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And there we were, thinking that the best way to celebrate Mother’s Day was to give the Mom in your life something firearms related: a beginner’s class, ammo, a gun, something. Apparently not. “My children will bring me flowers for Mother’s Day, and I will be delighted, promises Heidi Stevens at chicagotribune.com. “Mother’s Day — despite its greeting-card roots — is my favorite holiday, because mother is my favorite role. It’s the thing I feel most like. I’m a writer and a daughter and a wife and a friend, but I go hours and days without thinking about the ways I inhabit those roles. Mother is with me always. Flowers, though, feel inadequate this year. They feel worse than inadequate. They feel distasteful.” And so . . .

Australia, as you likely know, has no right to bear arms written into the Constitution. Hughes acknowledged as much in his letter.

But why not amend ours, he wondered?

“We are astounded that the attitudes of many Americans is to fight fire with more fire, rather than to just put the damned fire out,” he wrote. “It’s time the U.S. lived up to its tag as the land of the free and home of the brave, and made a brave decision.”

I know his words — and my repeating them — will inflame the people who are incensed at the notion of further restrictions on gun ownership.

But I can’t think about the families I mentioned above, and the more than 1,000 other families touched by gun violence this year in Chicago alone, and not wonder whether he’s onto something.

Fighting fire with more fire isn’t working for us. How many more children’s lives will be shattered before we acknowledge as much?

By “fighting fire with fire,” Ms. Stevens is referring to armed Americans defending themselves by force of arms. I don’t suppose she’s familiar with even the lowest credible estimable of annual defensive gun uses per year: 50,000. Or the higher number of over a million. That’s a net positive, as our man Leghorn pointed out recently.

In addition, the vast majority of Chiraq’s firearms-related homicides are gang-related, crimes which do not involve “children” (even if you conveniently count teenage gang-bangers as children). Gun control hasn’t stopped the killing in the Windy City. Nor will it. How many more lives will be shattered before she acknowledges as much?

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104 COMMENTS

  1. So we live up to our motto of land of the free and home of the brave by being scared of inanimate objects and banning guns, thus being less free?

    Either way, even if her points held true, I chose not to have children. Why should I sacrifice my rights just because she chose to get knocked up?

    • Her children will probably be raised by their illegal alien nanny and grow up to be skeered of anything and everything.

    • Who in their right mind would prefer a phone in hand – instead of a gun – should someone, or more than one, be kicking in their door or coming through their window?

  2. “It’s time the U.S. lived up to its tag as the land of the free and home of the brave, and made a brave decision.”

    Freedom takes many forms. While it may be distasteful to some, the ability to protect oneself from violence is a freedom. Most gun owners aren’t looking for a fight. But they aren’t going to necessarily run away from a fight, either.

    Land of the free BECAUSE of the BRAVE, not in spite of it.

    • Apparently the lady has never heard of that adage “don’t confuse bravery with stupidity.”

  3. So go ahead and amend it already, what are you anti-2a freedom hating leftist nutballs waiting for?

    • I agree. I say all who want civilian disarmament speak up and say what you truly want to say.

      Then watch as the majority tell disagree with you.

      I’ll take a page out of the prog’s play book. If it’s so great in Australia, then go.

    • Yep. Fewer rights, more control, more laws, fewer freedoms. – and apparently the pursuit of such is “Brave.”

      The author of the article goes on a complete gun blame session. Where fault is completely and wholly assigned to the inanimate “gun” and no accountability whatsoever is given to the people performing criminal acts with guns.

  4. Yesterday I took my wife out to the shooting range to shoot her NEW 9mm pistol. She shot it better than I was shooting with mine.. “Happy Mothers Day”

  5. You say Australia, I say Mexico. You say United Kingdom, I say Venezuela. All are much closer to gun control paradise, yet their crime problems and rates all differ. It’s as if gun control is irrelevant to a nation’s level of crime. Hmmmmm. Maybe the issue is more complex that your simple feelings mommy.

