The "slippery slope" argument certainly isn't exclusive to gun rights advocates, but it has definitely been a go-to over the years. It's usually along the lines of "this particular gun regulation or restriction is bad despite its practical benefits because it will inevitably lead to the end of all gun rights. Therefore, we should do nothing because, it's a slippery slope."
It's a lazy argument. It saves the hard work of figuring out what is and what is not a good law and trying to think through the benefits while anticipating the consequences. I would dare to say that it is also an unpatriotic argument. You really have to have very low confidence in our American system of government and an equally low opinion of your fellow citizens to think that everything is fragile.
This week Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a law that prohibits those with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions from purchasing and possessing a gun for eight years after finishing their sentence. It will help protect domestic abuse victims, who are typically women and children.
The timing for this new law is good in any case, but particularly appropriate to be the same week as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is Saturday, November 25.
John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
