This fall, Iowans can vote to alter the state constitution, expressly giving us the right to bear arms. But, you may say, the Second Amendment of the US Constitution already does that. Why does Iowa need to restate a right we already have? Nobody knows for sure, but maybe it has something to do with the governing principle of “mutually assured destruction”.
With the invention and dissemination of nuclear weapons, some scientific types figured out that if one country dropped an atomic bomb on their enemy and the enemy retaliated and their allies started dropping nuclear weapons in a kind of crazy crossfire, before long, the Earth would become a radioactive smoking cinder and we’d all be dead. Therefore, the possibility of mutually assured destruction is supposed to be enough to keep any country from starting a nuclear war. Scaling down that principle, if everybody in the room is packing heat, they all tend to be on their best behavior, knowing their first mistake could be their last.
Gov. Kim Reynolds understands this controlling power of uncertainty. Last year, she signed a law allowing adults to buy and carry handguns without a permit. A Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll showed that two-thirds of Iowans opposed the measure. But now that it has become law and everybody is carrying a gun, they’re probably afraid to say anything.
Iowa is currently only one of six states whose constitution does not mention the right to bear arms. The new law would contain the provision, “Any and all restriction of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.” And if the amendment is passed, Iowa will be only one of four states requiring “strict scrutiny” of any limits on guns or gun ownership. From then on, any requirements for more stringent background checks, any ban on silencers, high-capacity magazines, ghost guns with no traceable serial numbers, etc. must be subjected to this standard.
Back when the Second Amendment was written, the average person was skillful with guns. They hunted for food; they used guns for protection. Organized law enforcement was limited. There were bears in the woods. These days in Iowa, you don’t need to know how to shoot in order to carry a gun. But if a “bad guy” pulls a gun, a good guy with a gun is somehow supposed know what to do. If you want to drive a car, you have practice driving skills, pass a test—and the police are always watching to make sure you follow the rules. Most of us drive every day and we’re pretty good at it. But imagine if you never drove your car and then, suddenly you were expected to drive a Winnebago across New York City during rush hour in a blinding snow storm.
Ownership of weapons does not equal competence. An untrained gun owner is a danger to himself and others. Therefore, the more incompetent gun owners in Iowa, the better. As we consider this important amendment to our state constitution, we must appreciate that there cannot be a more chilling deterrent to crime than knowing a roomful of frightened, fumbling, bungling good guys and gals with guns could, with a little provocation, promptly assure their mutual destruction.