SkimIt
CNN pundit Piers Morgan has been talking about his belief that more gun control is the answer to mass shootings like Aurora, Columbine, and Sandy Hook for quite some time. The problem is, other than the lack of evidence that gun control works, he often resorts to name calling when he has any pro-gun guest on his show. Mr. Morgan, who is not a citizen of the United States, doesn't have a leg to stand on, nor a vote to cast, so maybe he should stop harping on the issue.
Don't Deport Him
A petition was started on the White House website to deport Morgan. While many may not agree with what he is saying and he is unable to support the efficacy of gun control with any facts, he is allowed to spout nonsense no matter what country he is a citizen of. Even under the long-expired sedition laws of 1798 and 1918, Morgan's statements would be borderline reasoning for a misdemeanor conviction. Deportation is not the answer; continuing to fight his ranting with the truth is.
Because His Country is Perfect?
Over the past 20 years, violent crime in the United States has gone down by about 50%. Over the past 15 years, numbers suggest that violent crime in Morgan's native England has risen by about 44%. Yes, there are many times fewer gun deaths in England, but their strict gun control has not reduced the danger to law-abiding citizens that criminals pose. Their murder rates and suicide rates have not been noticeably improved over the past six decades since guns started to be more severely restricted.
Numbers Don't Lie
Some of the best arguments against the efficacy of gun control lay in the areas in our own country that have the strictest gun laws. Chicago is the murder capital of our country but has some of the strictest gun laws around. My New York City is very high on the list when it comes to murder and strict gun laws as well. This is not meant to definitively say that loosening controls means less violence, but just to say that increasing them doesn't regularly mean less violence. However, the statistics certainly lean more toward looser controls leading to less violence than Mr. Morgan's stricter control stance.
Keep Him Around
Piers Morgan shouldn't be deported. He should just be ignored. His lack of factual evidence to support a ban of any kind of weapon (the "assault rifles" he so hates only contribute a portion of the about 3.5% of gun deaths caused by rifles as a whole in this country) along with his inability to carry on a healthy debate with his own guests reveal his impotence as a pundit. Besides, gun advocates should embrace an easy target like him.
