The US Should Learn from Israel How to Permit, Not Outlaw Guns
Latest update: December 18th, 2012
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The Jewish Press Online's Malkah Fleisher training at the Caliber 3 gun range.
Photo Credit: The Jewish Press Online
Every shooting massacre in the U.S. is followed routinely by the calls to tighten existing gun control laws and even ban guns altogether.
But, as Jews, we have an obligation to fight those calls, because they’re wrong.
As Jews, giving up the means and the right to defend ourselves is the worst mistake we could make. Imagine if Germany or Poland’s Jews had been armed. Would rounding Jews up have been as easy or even possible? The answer is, obviously, no.
Friday’s massacre in Connecticut was a horrible event, but the shooter, Adam Lanza, didn’t use any legal loopholes to get his weapons, he didn’t even own the weapons he shot, he stole them from his mother.
One of things that strike most visitors to Israel is the number of guns they see people carrying everywhere. But most people don’t realize that Israel’s gun laws are both stricter and very different from those in the U.S.
Personal weapons are more difficult to come by in Israel. A lot of vetting is done by the government, the police, a doctor, and the gun range that must train and test the potential gun owner before they, too, sign their approval. And the Israeli government prefers to limit gun licenses to those with army experience, if possible.
Even then, one normally is permitted to only own one gun, and a limited amount of ammunition (although one can buy as many bullets as one wishes at the gun range). Some admittedly feel that the single gun limit, is too restrictive.
Appearances aside, in Israel there are fewer personal weapons per capita, and fewer homicides involving guns, than in the U.K., which has very strong and restrictive gun laws.
Still, guns in Israel are ubiquitous. There are no concealed carry laws in Israel, as every visitor sees right away. Guns are plentiful in the street, carried by settlers, soldiers, and security personnel, including the guards in front of schools, restaurants and malls.
In short, people who have a good reason to carry a gun will likely be approved to do so. The difference between Israel and the U.S. regarding gun ownership is in the attitude.
Even though Israelis watch the same movies and play the same video games that glorify gun violence as Americans do, Israelis, unlike Americans, are taught from a young age a mature, respectful and structured interaction with their weapons. In America, it’s considered a right to carry a gun, but in Israel, it’s considered both right and a privilege.
Reports are now saying that Adam Lanza’s mother was a “gun nut” who took her kids shooting all the time.
I can practically guarantee that their training and interaction with guns wasn’t mature, respectful or structured in the least.
Keeping guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens is wrong and unconstitutional. But America must rethink its gun laws and make them consistent for the entire country. They must include a serious, complex vetting process, at least as demanding as the process one must endure to receive a driver’s license. In fact, I recommend letting each state’s DMV develop a process of educating and testing potential gun owners. After all, in both cases, when providing a license to drive a car and a license to carry a gun (and to register the car and gun), the state is empowering its citizen to operate a potentially lethal weapon.
Like applicant drivers, potential gun owners must undergo extensive, well structured training on the proper handling, storage and use of their weapon, before being allowed to even buy one, and repeat the process at every license renewal. And they must have a qualified doctor sign off on them too.
And a DMV, or any other agency deposited with the responsibility to vet new gun owners, along with the individual people in the vetting process, must be held accountable should someone they approve end up using their gun license psychotically.
This personal accountability in the chain of approval is the most important aspect of what works in Israel, and what should be most emphasized in the U.S.
Also, the states must get rid of the concealed carry requirement (for those that have it). It’s an idiotic idea that is actually a result of American society’s veneration of weapons, and it removes any visual deterrence it otherwise affords.
Once obvious targets for an attacks, such as schools (think JCCs, and synagogues, too) appoint visibly armed, well-trained guards, we will undoubtedly be seeing a reduction in the number of massacres perpetrated in American schools and other public places.
But if schools and shuls can’t afford that extra expense, they should at least let their staff who can afford it undergo the proper training.
Jews have an obligation to themselves, their families, and their communities to own guns, and be well-trained in their proper handling, storage and use.
We mustn’t wait until, God forbid, another JCC, synagogue or a yeshiva is targeted by some crazed gunman.
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One Response to “The US Should Learn from Israel How to Permit, Not Outlaw Guns”
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Hasn't anybody noticed that there are FAR more guns in the US than gun murders? There are 300 million guns and 11,000 gun murders annually. That works out to 27,272 guns for every gun murder (even assuming that a gun can only murder one person). If you make the assumption that in order to have a gun murder you have to have: 1) a gun, 2) a victim, 3) a murderer it would seem logical that of the three the gun is not the limiting factor. I would suggest that it is the number of murderers that is the limiting factor. Interviews with violent criminals in jail supports this observation – they say that it is easy for them to get illegal guns from other criminals. Only about 7% of all gun murders are committed with "legal" guns.
Where am I going with this? Trying to prevent gun crime by banning guns is like trying to prevent snowballs by banning snowflakes – the best way is to stop the PERSON from making snowballs.
Banning guns WILL have one effect on the crime rate – it will make it go UP. That has been the experience of every nation that has tried it. The reason why is obvious and was readily enunciated by those same violent criminals in jail. Violent criminals don't fear the cops because they know that they will be long gone before the cops respond. What they DO fear is armed victims. Violent criminals know better than most the effects of gunshots on the human body because they have often inflicted them themselves. They fear the armed victim more than cops or even other criminals because they don't know what the potential victim will do: they might freeze, threaten, run, plead or shoot – and it is this uncertainty that causes violent criminals the most concern.
