Good opinion piece re: gun culture
While I realize there are laws that require change, I'm more focused on the gun culture on which the NRA feeds and which leads to legislation. Imho, this is a thoughtful, intelligent opinion piece from March 2013:One obvious step is to start changing the image of government. Too often, the overwhelmingly needed and successful services of federal, state and local government are overlooked by a culture that focuses on the unusual failures — so much so that the failure of government appears to be the norm, not the exception. We need a new effort to remind people about the many constructive services government provides, everything from food safety and public education to trade promotion, environmental stewardship and basic retirement for seniors through Social Security and Medicare.
Local and national authorities need to find ways to assure Americans that a safe society is one in which well-trained law enforcement is the best answer to controlling crime and assuring safety.
But we also need to listen and consider those legitimate fears of government that do need to be addressed as part of an effort to reach consensus. Have the drug-war police become too militarized? Is the post-9/11 intelligence state too big and too intrusive? Have the rights of property and business owners to be left alone eroded too far?
READ MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/03/05/americas-gun-culture-needs-to-change-column/1965495/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Millions of Americans own firearms. There is nothing to indicate that the NRA is a factor in all of their lives or even most of their lives. Here's the results of the latest Gallup Poll regarding gun use by party affiliation:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/20098/Gun-Ownership-Use-America.aspx
According to the most recent Gallup poll on the issue of self-reported gun ownership by Democrats, gun ownership has been increasing and is now the highest since 1993.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/Self-Reported-Gun-Ownership-Highest-1993.aspx
It also appears that there is a record-low of 26% in favor of a handgun ban.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150341/Record-Low-Favor-Handgun-Ban.aspx
I once read that Richard Hofstadter felt America's biggest failure was in it's "failure to come to terms with guns". Which is simply a code phrase that means severely restricting or an outright ban on guns as other countries have done.
http://www.americanheritage.com/content/america-gun-culture
Well Dallek, just like Hofstadter, does not understand that the only people who have "failed to come to terms with guns" are the political, intellectual, economic and social (PIES) elites who do not understand, do not like, and even outright hate, that the average adult American can be armed.
It is the same mindset that seeks to limit what people can drink, or eat, or smoke in the name of "doing it for people's own good." Of which Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NYC would be the poster child for all of the above, including gun bans and mass stop and frsik of anyone who looks the slightest bit suspicious.
The PIES Elites ALWAYS know what is best for the common man or woman, and are angry and offended when the common person pushes back against what the PIES view as perfectly logical and rational, and which the common person views as utter arrogance. An arrogance displayed in Dallek's piece.
But changing people's minds is essential if the nation is to find common ground on reducing gun violence and lifting the pall of fear that drives so many into an unholy alliance with guns.
In other words, if we just LISTEN to them, as if we were frightened children, and do exactly what they tell us to do as if they were adults correcting a frightened child, things would be just fine. We then would and should just all give up our guns and live in peace and harmony.
Of course the PIES Elites would write into law the ability for themselves to have armed private security guards, firms and even outright private security armies guarding gated compounds which would be there solely to protect themselves, their loved ones and their property while leaving the rest of the common people to depend solely on the "good graces" of law enforcement.
EDIT: And the latest incident of the "good graces" of law enforcement is reported over here:
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/07/23/59593.htm
DU thread over here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3320020
I'm not suggesting a ban on guns (though gun advocates are the ones who make me entertain such a thought, even briefly).
I only mentioned Marissa Alexander because she came to mind first as far as an example of someone whom I understand feels they need a gun for protection (abused women).
I also understand people would want a gun for hunting and for sporting purposes.
All that said, I do think it would be good if we -- as a society (not involving government at all) -- had a conversation about the roots of WHY people want guns.
That was why I posted this article because it speaks to having a conversation regarding the reasons why many people want guns, and those reasons are often -- not always -- steeped in fear.
This is often true as to WHY people want anything other than a handgun (protection); a rifle (hunting/sporting purposes).
Fewer Americans own weapons, yet the number of weapons owned by an individual keeps increasing. Other than fear of government and those who collect guns, I do not understand that.
In my opinion, there is a lot of fear at the core of why people buy weapons. The reasons for those fears should be explored, as a national conversation.
Done here. 
