The gun debate seems to be primarily an effort in virtue signaling.

Here is how a two way gun control

debate could go.

1. Trump is literally Hitler.

Hitler is in charge and you want to hand over your guns? Take a deep breath and say it slow.

2. ‘Gun Violence’ statistics are staggering.

Because ‘gun violence’ statistics include suicide. Equating homicide and suicide is completely
dishonest. Nobody thinks that.

3. Nobody needs xyz gun to hunt.

Usually true inside of large cities, less frequently true in low population density areas. Which do you
live in? Is it wise to take rural liberties without understanding their risks?

4. I am a pacifist.
You still kill people with guns every day. You simply have police or soldiers do it for you. Pacifists
only survive with accommodation from pragmatists. You can’t wish guns away. That leads to conquest
and genocide. See #1.

5. We have to do something.
Always choose a technical fix over losing liberties. Have you exhausted them? See #1.

6. We have to ban guns.

Nobody is even suggesting that we disarm police and soldiers. So guns solve real defense problems.

7. Police are special.

Perhaps, but if so it is because of testing and training.

8. Nobody needs xyz gun. It should be banned.

If police use it, it is needed for some self/public defense situation. See #7 If even police won’t use it in
any situation, you are probably right.

9. Police are overdoing it. They don’t really need xyz gun.
Then you should address that first. Make a statistical case to the force in question. Policies can be
changed faster than laws so there should be rapid positive effects. Lives spared, money saved, etc.

10. But mass shootings are getting worse.

Yes they are. We should look at what has changed.

11. What has changed?

A. It has been getting worse since 1990’s ‘Gun Free Zone’ law. Statistically speaking that is the knee
of the curve. Most gun mass murder happens in ‘gun free zones’
B. Most of the shooters were on psychotropic drugs. Specifically SSRIs.

12. How does that help?

A. Gun free zones create a high cost curve for schools to scale when threatened with gun violence.
They typically can’t afford full time armed police so they are helpless (to get a bigger budget) until
after kids are murdered. Eliminating that curve can give local schools more control over their own
safety.
B. Doctors should be required to put patients in an SSRI database to be checked before gun purchases.

13. Pharmaceuticals will never tolerate a SSRI database.

That’s a corporate oligarchy interfering with the republic, not a gun rights issue. Get those companies
under control.

14. A SSRI database is an invasion of privacy.

There is a near 1 to 1 ratio of mass murder to SSRI use. It is a hard scientific conclusion risk is
increased.

15. Doctors will not submit their patients to a SSRI database.

In that case doctors, not gun rights are the problem. Compel doctors to serve the public good.

16. Adding more guns into schools will make it worse.

Since most mass shootings happened where no concealed weapons (gun free zones) are allowed this
suggests the opposite is true. To figure out what is broken, look at what is working. Mass shootings
don’t happen as often in areas where non police concealed carry is allowed.

17. What is a ‘high cost curve’?

When a school perceives an increased threat, there are no effective, inexpensive options they can
peruse to repel the threat. Arming staff and faculty, hiring armed guards, and installing arms lockers
are all less expensive and faster than hiring/allocating armed police.

18. I’m a teacher and I don’t want to carry a gun.

Then you shouldn’t carry one. There will be several teachers in every school who are experienced and
comfortable with firearms and can pass the necessary testing and training. Security can be a complex
topic, but mass shooters are attracted to large groups of known to be unarmed people, like ‘gun free
zone’ schools. Concealed guns raise the risk to the would be shooter and lowers the appeal. Look no
further than the streak of ‘gun free zone’ killings to confirm this.

19. I would never trust teacher xyz with a gun

See #7. It need not be a mysterious or untested process.

20. Guns kill more minorities. Gun rights are racist.

Yes gun deaths are higher in minority cities. Because those same cities disallow those same minorities
to legally obtain guns to defend themselves. In turn the power of criminals is multiplied. The result is
more minority death and incarceration. Gun control is racist.

21. I’m not a racist!

Probably not intentionally, but a supporting a system, like gun control, that oppresses minorities and
takes their rights is institutional racism. Gun control is modern Jim Crow, but deadlier. The second
amendment details a right, taking it from mainly one race is racist.

22. If gun control is racist why do stop and frisk stops target minorities?
Stop and frisk and gun control are inseparable. They are the same policy. Only two things intimidate a
repeat criminal with gun. The risk of jail time for carrying, and prospect of getting shot. Stop and frisk
is only needed where gun control is in play, so continues the originally racist policy.
23. But my favorite anchor/columnist/celebrity/politician tells me guns are the problem.
Perhaps they are not students of history. See #1.