Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: So who makes up the RW trolls here? [View all]spin
(17,493 posts)Last edited Wed Jun 6, 2012, 01:12 AM - Edit history (1)
and we wish to do our best to insure that firearms are in the hands of honest, sane and responsible people.
Unfortunately in our nation today both sides of many important arguments have their feet firmly planted in concrete and refuse to budge and compromise on the issues. With the rowers on the left side of the boat rowing as hard as they can and those on the right refusing to row, we will only end up going in circles and will never get anywhere.
I find this especially true in the debate over gun control. There was a time frame when those who opposed firearm ownership enjoyed great success and were able to impose many restrictions and even pass the "assault weapons" ban. They were looking forward to greatly restricting or banning handgun ownership and some hoped to eventually ban and confiscate all firearms although most would have been satisfied with only licensed hunters and target shooters owning rifles or shotguns. An incremental approach to accomplishing their goal was proving successful. They believed that one small step at a time would eventually result in gun laws similar to those in Canada or even possibly the United Kingdom.
But the pro-RKBA group began to win victories in states like Florida with the passage of "Shall Issue" concealed carry. At that time, I was a Floridian who owned a number of handguns and enjoyed target shooting but I feared that the law might well prove to be a disaster. "Shall Issue" concealed carry proved far more successful than I anticipated.
Other states decided to pass "Shall Issue" after seeing that it worked well in Florida and it rapidly spread across the nation. While it didn't always cause the crime rate to fall, it did convince many people that allowing honest citizens to own and even carry firearms does not lead to a return to the "Wild West" with shootouts at every intersection and at High Noon on Main Street as warned by those who opposed gun ownership. Many of my co-workers obtained carry permits. Nothing hurts the stereotype often projected by anti-RKBA groups that gun owners are all illiterate, beer drinking rednecks who are born again Christians than working side by side in a white collar environment with a college educated atheistic individual who enjoys shooting and carries a legally concealed handgun while not at work.
The pro-RKBA group decided that they would oppose any and all proposed future restrictions on firearms (even if reasonable) as they believed that if they allowed the camel to put his nose nose under the walls of the tent soon the entire camel would be inside. There is some logic to this idea but it stops progress on the issue of gun control which might actually prove productive in reducing gun violence.
Another factor which hurt gun control was a tendency to exaggerate. For example when the Glock handgun was introduced it was viewed by the anti-RKBA crowd as a "plastic pistol" which could slip through metal detectors and be used to hijack aircraft.
Why the Glock Became Americas Handgun
***snip***
Q
What role did gun control play in making the Glock a popular weapon?
A
Efforts to restrict the Glock by name were hugely important. For example, when the gun first showed up in the United States, gun-control advocates said this gun is extremely and uniquely dangerous because its made mostly out of plastic so airport security machines wont detect it. There was a huge controversy over this. There were congressional hearings in 86 and 87, and some jurisdictions, such as New York City, banned the Glock.
But this allegation was just factually incorrect. Airport security machines did detect the Glock because theyre mostly X-ray machines, and X-rays see plastic just the way they see metal. Moreover, by weight, the Glock is actually mostly metal anyway. The slide is made out of steel, so if you do have a magnetometer, it should detect that slide. And if someone is staring at it and knows what theyre looking for, they should be able to see it. This was a huge embarrassment for gun-control forces and a huge boon for Glock. There is no better way in the United States to get attention for a gun than to suggest its extremely potent and effective.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/weapons/why-the-glock-became-americas-handgun
Despite considerable support from the main stream media, gun control advocates have been unable to stop the spread of laws such as Castle Doctrine, "Take Your Gun to Work", and "Stand Your Ground" in many states. In fact the media ruined its reputation to a great extent by showing an obvious bias on the issue of gun control. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand firearms and when the media portrays a firearm that is a semiautomatic weapon as a machine gun, knowledgeable people tend to question their reporting on far more complicated issues such as economics. Recent Supreme Court decisions from a conservative court have also hurt the anti-RKBA cause.
However I believe that it is possible that the pro-RKBA groups such as the NRA may overplay their current advantage and find that the pendulum swings in two directions. I feel that some restrictions are very reasonable and removing such limits may lead to a number of preventable tragedies. Time will tell.
I think that we can improve our current firearm laws but in order to do so both sides of the issue have to compromise. Perhaps the NRA and other pro-RKBA organizations could propose ideas that would help to insure that only rational, sane and responsible people can buy firearms from dealers and private individuals. Gun right groups such as the NRA are riding high in the saddle right now and the effort might not only be successful but might prevent avoidable tragedies that could endanger existing gun rights. The anti-RKBA groups could accept that firearm ownership is a fact of American society and is unlikely to go away. They might, for example, agree that training all high school students in firearm safety in a nation that has more than 300 million firearms is a rational idea. While it is true that such courses might interest some in the shooting sports, it might well prevent unnecessary accidents. Both groups could work together to combat criminal activity and insure that police departments pro actively fight crime and criminal drug gangs. Perhaps rational people on both sides of the issue could realize that we have lost the War on Drugs and we would be better off to legalize some drugs such as marijuana as all we are currently accomplishing is to enable violent criminal gangs to profit off the sale of not only fairly harmless drugs such as marijuana but far more dangerous drugs like Meth or concoctions such as K2 or bath salts.
I doubt that this will happen but I can dream.
Of course I will admit that firearms are inherently dangerous and even well trained and responsible people may do extremely foolish things with a gun especially if they are under the influence of alcohol. Firearms also make committing suicide much easier. It's far too easy to grab a firearm when you are suffering from a a bout of depression or in an intense argument while you are inebriated especially when the weapon is not properly secured.
Firearms may provide you with an excellent and challenging life long hobby. They may provide food for your family table. You may enjoy collecting firearms and they can prove to be an excellent investment if you are knowledgeable. They may enable you to stop a violent home invader or a mugger who intends to harm you on the street.
However they can take your life or the life of another person in an instant. A firearm is an inanimate but lethal object.
I often read posts here in the Gungeon that insinuate that those who support RKBA want every citizen in the United States to own a firearm. That might be true of a small minority but many feel as I do that guns are NOT for everybody.
I personally try to discourage gun ownership when asked by an individual who while interested in purchasing one is inexperienced with firearms. I point out that the chances that he/she might have a reason to use one for self defense are far less than the possibility that owning one might cause a tragedy. I will point out that I lost a close family member because she mixed alcohol with handling a firearm despite the fact that she was well trained in firearm safety and was an experienced shooter. If the person fails to listen to my reasoning, I ask them to take a firearm safety course and to actively engage in the shooting sports by visiting a range on a regular basis.