A Secular Case for Gun Control?

Presumably, a secular argument would be based, as the word implies, on the good of the state. It can be seen for example that in the history of civilizations, the state has always regarded it a cardinal good for persons to be secure from harm and, thus, that it is an obligation of government (“lawful authority”) to protect persons from injury, even when it is necessary to use force and violence to do this. To protect a majority of persons from injury, the state may inflict injury on others: Thus the state or lawful authority is empowered to punish criminals, send men to war, and sometimes ostracize, intrude upon or punish sub-populations thought to be dangerous to the common good. This is possible because the “common good” is not a settled term but a political one that has been understood differently in different times of national histories.
Kings and politicians routinely appeal to this and equivalent terms (e.g., “God and country,” “the American people”) which in fact are more metaphysical than real constructs.... more