However, even gun control advocates worry about how effective strong laws against, say, the sale of semiautomatic weapons would be in a country where there are millions of privately owned firearms. While this is a valid question, there are reasons to think strong gun control laws might have consequences even where they seem ineffective. This means, for example, smoking was prohibited in pubs in Ireland, where drinking and smoking seemed to go together. The last three decades have seen a strong push for states to pass ‘open carry’ laws that allow people to visibly carry firearms. In the long run, the norm-setting role of laws may give them hope that clear laws can have significant consequences.

Source: Washington Post February 23, 2018 17:54 UTC