Should Gun Laws, or Any Law, Punish or Prohibit?  Laws don’t
stop people from tresspassing or stealing. A moment’s thought
will tell you that’s true. They don’t prevent murder either.  So
why the clamor for “tougher gun laws” after a high profile
incident like Aurora, CO?    What’s important is to recognize
that whatever else they may be, they are lawless. And once one
realizes laws don’t influence the lawless, then it follows that
trying to prevent any behavior by force of legislation is
foolish. As is often said, one cannot legislate morality.  It’s
the nature of laws.  There are only two types of law; punitive
and prohibitive. Punitive laws are moral and prescribe a
punishment for violating the rights of another. We don’t have
laws making murder illegal, for example. Instead, we have laws
for what we do to you if you murder.  Punitive laws are regarded
as moral and just by almost everyone. Who doesn’t understand
it’s bad if someone steals from us or kills us. The lawful,
because they are lawful, are not im