(RightIsRight.co) – While Democrats and Republicans across the United States of America debate what, if anything, can be done to reduce the number of mass shootings that are currently plaguing the country, one conservative professor has a plan.
His name is Wilfred Reilly, and he is an assistant professor of political science at Kentucky State University and a self-described conservative. Reilly has authored an opinion piece, “We’re Not an Outlier. Targeted Solutions Will Make America Safer Than Gun Control,” published by Newsweek.
In his piece, Reilly first argues that most of the Democrats’ proposed solutions are unworkable and wouldn’t address the root causes of mass shootings.
Reilly notes that “we are not getting rid of rifles. While AR-platform long guns may be the preferred weapon of mass-murdering lunatics, they are also the gun of choice for a huge number of adult home defenders who almost never break the law. Per the latest data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, there are currently about 435,000,000 firearms in civilian hands in the United States, with roughly 20,000,000 being AR-15s and other “modern sporting rifles.” Think about that for a minute: That is millions and millions of law-abiding Americans who legally possess AR-style rifles that they use safely for their own protection.”
After running through more data, Reilly points out that the killer turns out to be mentally deranged in almost every mass shooting incident and that the warning signs were quite public and could’ve been acted upon to stop the eventual tragedy. With that foundation, Reilly lays out what he believes is needed.
- Red flag laws to stop deranged individuals from purchasing a deadly weapon.
- Prohibit the media from naming mass shooters and describing how they attacked their targets to reduce copycat attacks.
- Stronger facilities security.
- Hire tougher, more courageous law enforcement officers who will immediately engage mass shooters.
Additionally, Reilly argues the media overemphasizes mass shootings when, in reality, they are pretty rare compared to inner-city murders that account for the overwhelming number of homicides in the United States, saying, “We as a society should and must focus on the large real majority of murders as much as we currently do on atypical outlier cases involving police killers or “assault weapons.”
What is your opinion about Professor Wilfred Reilly’s ideas? Would you support red flag laws to prevent deranged individuals from purchasing deadly weapons? Please email your thoughts and views to [email protected]. Thank you.
