Cronin: Unintended consequences

There is a fundamental truth known as the law of unintended consequences. This is that curious phenomenon in which major actions and decisions, initially well-intentioned, inevitably end up creating additional effects that were neither anticipated nor intended.

Sometimes those consequences are beneficial. In 1895, a German physicist was conducting a routine experiment in his laboratory when he accidently discovered the X-ray. For this entirely unintended consequence, Wilhelm Rontgen was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. Penicillin and insulin were both likewise stumbled upon.

Sometimes, those consequences are harmful. Anyone who has ever traveled through the Deep South is undoubtedly familiar with the ubiquitous kudzu plant. Originally introduced to the U.S. from Japan as inexpensive animal feed, kudzu has since taken over as an invasive and difficult to eradicate climbing vine. It is a super weed that is smothering Dixie.

Sometimes, those consequences can be disastrous. Consider the 18^th Amendment.

Faced with mounting political pressure from the saloon-busting women’s temperance movement, Congress ultimately acquiesced by adding the amendment to the Constitution, banning the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. The “Noble Experiment,” more commonly known as Prohibition, was now the law of the land. America was to be a whiskey-free zone. Take that, dirty John Barleycorn!

Unfortunately, it did not quite work out as planned. Legal saloons were simply replaced with illegal speakeasies. With an unlimited bankroll from bootleg liquor, organized crime exploded exponentially. Law enforcement was overwhelmed. Public corruption and crime became rampant. Thousands died from drinking poison alcohol. Government had squandered away the trust and confidence of the people and America was worse off than before. What went wrong? They had neglected to respect the law of unintended consequences.

Last month in this space, I called for compromise on gun control. Full disclosure: I am a NRA member and fully support the private ownership of firearms by law-abiding citizens. I believe that is precisely what the founding fathers intended when they crafted this amendment. Many believe otherwise. With all due respect, I would humbly suggest they reread the all-but-forgotten Third Amendment. It reeks of governmental abuse. Why then should the adjacent Second Amendment not be examined under the exact same lens? It is a fair question.

I try hard not to succumb to the temptation to join in with the “you do not agree with me, therefore you are an idiot” school of debate. In view of all the recent carnage involving firearms in our schools, gun control advocates have every right to express their outrage. On that, they stand on solid moral high ground and their motto is just. “Enough is enough.” One cannot disagree.

That said, we all need to be careful not to get caught up in the excitement of this movement. Compromise really is the logical way forward. Both sides must yield some ground. We already banned fully-automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns. Perhaps now might be the time to reconsider private ownership of military-style, semi-automatic rifles. On the other side of the debate, gun control advocates must accept the legal and responsible ownership of firearms by fellow law-abiding citizens is a Constitutional right.

Wishful thinking. In a recent New York Times column, retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens called for the repeal of the Second Amendment, labeling it a “relic of the 18th century.” He recommends we forego compromise and go straight to banning the private ownership of firearms altogether. This movement is picking up momentum.

As we approach the 100^th anniversary of the great mistake that was Prohibition and more and more Americans begin to seriously consider the possibility of calling for a Constitutional convention to repeal the Second Amendment, we would be very wise not to summarily ignore the law of unintended consequences. Unexpected things will inevitably happen. Some of those things we will surely live to regret.

Cronin is a Poway resident and the safety officer at MCAS Miramar.