No, I’m not going to say “I told you so” - even if I did - because that may cause you to shy away from the debate. What I will say is that we’re chewing some fat that has already been chewed, but forgot to swallow. This is the time in presidential politics that presidents don’t want to be fighting this fight, but now is as appropriate a time as any.

You see, at least two deputies in Buchanan County, Virginia, were shot, a couple weeks ago. The shooting occurred in the Devils Branch community (yeah really…Devil’s Branch!). The entire sheriff’s department of 35 staffers was on the scene. Yet another in a long line of incidents where law enforcement officers are placed at greater risk because more people than them have guns in their possession. This current system of gun ownership hasn’t worked out well for the police, or the public at-large.

I’ve said many times in the past that “if the police were the only ones with the guns, then we’d know who the bad guys are.” I’m not saying police wouldn’t shoot unarmed people, but there would fewer incidents of police shootings if suspects had no guns.

More than two months after the fatal shootings in Tucson, Arizona, in mid-March, President Obama staked out his position in the gun control debate. In an op-ed in The Arizona Daily Star, Obama acknowledged the role of guns in American society, while warning of their dangers.

Obama wrote, “Every single day, America is robbed of more futures. It has awful consequences for our society,” adding that “we have a strong tradition of gun ownership that’s handed from generation to generation.” What I opine is that tradition isn’t always good. Even Jesus noted that. I won’t get too holy on you, but the most renowned prophet makes it clear that the worship of men - tradition - is a serious doctrinal error and will end up worthless. In other words, if we hold dear to being right in our policies and practices, then we can’t keep justifying killing people with this deeply held “tradition”, guns.

In his op-ed, President Obama outlined three “sound and effective” steps to keep “those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place,” including enforcing laws already on the books, rewarding states that provide the best data and therefore do the most to protect their citizens and making the system for background checks “faster and nimbler.” Of course, the libertarian, conservatives on the right will take this common-sense approach as an infringement on their rights. Rights to do what?

In Sunday’s piece, Obama said he understands discussions about gun control “can reinforce stark divides.” And divide, it will. Actually, he won’t divide anything, because they were already against him, before he can state anything.

I’ve previously opined twice on the gun question this year - and it’s just March! This thing is serious. What we know is that gun violence makes all Americans uncomfortable, at best, and scared as hell, in its worst moments. That cannot be construed as good. In poor communities, it’s a curse; in black communities, it’s even worse. And when municipalities, like Washington, DC try to legislate the curse out of their community, gun lovers - who don’t even live in their communities - fight to make those people accept the gun lovers’ traditions. That’s not working toward the greater good.

Being his compromising self, Obama also wrote, “However, I believe that if common sense prevails, we can get beyond wedge issues and stale political debates to find a sensible, intelligent way to make the United States of America a safer, stronger place…We owe the victims of the tragedy in Tucson and the countless unheralded tragedies each year nothing less than our best efforts - to seek consensus, to prevent future bloodshed, to forge a nation worthy of our children’s futures.” Why that doesn’t make sense, is beyond me, but I know the Right will find arguments where there are none.

What I also know is that conservative groups like the gang at Fox News and The Heritage Foundation will paint the picture that most Americans are against stronger oversight legislation on guns. I know different.

In a joint statement Sunday, the bipartisan group Mayors Against Illegal Guns said they “strongly agree” with the president’s proposals. “We can - and must - respect the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding gun owners while still tackling this problem,” the statement said. “And we look forward to working with him (President Obama) to ensure that the new national dialogue he has called for culminates in real solutions.”

Never mind that more shootings occur involving “law-abiding” gun owners than those who have illegal weapons. Whether they are police officers or everyday Joes with permission to own a gun, those people with the guns are the ones negatively altering American lives. Sure, they can target “illegal” possessors of guns, but I’ve tracked mass shootings for the past six years and the majority of those were conducted by the “law-abiding” citizen.

When the debate is all over, said and done, the fact remains that guns do no earthly good. I imagine that’s why I never read about there being any in heaven. In the meantime, an old candle is being re-lit; let’s use its light to see the facts and tell the truth.

BlackCommentator.com Columnist, Perry Redd, is the former Executive Director of the workers rights advocacy, Sincere Seven, and author of the on-line commentary, “The Other Side of the Tracks.” He is the host of the internet-based talk radio show, Socially Speaking in Washington, DC. Click here to contact Mr. Redd.