence. According to Christophe (2014), the success of cautious automobile ownership laws, rather than vehicle confiscation, has helped minimize mortality in America, and this should be extended to weapons as well. The United States is the only developed country in the world that does not have universal background checks for all gun sales. This means that anyone can buy a gun without having to undergo any kind of background check. This has resulted in an upsurge in gun violence and deaths, which is why it is important to regulate guns in America.
The article is reasoned and interesting and generally leaves a good impression. The author successfully fends off the key arguments of supporters of the free use of weapons, citing relevant examples from history. Changing culture and gun policy can be as effective in reducing violence as regulating vehicles and drivers has been in making roads safer. To address the issue of gun violence, community planning and the implementation of comprehensive public safety strategies that include prevention and intervention are critical.
Reference
Kristof, N. (2014). Our blind spot about guns. The New York Times. Web.