The Gun-Control Charade

[Kang Colby]

In the wake of horrific crimes like the recent mass shooting in Oregon, many in the political class respond as if there were an easy way to keep such tragedies from happening. If it weren’t for the stubbornness of the National Rifle Association, the story goes, these deadly incidents could be prevented.

This sort of rhetoric suggests that there is a workable policy sitting on the shelf, ready for implementation. It also attempts to have it both ways, suggesting that effective gun control is possible without reaching into America’s gun safes and disarming ordinary citizens.

It’s notable how much the rhetoric has changed since the peak of the national gun-ban movement, when politicians talked honestly about reducing violence by constricting the gun supply—and what that would require. In a 1989 Senate hearing, Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, a Democrat from Ohio, candidly explained: “If you don’t ban all of them you might as well ban none of them.” But gun bans proved unpalatable to American voters in even the most liberal jurisdictions. In 1976 Massachusetts voters rejected a handgun ban referendum 69% to 24%, with 86% of eligible voters going to the polls. In 1982 California voters rejected a handgun “freeze,” which would have barred their sale, 63% to 37%, with a voter turnout of 72%.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-progressive-gun-control-charade-1445806103

This is a short but excellent article on the gun control charade. Well written and honest.

[FLson]

1. Well the gun control crowd has gained themselves some new holds

in places like Colorado. California is going the way of England, and NY, CT, Maryland, and D.C. is not far off. Millenials and the next President will be big deciding factors on the next 20 years.

Gun owners could actually address the root causes of gun violence (which would also help reduce overall violence) but they won't, and then wonder how popular entertainment hustlers are pushing new gun control laws alongside politicians. It may take another fifty years but the dominos will fall one by one, especially as folks flee California, Illinois, D.C., NY, and the like (the poor ones are leaving especially) and take their beliefs in gun control with them and vote. So like cancer cells these voters move to pro-gun areas and the gun crowd leaves these issues in place and are mystified when Colorado falls to gun control.

It's really just a matter of moving goal posts now, the more gun control crowd leans to England, the more Americans will accept Australia's standards.

[Kang Colby]

2. What could gun owners do to address the root cause of violence?

Having asked that, I think you are giving gun controllers too much credit. This year four constitutional carry bills passed (West Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, and Kansas), two of which were vetoed. We will be back next year, and the year after that.

Overall point taken. Back in the 70s/80s it looked hopeless. Most gun control states, with the exception of Colorado have leaned towards gun control for a long time. Now look...

[FLson]

3. Root causes of violence

The failed war on drugs and innocent drug addicts who need help with recovery, not irrecoverable penalization. The allowing of entrenched poverty in major urban areas. The failure to create businesses that force competition among the rich or payment of good wages that help people escape poverty. Support for a mental healthcare safety net and public option (think Medicare for all, but folks could still purchase private insurance). Volunteer at suicide hotlines.

It's a long list.

[Kang Colby]

4. I agree...n/t.

[Eleanors38]

6. Now, THIS makes sense.

[beardown]

9. Quickest, biggest way to reduce gun violence

Take the money out of illegal drugs and as noted, treat them as a health problem and not a criminal problem.
39 percent (going off recent TV show) of gun deaths-violence in Detroit is related to illegal drug trade. Add in folks that get shot, but refuse to name names or not sure of shooter, probably a couple of more pct points. Add in a few more points for having fewer guns laying around areas that are probably on average the weakest on gun safety. Add in a few more points for reducing overall environment of having nearby gun violence impact on non-illegal drug connected gun owners and handlers.

I'd think 50 percent would be a close estimate.

Private prison industry and repub need to disenfranchise non-rich-white drug users are major proponents of the drug war.

A win-win-win-win as we reduce prison pop of non-violent drug offenders, restore voting rights to non-violent drug offenders, and take the money not only out of (and need to protect that money with guns) illegal drugs, but out of the pockets of the prison industry and their repub running lap dog politicians. Had to get one radical slam in here.

Would likely increase some of the bad effects of harder drugs, but would probably greatly improve overall national climate by making it easier to treat and moderate impact of the drugs and stop economically crippling drugs users right when they need a way to improve their economic standing the most.

[jimmy the one]

7. shall issue a defeat for majority democrat position

kang: This year four constitutional carry bills passed (West Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, and Kansas), two of which were vetoed. We will be back next year, and the year after that.

Do you realize that not one of those states had a reputable pro gun poll prior to the turn of the century, which showed majority support for enabling shall issue ccw?
You evidently do realize it was far right wing legislatures which presented insidious shall issue bills year after year which eventually enabled shall issue to take over.
Do you realize you are praising our opposition the republican party? for enabling this shall issue which the American public was against during the latter half of the 20th century? There may be some support now, but that is due to the declining violent crime rate, which is in part due to declining gun ownership rates.

kang: Back in the 70s/80s it looked hopeless.

Until the gun lobby, republicans in US congress, and republican state legislatures fabricated right wing propaganda to deceive the American public (see my signature line) and then rammed thru shall issue legislation despite 'the will of the people'.
Is this what you strut about so proudly for?

If you are so gung ho about rightwing gun views, you might consider joining them. You seem to equate this conversion to shall issue to some kind of grand achievement, some grand siècle, when what it actually was, was a defeat of the majority democrat opinion on carrying concealed guns.

[Kang Colby]

8. Purely my opinion,

but I don't agree that pro-2A positions are inherently "right wing"...sadly you have a small group of people who would like to push 2A support out of the party, but we aren't going to let them win. Mark my words, whoever wins the Democratic primary will "soften their tone" with respect to gun control during the GE.

[Eleanors38]

5. Another lesson in the Political Theory of Mass Extinction! Heh.

Mass migration coming up next, faster than global warming!

(Of course all this assumes that millineals, X-factors, and Gleams in da Eyes, will have no interest in guns. Like Boomers would have little interest in money and 7-liter Suburbans.)

[ileus]

10. We have to remain progressive on the 2A or lose it forever.