Last year, people were irate when it was ruled that medical marijuana patients did not have the rights to bear firearms, which is understandable, singling a group of people out is never a correct way to go about something. However, I think many people miss the point that maybe no civilians should be able to bear firearms, while many argue that it gives them a sense of safety, this idea that you need a gun to protect yourself essentially creates a vicious circle, paranoia begets violence and violence begets more violence. Especially last year, with the world, let alone America, being rife with violence, from police brutality to civilians shooting other civilians all in the name of ‘safety’ we should really have learned the lesson that perhaps guns aren’t the way to go. Hopefully this year will be different, more peaceful with more reasonable governance.
This is somewhat of a moral dilemma as I can fully understand why people would want a gun, it offers a sense of safety and protection in an increasingly violent world, yet a minority of trigger-happy individuals are turning this idea into something far more unhinged and sinister. This makes it somewhat odd that medical marijuana patients would not be allowed to possess firearms, they are hardly known as the most violent bunch, nevermind what certain news outlets profess to be the truth, marijuana does not really inspire violent reactions in a person.
On top of this, heavy drinkers and alcoholics have no sanctions imposed upon them in terms of the right to possess a weapon. And let’s be honest heavy drinkers and drunks do have a tendency to be violent, just think how many people’s lives have been ruined as a result of alcohol abuse, while some may argue that marijuana can affect a person negatively, it can never really be said that it makes a person violent.