Shame could control guns better than new laws

[flamin lib]

http://www.mtexpress.com/opinion/editorials/shame-could-control-guns-better-than-new-laws/article_42901120-0ef2-11e5-9307-cbf03d68cde0.html

Tobacco use is and always has been legal in the U.S. At one time, tobacco was commonly chewed. Users spit the resulting juice into ever-present spittoons that were simply accepted by polite society, despite the poor aim that often resulted in disgusting piles of soggy leaves. By the 20th century, smoke-filled rooms and smelly ashtrays had replaced spittoons. Society, however, broadly continued to accept and even encourage the open use of tobacco.
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Then it all changed. The tipping point came when smoking was perceived to be socially unacceptable.
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First, there were nonsmoking sections in some restaurants, then nonsmoking restaurants and bars, and finally smoke-free buildings. These bans are now the rule rather than the exception. Light up in a public space and the least negative response will be dirty look.
Tobacco use is still legal. Some people still smoke. Despite protests about infringing on personal freedoms and smoking’s outlaw image for teens, tobacco use continues to fall because its use results in at least a modicum of public shame.

Unfortunately many of the gunners I know have no shame. They gleefully defend the right of convicted wife beaters' access to guns. They flatly state that no law will prevent EVERY SINGLE SHOOTING so no laws should exist. When a violent felon uses a gun to commit more violence they say, "It's already against the law," instead of asking how he got the gun and how it could have been prevented.

No, probably won't work because as I said so many have no shame.

[catrose]

1. That was my first thought from the title.

Can't shame someone who has none.

[-none]

2. Many smokers had no shame either.

But we still had much success in eliminating public smoking because of the deaths it caused, both by the smokers themselves, and of those around them breathing the smoke.
The same thing can happen with deadly weapons. Make then publicly unacceptable. It took many long years and billions of dollars in advertizements to ban smoking in public, but it happened.

There is no reason to be armed in church, Target, K-mart, or even Wal-Mart, scooter fights not withstanding.
Feeling one has to be armed in public as a normal thing, is a symptom of paranoia. There is help.

Thinking nothing can be done because the gunners have no shame is a defeatist attitude. Change the public's perception, as happened with smoking and we can get the gun cause carnage under control.

[flamin lib]

3. The smoking campaigns and MADD are both success stories that should be emulated

And are emulated through any number of organizations. We've made more progress since Sandy Hook than in the decade before. Still, its a long haul with a 50 year head start by the gun lobby.

Thanks for the supportive words.

[-none]

4. I feel strongly about this.

We shouldn't be living in a war zone because some are so paranoid that they can't even get in the mail without sticking a hand gun in their waistband.
Most of us get along just fine going about in public unarmed, safely. Why can't the gunners?