A Right to Bear Glocks by Gail Collins - Article Example

The writer also aims his weapon at the political leadership that, instead of modifying the rules on weapon, is engaged in discussions on improving the way political campaigns are to be held. The writer is not ready to blame Loughner alone for this incident; she indirectly mentions that the mentality of the Americans who think it is necessary to have free access to weapons is to be changed. Otherwise, there should be clear distinction between the kind of weapons citizens can bear for self-protection and lethal weapons of mass killing.

However, the writer points out how frightened the American political workers and the government are to campaign against the all powerful National Rifle Association. The title of the article ‘The Right to Bear Glocks’ is highly metaphorical in nature. In one way, it can be defined as the writer asking if the right to arms means the right to bear lethal weapons like Glocks. In another way, it can be defined as the writer mocking at the right to ‘have’ arms as the right to ‘tolerate’ arms.

To show how the concept of democracy is misused, the writer narrates the fate of a nine year old girl who had recently been elected to the student council at her school. She attended the campaign to learn ‘how democracy worked’ met a tragic death. . To show how the concept of democracy is misused, the writer narrates the fate of a nine year old girl who had recently been elected to the student council at her school. She attended the campaign to learn ‘how democracy worked’ met a tragic death.

In this article, the writer wants to show how a population suffers the perils of their own craze for weapons. Gabrielle Giffords herself was an avid supporter of the right to weapons and by narrating her fate, the writer wants to point out the biblical ideology of ‘all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword’ (Mat 26:52). In addition, another concept the writer indirectly implies is the way innocent people are affected by the actions of others. The writer says proper rules and regulations could have saved the lives of many people including a church volunteer and a nine year old child.

The mighty attitude the people have developed in the name of democracy is sarcastically narrated by the writer showing that a protester was waving a sign ‘Don’t tread on me’ (Collins). From the above analysis, the target audience of the article is very clear. The first culprit, according to the writer, is the people who have a strong desire for easy access to firearms. The next category, it seems, is the politicians who pursue an interest-balancing politics forgetting the real needs of the society and having no ethical insights.

The third, but the most important, category is the government that is scared of taking any effective step against the National Rifle Association. In total, the article is a highly effective weapon against the craze for free access to weapons and also against the government that bends