Every year in the US violent crimes are prevented between 2.5 and 4.5 MILLION times by privately owned firearms without them being fired. If you take away the guns you take away the uncertainty in the lives of violent criminals – making it much more likely that they will commit crimes.
It's not about banning guns completely. It's about making sure ASSAULT WEAPONS are illegal. period. There is NO REASON for citizens to have the kind of weapons used by the Newtown killer. Don't confuse the issue by saying all guns will be banned, cause that's not the case!
I would be more than happy to put up with additional carry restrictions that made me a better shooter!
Knee jerk reactions amaze me, and in many cases are used immorally to gain support for a cause.
Smoking kills almost 20 times more people than guns, alcohol almost 4 times. The suggestions that tobacco and alcohol related deaths are victimless is false. 50,000 people/year die from secondhand smoke, 5 times the homicide by gun rate. Non-driver DWI rates are approximately equal. Gun related deaths are approximately 1% of preventable deaths. If you factor out suicide (60% of gun related deaths), and it drops to about half a percent. More people die from STDs (another preventable category). I guess we should outlaw sex. Where do you draw the line to limiting personal freedom? Way more lives are lost to alcohol, and tobacco, than guns. We turn a blind eye to using alcohol and tobacco around our children because we enjoy those vices, yet each (by them-self) kill more than guns. Of westernized countries we have one of the lowest mortality rates. Lower than gun controlled Europe and Japan.
The majority of gun related deaths are suicide, then individuals with a criminal background (death related to criminal behavior). The majority of those deaths are young minority males of poor socio-economics in urban areas. Switzerland has the highest gun ownership per capita and one the lowest incidents of gun related fatalities. The major difference is socio-economics and education. Take care of your people and your economy and mortality rates improve.
I'm not against implementing sensible legislation regarding licensing, education, waiting periods, assault rifles, and high capacity clips. The challenge is leaving it at sensible. Look at all the personal freedom we so easily gave up after 911. History shows that governments always manipulate tragedies to attempt to disarm the people.
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Switzerland issues every household a gun. Switzerland's government trains every adult they issue a rifle. Switzerland has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world.
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million. You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens. Notice that these mass tragedies happen in “gun free zones”. Criminals don't obey laws.
It's a shame that guns are blamed for a lunatics activity. Timothy McVeigh and the 911 terrorists didn't use guns. Crazies will always find a way.
© David Wall 2012.
All the buzz re. more gun control totally ignores the real problem: crazies on the street. When I was growing up, California (and I imagine other states) had mental institutions for unstable people. As much as I admire Reagan, I believe he was the one who let them all out on the streets. I am committed to defending the second amendment.
Bear;
Concealed carry serves two critical purposes – The bad guy(s) don't know who is armed. The bad guy(s) will ambush who they know is armed. If I have to explain either of those further, you're not ready/capable of understanding them.
The inalienable right to defend one's life is not predicated on nothing more than the feeble opinion of a quack or government worker – Especially when the primary concern of the Second Amendment was written as the ultimate deterrent against a rogue government. The current administration and his allies are proof positive of our Founding Father's genius of foresight.
Obviously, your opinion not only severely lacks full appreciation in the differences between our cultures but more importantly, in what actually deters criminals from acting and why.
An interesting article but I disagree on the idea that citizens would need government permission to own or carry a firearm.
Considering Nazi Germany, would Hitler's government have given Jews permits to carry guns?
In the USA would blacks have been granted gun permits in slave states?
And in our lifetime… After numerous death threats and having his home fire bombed, Martin Luther King applied for a concealed carry gun permit… but the local police decided that he didn't need to carry a gun.
Prohibition did NOT work in America!
People went right on drinking (illegally). The war on drugs has also failed; people go right on using (illegally). And outlawing firearms will have the same result. Organized Crime enjoys these kinds of restrictions very much indeed!
Also, some still fail to realize that a Modern Homosapien will not abide a totalitarian society. The many uprisings in country after country are proof of this! I don't say these things because I wish any to side with my views, I say it because it is a sociological fact- it doesn't work….
The problem with Homicidal Maniacs in society lies in humanities failure to embrace even the basics of Torah. By the same token, one does NOT place the cart before the horse, and solve their transportation problems either!
I know this is not very reassuring, but it is no less truth.
Paul J.
Prohibition did NOT work in America!
People went right on drinking (illegally). The war on drugs has also failed; people go right on using (illegally). And outlawing firearms will have the same result. Organized Crime enjoys these kinds of restrictions very much indeed!
Also, some still fail to realize that a Modern Homosapien will not abide a totalitarian society. The many uprisings in country after country are proof of this! I don't say these things because I wish any to side with my views, I say it because it is a sociological fact- it doesn't work….
The problem with Homicidal Maniacs in society lies in humanities failure to embrace even the basics of Torah. By the same token, one does NOT place the cart before the horse, and solve their transportation problems either!
I know this is not very reassuring, but it is no less truth.
Paul J.
http://davidfirester.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/policy-proposal-to-arm-the-teachers/
Well said and explained!