RE: How The Millennial Generation Went from Eating Tide Pods to Being the Poster Children for Gun Control
Cars can be a deadly weapon and can do massive damage in a short amount of time.
Its almost as if we as a society require people to get a license before they can drive one.
Its almost as if we as a society require those people train and complete a basic competency test before acquiring a license.
Its almost as it we require additional training and licensing to handle bigger and more dangerous vehicles like semi-tractor trailers.
Its almost as if we as a society require people to register the vehicle with their state and county.
Wait, I think we as a society require people to purchase insurance for themselves, their vehicle, and potential damage caused by the vehicle.
Even those second-hand vehicles require registration and licensing.
Now, does the above process eliminate unlicensed and uninsured drivers completely? No, but I would rather live in a society where we at least require those steps and minimize risk than let any irresponsible driver behind the wheel of a death machine.
Keep in mind that licensing and insurance requirements have not prevented criminals from stealing vehicles and using them criminal purposes.
Correct. They do not prevent 100% of criminality, so the question is do the steps and friction imposed by society reduce the criminality significantly?
I would argue they do, but it'd take a comparison of car related crime rates and strictness of car laws per region.
It's a good question and with complicated layers. Criminality is directly related to poverty. Although laws and consequences construct social norms of acceptable behavior of the average person...there are other factors to consider from social status to mental illness.
I appreciate your logical approach.
Thank you for making my point. Would you agree, as a society, it's insane to blame the car for the harm it can do?
I believe it would be totally insane to ban all cars if one person used a car to kill hundreds of people. I would hope everyone can agree on that and see the insanity of the suggestion. A rational response would be to take action against the person responsible, not the machine that made it possible.
Correct. I would agree that banning all cars is counter productive.
However, I think adding additional friction to car ownership is a rational response to the dangers inherit in cars.
If there is something inherently dangerous about the car, such as a product defect...then I would agree. However, if we limit production of a vehicle or any product because of the actions of individuals...I don't believe it would produce the desired result. People who act criminally or self-destructive will continue to do so with our without limiting their access.