Great historical perspective on gun laws in Arizona.

For all the talk of the “Wild West,” the policymakers of 1880 Tombstone—and many other Western towns—were ardent supporters of gun control. When people now compare things to the “shootout at the OK Corral,” they mean vigilante violence by gunfire. But this is exactly what the Tombstone town council had been trying to avoid.

In late 1880, as regional violence ratcheted up, Tombstone strengthened its existing ban on concealed weapons to outlaw the carrying of any deadly weapons within the town limits. The Earps (who were Republicans) and Doc Holliday maintained that they were acting as law officers—not citizen vigilantes—when they shot their opponents. That is to say, they were sworn officers whose jobs included enforcement of Tombstone’s gun laws.

Today, in contrast, Arizonans can legally buy guns without licenses, and are able to carry concealed weapons without a permit. The state bans cities from passing their own, stricter laws. The legislature will consider a bill this session that would force schools to allow guns on campus — like Pima Community College, which the alleged shooter attended.

The policy makers of the “Wild West” realized like any rational person would, that reasonable gun controls laws could help prevent unwanted violence.

This is in stark contrast to today’s 2nd Amendment defenders, who continue to fight for laxer and laxer laws in order to defend their “right” to do whatever they want with their guns. 

The reality is that if we want to create a safer society, we need to start embracing common sense and start acting the question, “what is effective government”, what are “proper” guns for civilians to own and what “rational” laws that would be effective in reducing the risk of guns falling in the hands of just any lunatic out there?

The reality is that many of the arguments we are having out there in regards to many topics: low taxes, free market, limited government, gun control… have long ago entered the realm of ideological and religious beliefs, devoid of any relation to real life governing and the challenges that we face every day in trying to enforce laws and have civil society.