The UK Independent suggests the NYC vehicular terror attack highlights the need to consider stricter gun control in the United States.
The news site made this observation less than 24 hours after 29-year-old terrorist Sayfullo Saipov used a rented truck to run over eight people, killing them. He wounded another 15 in his attack, including children on the school bus he rammed.
Far from looking at the radical Islamic convictions that underpinned Saipov’s actions, the site instead looked at the steps one has to go through to get a rental truck and suggested getting a gun would be far easier. In making this point, the Independent failed to realize that they are basically arguing that the terrorist chose the path of most resistance instead of the path of least resistance and still succeeded.
According to the Independent, eligibility requirements to rent a truck from the location Saipov used include being “as least 21 years of age,” possessing “a current US or Canadian driver’s license,” making a $50 deposit, and showing “proof of automobile insurance.” They put forward these requirements then claim, “By contrast, many gun laws in the US are laxer than even this limited requirement.”
Again, they miss the fact that they undercut their own point by positing truck rental regulations has stricter than gun regulations in an example where renting the truck was no problem. In doing this they show that more regulations, whether truck related or firearm related, do not stop determined attackers from acquiring they tools they plan to use to kill innocents.
Even if they had not undercut their own point, the Independent’s argument is largely vapid. And this is because nearly every mass public attacker who uses firearms in his or her attack complies with regulations which are far more restrictive than truck rental requirements.
For example, the Orlando Pulse attacker killed his victims on June 12, 2016, after going through FBI background checks for his firearms and passing a 3-day waiting period for his handgun. The Las Vegas attacker (October 1, 2017), passed FBI background checks for his guns too, as did the Alexandria baseball practice attacker (June 14, 2017), the Umpqua Community College attacker (October 1, 2015), the DC Navy Yard attacker (September 16, 2013), the Chattanooga military base attacker (July 16, 2013), the Aurora movie theater attacker (July 20, 2012), Gabby Giffords’ attacker (January 8, 2011), the Fort Hood attacker (November 5, 2009), the Virginia Tech attacker (April 16, 2007), and many more.
The bottom line is that the problem rests with criminal intent and/or radical Islamic motivation, not gun laws.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.