Whenever gun control advocates make their pitch for adding still more firearms-restricting laws to the books, there’s one theme that they continually use to wrap their agenda in: safety. They want to make the world a safer place. For the children. And who could be against that? But there’s an important caveat they make about the safety they seek: according to them, guns make them feel unsafe. Feel. And there’s where the problem lies . . .
Of course, there’s a difference between feeling safe and actually being safe, and while the perception of the relative level of safety can sometimes cloud people’s judgement the reality of the matter is beyond question. The people on the Titanic no doubt felt perfectly safe right up until the moment they felt freezing cold seawater around their ankles. By the same token, some travelers in America feel jittery about air travel, but they’re more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than in the airplane itself.
I bring this up because as I was flying over the English countryside a couple days ago, I was reminded of an article that some academic wrote praising the British gun control system and demanding that America implement it as well. The entire premise of his argument was that he felt safe walking down the streets in England, but not as safe when walking down the streets of his American hometown. And for that disparity, he blamed the prevalance of guns.
The problem with “gut feel”-based analysis is that it has no grounding in fact. Gun control advocates blame guns for all the ills of American society not because they have any concrete evidence, but because guns scare them. If their position had even a shred of credibility then during the last couple years of massive firearms sales we would have seen a corresponding increase in the crime or murder rate. Instead it continues to drop. Fast.
Another example is one I’ve grown quite fond of recently. Suppose you have two rooms, one filled with hundreds of police officers and the other filled with hundreds of citizens licensed to carry a concealed firearm. If you ask a gun control advocate which one of those rooms they’d feel safest in, they’d respond that the one filled with coppers is preferable. But in reality, that group of police officers is about four times more likely to kill our friendly gun control advocate than is the concealed carry group.
The root cause of gun control is fear. Gun control advocates have an irrational fear of guns, and they believe that by enacting enough laws the evil firearms will be banished and things will be much better. They base this not on facts or statistics, but on indoctrination and prejudice. While it’s perfectly reasonable to use one’s feelings of safety and security to make everyday decisions, when it comes to lawmaking I expect a higher level of reasoning to be used. Sure, it may be unreasonably optimistic, but in my view, laws designed to deter crime and improve safety should be based on actual facts and evidence instead of the whims of the committee in question.
Relying on feelings instead of constitutional law and actual facts is the reason the Jim Crowe laws were passed in the South. That same reasoning — relying on fear and prejudice instead of facts — is what is driving gun control advocates to move against guns and gun owners. Prejudice and fear have driven people to do some terrible things throughout history, and I sincerely hope that facts and logic will win. For once.
Feelings are for liberals. I run on high octane logic.
It’s amazing that with stuff like this, Media Matters is still a tax-exempt organization.
+1 Mark Chamberlain. If all the HUNTERS out there understood they’re at great risk of losing their rights we might NOT be having these arguments. Yeah I live in Cook County,Illinois. This state is dominated by dumbocrats. I ALSO live a mile from the Indiana boarder. We’re getting MORE like Indiana, not vice versa.
I’m a former New Jersey resident off almost 50 years, former law enforcement officer and a strong conservative. in 2003, after much consideration,I decided to leave the state of regulations, taxes, anti constitutional laws and archaic politicians. I am a gun collector,target shooter, competitor and cartridge and shell reloaded. my passion for the sport was always hindered by anti gun anti hunting public sentiment and regulations. Next thing I have every done however, I must add this to the equation, NJ is well known to be like another Chicago, corrupt and blue as well as its people always voting after death for the democ rats, so for me to complain or anyone else, first let’s look at the way we vote for we in NJ have what we deserve,what we voted for.
The same goes for our country, you wanted ” hope and change”? You got it!
I 2as once an NRA member, but after they tried to sabotage the Heller case, I not only did not renew my membership, I have spoken out against them at every turn. I’ve come to find out that Heller was not the first the NRA has actively attempted to derail pro-gun legislation; they did it in NH, and attempted to stop the push for SYG law in my home state of PA, via their state coordinator, John Hohenwater.
Another great example of NRA hypocrisy and weakness. Thanks for the reminder.
So then what’s the point of the law?
I love how the law is the law is the law until it isnt. Well, if it isnt strike it from the books. Laws that lay dormant are very dangerous for everyone. Either enforce it or repeal it.