  6. Drop the Social Justice Warrior Princess off in Englewood at 2am with mom jeans full of peace, love, and unicorns. Fight fire with rainbows sister! Godspeed.

  7. I wonder why all these SJW are so eager to turn America into someplace else, when they could just move their hippie asses someplace else? Don’t like the way America works? Get the fuck out.

    • Because the “revolution” was meant to be a global phenomena, not something localized in one place. Like radical islam, it was meant to spread to every corner of the earth, and become the single driving ideology of the human race. This is why they never stop.

    • Because their ideas are soooo awesome that they have to be forced upon you by armed agents of the state. They can’t have the proles shooting back dontchaknow?

    • Would agree with you, if you were consistent in your views. You support nanny-state/Government control over individuals health care choices. You can’t have it both ways.

  8. I only took a quick peek at the article on the Trib’s site, but it appears there is no place for comments. No surprise there. People like this woman do not want to hear the truth about guns.

    Rather than admit that the problems lie within our social beliefs & behaviors, they want to blame guns. Instead of complaining about the general celebration of “thug life” by much of today’s youth, or looking at the revolving door justice system that keeps non-violent offenders behind bars while giving early release to the violent offenders, she wants people like you and me to be left defenseless against sociopath criminals and, perhaps, an oppressive government.

    I cannot comprehend how she fails to grasp the simple fact that all the shooting &/or killings of which she complains are committed by criminals and that restricting the rights of lawful citizens will have essentially zero effect. Criminals commit crimes. Criminals ignore laws. What is hard to understand about this?

    • There is a place for comments on the Trib article, at the bottom of the page, and about 70% are hammering away at her position with facts.

      • I missed it in my rush, but I’m glad to hear she is getting flooded with facts. Don’t think it will change her thinking, but it may have a positive effect on fence sitters. Thanks for the update, Jeff.

      • But she did kindly leave her email address so you can respond directly to her. Please take the opportunity let Ms, Stevens know what you thing of her idea to repeal the Second Amendment (and maybe the First Amendment too) directly to
        [email protected]

  9. While we’re amending things let’s fix that pesky 19th amendment. It’s done more harm than good hasn’t it? And let’s really open up the discussion about the 13th. Did we ban slavery or just start importing it from China? This is fun. Let’s modify the freedom of religion to exclude Scientology.

    Or maybe, just maybe, we should act like adults and learn what we were taught. Freedom is hard, but no man should come between another’s civil rights.

    • I’m not sure. Perhaps we should remove this woman’s right to read, write, or speak, ever again. I’ll bet she would not even understand the similarity to her views.

  10. America-formerly known as home of the brave.

    Now home of the “safe” zone.

    We are FUBAR.

  11. I think she is distasteful. How many mothers in Chicago wish they could have a gun to protect themselves from the armed thugs and gangs who rule the city. Does she think a repeal of 2A will result in them giving up their guns? Elitist utopia is not practical policy.

    • I wonder who she thinks are protecting her precious children, keeping them from being beaten, kidnapped, raped, robbed, and murdered? And how she thinks those protectors are managing that?

  12. Soccer moms like her and Americans in general (i.e. The Americans who equate freedom with ESPN, white picket fences, barbecues, baseball games, and herding the family into a church on Sunday) don’t want to be free.

    They want politicians to tell them guns will be banned so their little brats will be safe, they want to be told their retirement will be protected and “their” social security payments will be there. That’s it. That’s all America really cares about.

    And no, leftism isn’t brave, it isn’t courageous; it’s evil and people who go along with it “for the children” or to keep their money safe are cowards.

    They don’t deserve freedom. They don’t deserve to live in America.

    • Uh, actually most if not all of the gun owners I know love sports, grilling, the idea of owning a nice house (i.e. picket fence) and all the other stuff you mentioned

      • But they don’t willfully give up their freedom and go running and begging the government to save them from themselves and to to pass yet another draconian law when the s#!+ hits the fan like most of America does.

