TTAG reader JT clocked the New York Times article Two Ways of Dealing With Guns and writes:
I know you probably are on top of this, but the NYT is simply beside itself at Texas’ new open carry law. It would be comical if it wasn’t so outrageous. One thing struck me about this piece, though it’s not an unusual slant. It’s a way of characterizing the debate. I don’t know if they really believe that everyone in flyover country is just a mindless rube, or they intentionally mischaracterize the playing field. But they constantly refer to the status quo (the one they disagree with) as being somehow established by the gun industry, as opposed to the collective will of a nation. Here are two relevant quotes . . .
The contrasting developments in Texas and Seattle demonstrate politicians’ tug of war over gun rights and civilian safety, which the gun lobby has been manipulating by pushing through state laws that block local governments from enacting needed ordinances. The resulting crazy quilt of clashing interests demonstrates the need for federal laws, which, of course, have been rejected by a Congress captive to the gun industry’s agenda.
The effect of the industry’s power on local streets has the Houston police chief, Charles McClelland, worrying about how his officers will deal with openly armed citizens amid rising fears over mass shootings and terrorism. “How are they supposed to know who the good guy or the bad guy is with the gun?” he asks.
Needless to say, the Times’ editorial showed a picture of “white rednecks” and “celebrated” Texas’ new open carry provisions with this cheerful anecdote:
Texas had banned public packing of handguns after the Civil War. That was before the modern gun lobby worked to reverse gun safety laws to the point where variations of open carry now exist in 45 — that’s right, 45 — states. More and more, the open-carry movement is being used to make confrontational and intimidating protest statements.
The confusion for the public can be considerable. A woman called 911 in Colorado Springs in October when she saw a man toting a weapon in the street. She was told the gunman had that right under the open-carry law. The man began a shooting spree outside her door and randomly murdered three innocent people.
Well someone’s confused . . .