TTAG reader Rich Weatherby read a comment about the need for a group to counter Moms Demand Action for Common Sense Gun Control. I mean, Gun Sense in America. Anyway, it inspired him to Onion-up a letter to the editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They posted it, revealing the fact that they “got it” with their headline: ‘If we need gun control, then we need car control, too.’ Which reminds me of the immortal line, I’ll disarm you, my pretty. And your little dog, too! Nice work Rich.
As I was driving home from work today, I saw a fender-bender on the side of the road. One car driven by a teenager, and one driven by an adult. It dawned on me how dangerous it is to let anyone get a driver’s license without a background check. Citizens under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs operate automobiles every day of the year!
I am starting a “Men Demand Action for Automobile Control” to establish common-sense automotive reforms. We are a nonpartisan grassroots movement of American fathers demanding new and stronger solutions to lax automobile laws, loopholes and policies that for too long have jeopardized the safety of our children and families.
We believe people don’t need individually owned vehicles — vehicles that caused the deaths of 32,367 people in 2011 alone. It’s time to make transportation available operated only by professional and state DOT-recognized drivers. More buses and trains, no more personally owned vehicles.
Do you realize how many teenagers are driving these heavy, hulking masses of steel every day without adult supervision? And have you driven by a school lately? Literally hundreds of these injury- and death-producing machines on school grounds, surrounding our innocent children. Don’t even get me started on high-capacity privately owned vehicles such as vans and buses. If this organization can save the life of just one child, the greater societal sacrifice will be worth it.
Rich Weatherby • Dardenne Prairie
Outstanding satire I’ll join.
I don’t care who they put on as I don’t watch CNN.
But good riddance to the pompous blowhard.
Let him and his opinions find another home where he can be ignored.
If there is a hell it will be him being cut off mid sentence and have nothing but pro gun facts thrown at him at blinding speeds with him unable to get a single word in.
Tah Tah you blowhard Limey.
Forgive the speculation (before all the facts are known) but the incident smells like a twisted game of “knockout” being initiated by the black motorcycle gang that pursued the family.
You mean the were a group of youths playing a game? Yeah, I know.
The crazy thing that I don’t get is the anti’s argument of: “But cars aren’t purpose built to kill people like guns are”. Why do they think that this is an argument in their favor? Why do these people not consider it even MORE unacceptable that something that *isn’t* intended to cause damage/harm (like guns are, to use their words/opinion) is responsible for 32000 deaths annually, untold numbers of injuries, huge amounts of physical/financial loss of property, etc??
If they were truly concerned about safety of “the children” and families then we would all start with things that we all have much greater control over; our cars, pools, parenting, medical practice, nutrition, etc. That would save so many more lives.
Vehicles are involved in more US deaths per year than all firearms combined.
And there are more firearms in the United States than vehicles.
This means that there are more deaths per vehicle in the US than there are deaths per firearm, and people want to claim that the latter are only good for killing?
Not very logical.
Favorite Clancy Novel: Without Remorse (John Clark is bad-ass, supposed to have been made into a move a while back…I think it died)
Clancy movie: Patriot Games
Clancy game: Anything from the Splinter Cell series.
If you’re old enough you might remember China’s “Cultural Revolution” back in the 60’s. Intellectuals were drug out of the Universities and put to work in the rice fields. OK maybe a little harsh but Mao might have been on to something.
So, out of his own mouth, the goal here is to “legislate common sense without violating anyone’s liberty”… Okay. But Mr. Smarter-Than-You also says : “Make something difficult and you begin to make it impossible.”
So, if I take anything you’re at liberty to do, and make it difficult, I have begun to make it impossible.
Wouldn’t making something you’re currently at liberty to do difficult-going-on-impossible kinda-sorta maybe violate your liberty?
You currently have the liberty to leave your house. If I board up your windows and doors, install land mines and electric fencing around your house, thus making it “more difficult” to leave (some may argue “impossible”, with safety in mind), seems to me I have pretty effectively REMOVED your liberty.
So tell me, Mr. Gopnick, when is a *removed* liberty you once had *not* violated? When you say it isn’t? Because of your vast “common sense”?
Those doe eyes, that “come hither” look — he’s channeling Bette Davis. And I’m so totally creeped out.
I found Mr. Clarkson’s discussion quite cathartic.
So this genius gives us his idea on gun control, the closes with the suggestion that we: “fund research on what actually works to end gun violence.”
In other words, he admits that his ideas may not work to end gun violence because, as he notes here, the research hasn’t been done. (Of course it has, and shows that gun control actually makes society less safe and not more safe, but whatever.)
He doesn’t need me to demolish his arguments, he does that himself.
So step one: Say I want a lawyer.
Step two: STFU
Just FYI, “gopnik” means a low-level street thug in Russian. Verrrrrry appropriate…
I can’t say I have any major complaints. I had a steel case jam in my Bushmaster AR recently, but, well, steel ammo + Bushmaster + not cleaned before the last range trip = not a total surprise. I’m not going to hate on the Bushie for one incident that’s at least half my fault. 🙂
With all the Kel Tec lore out there I’ve been waiting for the regret to sink in with my KSG, but after one trip out and 50+ flawless rounds it’s currently ranking close to Best Gun Ever.
Uh, what else? Magazines are a royal pain to find for my PSL. But it’s fun as hell to shoot.
Hmmm, no. No regrets so far….
So . . . but for the want of a gun, Duke students would shoot each other? Do they plan to address this psychopathology beyond removal of guns?
How naive.
This confirms my first rule of self defense stay away from large gatherings
How much are these running dollar-wise right now?