  13. I’m a woman and a mom and I would welcome a nice gun of some kind as a gift for Mothers Day 🙂

    • Since women already have the vote and would be involved in any attempt to repeal or revise any amendment, especially the 19th, I believe that such action would be about as successful as expecting the Congress to enact term-limit legislation.

      And an implied threat to cut off sex to the “significant other” if they even suspect he is in favor of repealing the 18th Amendment would send that issue down in flames.

    • Let’s repeal the First Amendment in celebration of Christmas this year. What? It totally makes sense, right?
      /sarc

  14. When are the grownups going to stand up and tell all these little crybabies to go to their rooms until they are ready to quit being such whiners?!

  15. What is it about having children that makes people think that other people give a crap about their feelings and opinions? “I’m a mommy, so now here’s what I think, everybody!” How about you just raise your kids how you choose and leave the rest of us alone?

  16. So, according to her, for Mother’s Day we should deny mothers the ability to defend themselves.

  17. “We are astounded that the attitudes of many Americans is to fight fire with more fire, rather than to just put the damned fire out,” he wrote. “It’s time the U.S. lived up to its tag as the land of the free and home of the brave, and made a brave decision.”
    I guess all of those brave U.S. Forest Service guys and gals should stop controlled burns. Apparently, they don’t do ANY good. And Firefighters shouldn’t start fires in order to study them and practice putting them out. In fact, we should just ban fire completely. Yes, that should fix EVERYTHING. I bet the people from up near Fort McMurray might have something to say about that. What a maroon.

  18. Happy Mother’s Day you dumb ####. Glad the mother of my children likes guns. And it’s the Trib. Totally went to hell after they endorsed Barry Soetoro…

  19. We are astounded that the attitudes of many Americans is to fight fire with more fire, rather than to just put the damned fire out,” he wrote.

    I laughed heartily at this. His example was every much not supportive of the point he was trying to make. One of the best and most effective ways to put out a fire is to light a backfire.

  20. You are all missing the obvious. She acknowledges that gun ownership is constitutionally protected right. That means she is one mugging away from changing her mind about guns.

    • Don’t be so sure…

      There are hardcore Leftist in Europe getting beat up and gang raped by Muslim migrants, whilst still feeling sorry for them.

      • Bad joke of the day:

        Sister Mary and Sister Ellen were walking in Cologne last New Year’s eve when they were forcibly grabbed by a pair of Muslim ‘refugees’ and dragged into a dark ally where they were brutally sexually assaulted.

        “Forgive them, Father! Thy know not what they do!” Sister Mary cried out.

        “Oh, shut up! This one does!” Sister Ellen panted.

        🙂

  21. Another ignoramus shilling for a liberal rag. Who cares what the f*ck she thinks.

    Oh… And guns are not a fire, idiot from Australia. A gun is like a lighter. You can light a candle to see in the dark or burn your house down with it. Choice is the users.

  22. I don’t think she thought her cunning plan through. She’d need 38 states, and the Feds to go along with the idea. Then she has to set about picking up 400 million guns.

  23. Put her in the Database of prohibited persons so she can remain defenseless. Most libs are armed, they don’t hate guns just hate others having them.

  24. No lady, I’m not inflamed by your words borrowed from some Australian statist that despises the idea of a free state even more than you are ignorant of what a free state really is. We’ve been hearing these words for a long time. Most of us are just keeping vigilant waiting for your heroes to actually act on them.

  25. I want every anti 2nd Amendment fool to put a sign on their door “Against the Second Amendment – No guns in this house!”

    They are cowards who do not have the courage to stand up and be counted as part of the crime statistics they will inevitably become. Instead they hide behind us until they can achieve their goal of turning us all into lambs ready for the slaughter. Their hope at that point will be to escape the notice of the bad guys in the sheer number of potential victims and the fact that they are just so much smarter and important that they won’t be in any real danger.

  26. I’m just gonna put this here

    FLAME DELETED

    To save me the trouble of having to type it, and you having to delete it. But it is so how I feel.

