Human Heart the Culprit, Not Guns

The deadly rampage that took place last week in a small Maine city ended when officers discovered the shooter’s body in a nearby wooded area, dead from a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide.

But the early Wednesday evening massacre, which took 18 lives and injured 13 at two separate locations, also prompted yet more calls for yet more gun control from the usual suspects — beginning with President Joe Biden.

In a statement released Thursday, the president mentioned "gun violence" three times, and announced that he had launched “the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.”

That same day Vice President Kamala Harris also released a statement, again mentioning “gun violence” three times.

From this one might get the feeling that guns commit violence all on their own. But they don’t — people do, and newly-installed House Speaker Mike Johnson reminded us of that during his first interview in his new leadership position.

"The problem is the human heart,” the Louisiana Republican told Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday night. “It’s not guns. It’s not the weapons."

The following day the administration fired back, and even called Johnson’s remarks “offensive.”

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in his statement Friday, “we absolutely reject the offensive accusation.

“Gun crime is uniquely high in the United States because congressional Republicans have spent decades choosing the gun industry’s lobbyists over the lives of innocent Americans,” Bates said. “Gun violence is now the main reason that American children’s hearts stop beating. Not cancer, not car accidents — gun violence.”

As an exclamation point to Bates’ comments, the president released a second statement Friday on the mass shooting, this time mentioning “gun violence” twice:

• “Once again, an American community and American families have been devastated by gun violence.”
• “I will continue to do everything in my power to end this gun violence epidemic.”

During Speaker Johnson’s Thursday night interview, he noted the importance of Second Amendment freedoms.

“We have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves, and that’s the Second Amendment. And that’s why our party stands so strongly for that,” he said. “This is not the time to be talking about legislation.”

Maine residents seemed to agree. While the suspect remained on the loose, residents in and around Lewiston flocked to local gun stores to purchase firearms and stock up on ammunition.

First Due Firearms told TMZ that “the phone is ringing off the hook with lots of first-time gun buyers and others looking to add to their firearm collection, with many folks ready to purchase and put money down.” The customers all said the mass shooting prompted their new interest in guns.

TMZ got much the same response from other local gun dealers they contacted.

But such protection does no good if it can’t be used. A photo taken two years ago indicated that the bowling alley the gunman first targeted was a “gun-free zone.”

“We kindly ask that you refrain from bringing firearms in this building and we would appreciate it if you left them in your vehicle,” the sign said. “Please keep our atmosphere family friendly.”

While law-abiding gun owners obey such requests, criminals and others not permitted to possess firearms do not. In this case the State Bureau of Investigation reported that the gunman was categorized as having a “Federal Firearms Disqualified Status.”

In addition, The Associated Press reported Saturday that “Police in Maine were alerted last month to ‘veiled threats’ by the man who would go on to carry out the state’s deadliest mass shooting.”

But are guns still a factor?

A Pew Research study released last month revealed that 42% of U.S. households have at least one firearm, as do 32% of individual Americans, making the United States the leader in gun ownership.

However, earlier this year World Population Review reported that the United States didn’t even make the top 10 in per capita gun-related homicides, using 2019 data, the latest available.

The report also addressed U.S. mass shootings.

“In truth, mass shootings account for only a small percentage of gun deaths in the United States,” the report said. “Rather, nearly two-thirds (63%) of gun deaths in the US in 2019 were suicides.”

The Buckeye State offers further proof. On June 13, 2022, Ohio became the 23rd state in the nation to adopt a “permitless carry” statute, allowing legal gun owners to bear arms without applying for a carry permit.

The FBI reported that violent crime declined in the state by 7.5% in 2022.

In other words, the actual data disproves the White House deputy press secretary’s claim that “Gun crime is uniquely high in the United States.”

The conclusion is unmistakably clear — Speaker Johnson was spot on: “The problem is the human heart. It’s not guns.”