Firearm ownership is the new national civil rights issue. We need to continue to frame the argument in those terms. Instead of “no blacks” signs on establishments the folks at organizations like MDA go around trying to put up “no gun-owners” signs. It’s clear discrimination and in the vast majority of cases there is no legal or moral backing. Just like they wanted to block African Americans from integrating into society they want to remove gun owners from society. Keep them out of our schools, our stores, our bars, our towns. Sound familiar? Safety was a key concern in “keeping the blacks out”, even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, it was a key concern before slavery was abolished. Because of that we know these people will justify literally anything in the name of safety.
There is no compromise with our rights, just as there is no compromise with slavery. We either have rights or don’t, keep slaves or have free citizenry.
yeah, I’m sure he’s impressed with your letter, when the phone don’t ring, you’ll know its Wayne.
At the end of the video the reporter says “if you have a problem, you will be getting a letter from the commissioner sometime this week.”
Is that for people who tried to register late? People who didn’t register but have a record of purchase?
Can TTAG get a copy of that letter?
okay the NRA is a good Organization or was when I was younger I live in Florida and the Florida Chapter of the NRA has been supporting very bad gun legislation that is giving the state more control over our gun rights and recently we tried to pass a bill that would prevent the federal government from enforcing federal gun legislation in Florida and the Florida NRA stood against this bill that would have protected Floridians from the Feds and in this messed up world there are cases in which the ACLU have been supporting the rights of gun owners over the state and local governments never thought that I would be in disagreement with the NRA or in agreement with the ACLU but we live in very interesting times and just so it is clear I am a major supporter of the 2nd Amendment and want to see it restored to what it use to be with the restoration of the Militia act as well I was a gun smith in the Marines guns are life and freedom
Everyone needs to write both of their state senators and all of the state congressional representatives and tell them that they need to act against the current president’s overuse of executive power to enact laws, change laws and the same for policies. Remind them that they are letting Obama set a bad precedent that weakens Congress, and specifically mention to the Democrats in our states that there will be a time when there is a Republican in the White House and he will do the exact same thing as Obama and enact laws and policies that they are vehemently against. Get these people thinking selfishly about their own futures.
>assault features
Well. That’s new.
Excuse me gentlemen, my forehead has a date with a concrete wall.
She needs to give up and/or go hang out with Fred Phelps.
The import provisions of the GCA are probably some of the stupidest parts of the whole thing, and should be first in line for repeal. To ban the importation of a consumer item that is perfectly legal when manufactured in the US is straight-up industry protectionism and cannot be rationally related to public safety. Things get even more ridiculous when you start having to make up rules about how many foreign parts it takes to count as “assembling” a firearm from imported components, etc.
“As a result of the Treasury Department’s unnecessarily restrictive interpretation of the sporting purposes test, imports of military-style weapons have increased dramatically in recent years, helping to fuel deadly gun violence along the Southwest border and in neighboring Mexico.” — Senator Feinstein’s letter to our President
It’s a good thing I didn’t have a mouth full of food or drink when I read that line because I would have sprayed it all over my monitor. I cannot believe Feinstein would write something like that.
In case the insanity escapes anyone, the federal government’s very own Department of the Treasury — the agency charged with regulating the importation of firearms through their ATF arm — was actively exporting those very same firearms to Mexican Cartels via their Fast And Furious “operation” and directly contributing to the “gun violence” of which Senator Feinstein speaks!!!!!
Most days a G26. Sometimes a G19. Either is always in a Milt Sparks VM2 under an untucked shirt, unless I am going to the gym in which case I use a Remora.
Beretta Px4 9mm Fullsize IWB. It is with me everywhere. If it comes off me at home, it is within arms reach. Heck. Sometimes I sleep with it holstered. Okay. Nap with it.
Well ‘duh! As you oppress a population you must consider that the peasants may get fed up and revolt. It is essential that you eliminate their means to defend themselves early, before they feel the full weight of the oppression on them. Slaving away to fill the government coffers and pay off the unions/well-connected businesses with either right or left leanings for the politicians favors/protection.
Hence- your line, the two parts are directly related, the first the direct cause of the second:
“Nanny State America (e.g. New Jersey) is sinking under the weight of its bloated bureaucracy,
[ causing the conditions of oppression, confiscatory taxation to pay the bill; directly leads to the concern over the peasants rebelling and thus the need to disarm them]
placing new restrictions on its citizens’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms.”
AIWB Beretta 92FS
So the Space Cadet is claiming victory Georgia. By his logic, Robert E. Lee defeated the Union army at Gettysburg.
AARP members get a discount on .22lr???
TO WALMART
(By the time we get there, they may have some)