    • That’s what I call a “Proactive FLAME DELETED”…

      It’s better than a regular FLAME DELETED because it lets the reader’s perverted mind imagine what was deleted…

  27. Strip out the emotional bullshit and the core of her argument is repeal a civil liberty from everyone because a small minority chose to be criminals and their victims have mothers. The only good thing in the article was the honesty in stating the goal, repealing the 2nd amendment. Ironically, her gun free mecca, Australia, still has a lot of crime and actually has more rapes per capita than the United States. It seems that women are easier targets when disarmed, who knew? It is more appropriate this Mother’s Day to celebrate that American moms enjoy more freedom than moms in other countries such as Australia, including the right of armed self defense.

  28. Bill of Rights doesn’t grant rights, it enumerates pre-existing rights. Repealing it don’t do squat

  29. Where does it stop?
    Ban guns because someone doesn’t agree with them, ban tea because people like coffee, ban cars because you ride a bike, ban wearing certain colors because someone prefers a different shade, ban alcohol because someone doesn’t drink…. The list goes on and on. Just because you don’t agree or like something doesn’t mean it has to be banned. That is freedom!
    I personally have a disliking of journalists and writers, I don’t buy news papers and magazines…. Simple solution. If you don’t agree with something don’t do it but don’t drag other people into your cause that are not making their own choices.

    Christopher Bowles

  30. I’m so tired of hearing the words “brave” and “cowardly” used exploitatively. You’re brave if you do what someone else wants you to do, cowardly if you do something else. Yeah right. It’s insulting as a reader, browbeating.

    Prisons are full of brave people. Oh, but they’re cowardly in a different way, right? Haven’t the moral courage to live a normal, productive, non-crimey life. That’s the important way to be brave, that’s what we really mean. And some lefty soft journalist writer can help truly define it. It also involves being responsible and letting go rights for the good of society. Bull. That’s some cloistered holier-than-thou saying “Be like me and you’re a good person, otherwise FU.”

    • Right on, “brave” and “cowardly” are 2 of the propagandized PC terms that are used to shape public(herd) opinion. Unfortunately it works very well.

  31. Wow! She makes Bruce Jenner look like a woman!

    Ad hominem, I know but I am tired of arguing this point to those that already know it or those that choose to ignore facts.

    • I appreciate the sentiment but looks OK to me. Strong features but symmetrical, evenly proportioned…

  32. Letter of Thomas Jefferson to Peter Minor, July 20, 1822:

    “I presume [your son] is a gun-man, as I am sure he ought to be, and every American who wishes to protect his farm from the ravages of quadrupeds & his country from those of biped invaders.”

  33. Yes, let’s have the courage to give into fear, and start enjoying being free from making our own choices. Also, “Mother’s Day” shall henceforth be known “Orwell Day”.

  34. Ok I have to post this. I took the day off to run some errands with the wife. We are at a military base. They had just got in a Shield 9 and priced at $350 w 10% discount. Gun guy says: and if you sign up for the STAR card you get another 10% off. I’m not good at math but I can see a deal when one is shoved in my face. Deal. Let’s do the paper work.

  35. Ms. Stevens’ judgment is clouded by emotion. We do not have a gun violence problem, we have a violence problem. People would be hitting each over the head with clubs if they didn’t have guns. The 2d Amendment acknowledged the existing right of a free people to bear arms not to hunt, and not necessarily even to protect themselves against criminals, but rather to fight the imposition of a tyrannical government and it’s freedom-squelching dictates. The states with the least restrictive gun-control laws have the lowest homicide-by-gun rates. The ones with the most restrictive, have the highest rates. Those are facts, not opinions. If Black Lives truly matter, then Ms. Stevens should concentrate her efforts on the individuals who are taking all those lives in Chicago, not the instrumentalities-at-hand they happen to be using to do it.

  36. What is brave is arguing in defense of gun rights in the face of a mass shooting. What is cowardly is just passing gun control in the wake of it without putting any real critical thought into the issue.

