On Sunday, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young said placing gunslingers in a boxing ring to duke it out and settle their “beefs” could work as a way to help reduce gun violence.
With all due respect, Mayor Young, this is the silliest idea since Oakland U. in Michigan distributed hockey pucks to faculty and students to fight against school shooters.
“[May] the best man win, and the beef should be over,” he added. “Those are some kinds of things I’m thinking about and hoping that we can get these people to put these guns down.”
Mayor Young made his remarks at “Bmore United,” an anti-gun rally. At the event, he was joined by other prominent anti-gun politicians, including State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and City Councilman Robert Stokes Sr.
So, we’ll take two gang leaders, throw them in a boxing ring–may the best man win– and afterward the ill feelings between the two rivals should be “settled”??
Maybe, if one of them beats the other to death, or if you throw them all in jail and leave them there. Most likely, after the “boxing match,” they will return to the streets, pick up their guns, and the loser of the boxing match will seek revenge, and whoever gets in the way, that’s just too bad. Nothing will be settled.
Although it may not seem so at times, there is a civilized rivalry between professional boxers wherein there is a “controlled violence” that is over (usually) as soon as they leave the ring. They won’t lay in wait in the next alley for their opponent to come by so they can put 9MM holes in them.
You can’t persuade criminals to put down their guns — ever. Believing they’ll trade a gun for a pair of boxing gloves is, well, misguided.
Baltimore had 8 shootings over the weekend. One died.
Chicago had 50 over Memorial Day weekend, and 10 died– at last count.
The first question is how are you going to get them to the ring? Do you really expect them to just walk in and don the gloves and duke it out?? Really??
Criminals and gangs don’t play by our rules. They don’t care what the law says, they don’t care if there’s a “gun-free zone” sign anywhere, and they certainly don’t care if there is a ban on whatever type of gun. It’s a pipe dream to think that criminals won’t have guns if no one else is allowed to have guns.
However, it is logical that if criminals believe everyone may have a gun — and not just them– they won’t be so bold. The bad guys (well, many of them) aren’t completely stupid–they don’t want to be shot, either.
An armed citizenry is still the best deterrent of crime.
THE RIGHT RENDITION 