Oedipus Rex: Ignorance is not bliss

     Many people say, Ignorance is bliss. That statement is wrong, ignorance is NOT bliss. It is horrible to be ignorant. In the story of Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, he is ignorant of the fact that he is married to his mother, committed incest, and has murdered his father, but his ignorance isn’t his happiness. Once he realizes this, it torments him so much that he kills himself. He couldn’t stand that horror he had committed. Pretending that criminals can’t get their hands on guns just because the government has banned them, isn’t helpful or even relieving. Once the people realize that criminals are able to arm themselves and they are defenseless to do anything, it will be too late. Too many people will have died to redeem the error. Soon to be president of the National Rifle Association, Jim Porter, says, "There is nothing, nothing that criminals do with guns that isn't already against the law" (qtd in Lorenz). Just because the government has gotten rid of guns, doesn’t mean that evil people can’t gain access to them. Criminals have already broken so many laws, so it wouldn’t hurt them to break any more laws, they simply don’t care about the law or basic morals. The black market still exists, no one can pretend that it doesn’t exist. Criminals, if motivated enough, will get guns, through the black market. They won’t stop simply because there are now restrictions. So ignorance of this fact isn’t bliss, it’s just stupidity. Just like Oedipus, everyone must persevere to know the truth and to be aware, so that more people don’t end up dead because of their mistakes. Thinking that criminals won’t have access to guns simply because the government has banned or forbidden them, is ignorant and it isn’t bliss. It will be a tragedy, the death of many and no one will be able to stop it, because they’ve been stopped by their own government, which has sworn to protect them. No one will be able to defend themselves against criminals if they hold the guns. 

Works Cited

Lorenz, Andrea. "NRA's next President to Lead Its Court Fights against Gun Control."Reuters. Thomson
      Reuters, 05 May 2013. Web. 22 May 2013.
     <http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/05/us-usa-guns-nra-porter-idUSBRE9430D020130505>. 

Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.