Thoughts, Prayers, and Spreading Risk

Tony Hillerman used to say there’s more cultural distance between city folk and country folk than between non-Indians and Indians. The categories overlap substantially.

Most Indians remain country folk. The government tried to replicate the great migration of African-Americans to the cities, but Indians kept returning home. So most of us don’t get heated up about firearms. A rifle is as normal as a chainsaw.

Because the Bill of Rights does not govern Indian land, tribal governments could ban firearms without regard to the Second Amendment, but because of the rural character of the cultures, there is no enthusiasm for doing so. This in spite of homicide and suicide rates that are often much higher than the surrounding states.

The NRA would say that if you make firearms unavailable to suicidal persons, they will find some other method. While substitution makes a logical argument, the data go the other way. Gun control can in fact move the suicide needle. The data on homicides are less clear, but firearms do make homicides more efficient. Much more efficient.

On Dec. 14, 2012, a crazy man entered an elementary school with a knife and stabbed 22 children and one adult. Fatalities: zero.

On the same day, another crazy man entered an elementary school with a rifle and opened fire on 20 children and eight adults. Fatalities: 26.

Having owned firearms all my adult life, I never expected to have a beef with the NRA. The NRA…