I don't think there should be more gun control. I think there

The words of Sam Brownback strike with the force of reason wrapped in moral urgency: “I don’t think there should be more gun control. I think there should be more education.” Beneath this statement lies not defiance, but discernment — the understanding that laws alone cannot heal the failings of the human heart. He speaks not merely of weapons, but of wisdom, not of restriction, but of responsibility. For every tool mankind forges — whether plow or sword, book or bullet — its power is determined not by the object itself, but by the mind and soul of the one who wields it. Thus, Brownback reminds us of an ancient principle: the greatest safeguard of civilization is not control, but understanding.

In the oldest philosophies, this truth was known and revered. The Greeks taught that the wise man governs himself; only the ignorant need chains. The Chinese sage Confucius declared that to lead without educating is to build walls where there should be doors. And in the words of the prophet, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Education, therefore, is not a luxury, but the foundation upon which freedom rests. When a people are ignorant, even good laws crumble into tyranny or chaos. But when a people are taught to think, to discern, and to act with conscience, they become their own guardians — defenders not only of their rights, but of their virtues.

When Brownback speaks of guns, he speaks through the lens of history. The weapon, in itself, is neither noble nor vile. In the hand of the tyrant, it enslaves; in the hand of the just, it liberates. The musket of the revolutionary and the rifle of the criminal are the same in form, but worlds apart in spirit. What separates one from the other is education — not the schooling of the mind alone, but the training of character, the shaping of restraint, the cultivation of moral sense. For only through knowledge and discipline does power become service rather than destruction.

Consider the example of the early American frontier. In those wild lands, men and women lived far from law, yet most were not ruled by violence. They carried arms, yes, but they also carried a code — taught by family, by faith, by community. The father taught his son not merely to shoot, but to respect the life that stood behind every target. The mother taught her children not merely to fear danger, but to act justly even when unseen. This was education in its truest form — the education of conscience. When this moral instruction fades, no amount of regulation can restore order, for laws cannot teach virtue to a soul that will not listen.

And history offers a darker contrast. In every age, rulers have sought to control the people by stripping away both their tools and their understanding. The Roman emperors disarmed slaves but denied them learning; the despots of the twentieth century silenced books even as they seized weapons. In each case, ignorance was the greater chain. Brownback’s words echo as a warning — that a society which neglects to educate its citizens will one day find itself unfit to govern them. For ignorance breeds fear, and fear breeds dependence, until freedom itself becomes a memory whispered among the wise.

Education, then, is the true armory of peace. It teaches the heart self-restraint, the mind discernment, and the spirit reverence for life. To educate is to disarm hatred before it acts, to prevent violence before it begins. A child taught respect will never turn wisdom into weaponry. A nation taught truth will never mistake liberty for license. Therefore, the answer to violence is not silence or suppression, but illumination — the spreading of knowledge until every soul knows its sacred duty to protect rather than destroy.

Let this be the lesson drawn from Sam Brownback’s words: laws may guide the hand, but only education shapes the heart. The weapons of war are born of metal, but the weapons of peace are born of mind and spirit. If we would live in safety, we must first live in wisdom. If we would end violence, we must begin with virtue. Teach your children honor before strength, compassion before pride, humility before judgment. For when knowledge rules the mind, and conscience rules the heart, no weapon forged can destroy the peace that education builds.

And so, remember this truth, O listener: to control is to limit, but to educate is to liberate. Arm the world not with laws alone, but with understanding. For in the light of education, even the sharpest blade becomes a tool of justice — and in the darkness of ignorance, even the gentlest hand can cause harm.