    • Only a liberal can cower in fear of an inanimate object and then want to take it away from law abiding people and call that “freedom and bravery”.

  37. I love how ignorant these people are. They think if we just repeal the 2A they can swoop up all the guns.

    Um, no. You’d have to change other parts of the Constitution as well. If you wanted this to be a state issue, you’d have to amend Article 1, Section 10 so that states could pass ex post facto laws. If you wanted to do it at the federal level then you’d have to amend Article 1, Section 9 so that the feds could pass ex post facto laws.

    Why do these morons think that every time a state passes new restrictions on magazines or some other inanimate object related to guns, they grandfather in the people who already have those items? You think that’s out of the goodness of the gun-grabbers hearts? Heck no it isn’t! They know that if they tried to take away what was legal when you bought it no court in the country would let that law stand.

    I wonder how much support these idiots think rewriting Article 1, Sections 9 and 10 would get? Oh, wait, they don’t even realize this would have to be done.

  38. Interesting idea but I submit that the following is a lot more interesting. Cancel Mother’s Day and keep The Second Amendment.

  39. Yeah, lets not. How about you move to Australia and leave the rest of us free Americans alone.

    Dont like the laws of the country you live in? Move.

  40. Hey lady, you don’t like here? Nothing’s stopping you from moving to those “gun-free utopias” liberals are always blathering about.

    Buh-bye!

    • Every time I hear someone like this uninformed tool I hear a voice in my head from Archie Bunker, “Shut up you!”

  41. Her time would be more productive if she spent it fixing her hair, another thing she knows nothing about. Hey mom, just because you don’t want to take the responsibility for protecting your children that you love so very very much in the here and now, you chase a utopia that the criminals will never let you realize. You chose to sympathize with the victims and families after the incident. How about during the event. Would you not pick up a gun to protect your family from attack? I know of no mother that would not. Maybe your a extra special sheep mom.

  42. She fails to mention that Australia is an island with no other countries bordering it. If we were to repeal the 2nd Amendment as she stated we would need to erect unscalable walls on our southern and northern borders. she fails to mention that an Australian citizen had a firearm in his possession and used it to commit a crime. If they are so illegal in that country how did he get one? Like everything else criminals don’t follow the rules. They will have more control since they will be the only ones with a firearm. Just like shooting fish in a barrel. If she envisions life like she sees in Australia I bet she could move there and write articles about how wonderful it is in OZ.

  43. If we’re going to amend the Bill of Rights, I recommend modifying the First Amendment to ban rap music, which spawned and glamorizes the criminal gangsta’ thug-life social pathology. Then, let’s root out every last vestige of LBJ’s Great Society entitlement programs, which have all but completely destroyed black families and communities.

  44. “the curse of us women is men and machines.”
    broads and ibuprofen will all vote for the hag.

  45. There are tigers out there (esp in Chicago) so there is a need for people w/ tiger guns to stand the watch. With the some of the toughest gun laws in the country Chicago also has one of the highest murder rates – see any correlation?

  46. My mom the 4th grade teacher for 35 years carries a her colt commander every day. Her and my dad taught me to shoot. We lived out West traveled long distances was always told go out by yourself take a firearm

  47. She is ridiculous. Crimes still happen in Australia just like everywhere else. Our right to own and bear arms is a freedom just like the 1st amendment that gives her the freedom of speech. That is what makes up the land of the FREE. She can always move if she wishes. Just a play for attention.

  48. What would this woman say to the 1,500,000 citizens who each year defend themselves with firearms? That number is based on research done by Gary Kleck at the Univ of Florida. For another rigorous study of the effect of “shall issue” read John Lott’s book “More guns, Less Crime” a peer reviewed exhaustive study that, among other things, shows “shall issue” always reduces crime in the categories of rape, robbery, and homicide.
    The shame is that the gun haters don’t want facts as that requires them to think. It was Ronald Reagan who said ” It’s surprising how many things the Liberals know that aren’t true”‘

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