10 Things The Gun Community Has Tried To Tell You
BY Herschel Smith10 years, 8 months ago
Following the pattern set by Ms. Catey Hill writing at WSJ, it seemed prudent to address at least ten things that we’ve tried to tell you. Whether you’re listening is usually evident by whether you write things like Catey or say stupid things like, say Michael Bloomberg. At any rate, here are the ten things.
1. Concerning Gun Safety
Catey says of the “gun industry” (whatever that is) that “Owning our product may be hazardous to your health.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that we’ve tried to tell everyone that guns, like automobiles, like ladders (50% of falls from ladders kill), can be unsafe when treated that way. Online forums repeat the rules for gun safety to the point that it is almost excruciating, and yet I know them by heart and practice them everywhere I go. I’ve never had an accident or so-called “negligent discharge” with a gun. Because, you know, I’m responsible. I wish I could say the same thing about those idiot kids driving down my road in hot rods, far too fast for neighborhood safety.
2. Concerning Guns and Fear
Catey says of the gun industry, “Fear is good for our bottom line.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that just like the industry surrounding door locks, being prepared is a good thing. It usually involves patience, study and a little bit of money. For some reason I’m reminded of a story. An older lady is stopped by a Highway Patrol Officer, and like a responsible gun owner she informs him that she has three handguns in the car, a .45 1911, a .357 Magnum S&W revolver and yet another revolver (perhaps it’s another S&W revolver, this time a .38). The officer asks what she’s so afraid of, and she replies, “Not a damn thing officer.”
3. Guns & The Law
Catey says that “Guns get special treatment under the law.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that we’ve tried to tell you that guns are in that special category of being specifically mentioned in the constitution, just like free speech and the right not to quarter troops in your home or the right to refuse to testify against yourself. It’s a fundamental God-given right, and recognized as such in the constitution. Hence, you must tread carefully on this terrain.
4. Children & Guns
Catey says of the gun industry, “We want your kids to play with guns.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that we’re tried to tell you our stories of learning to shoot when we were children (I learned on my father’s 10/22 in my back yard), our stories of learning gun safety as youngsters, and learning to listen carefully to our parents and mentors. For this reason – and others – those lessons are burned into our memories. What we learn as children is difficult to forget as adults.
5. Gun Control
Catey says of the gun industry that “Gun control may work. We still think it’s a bad idea.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. Except for willful disobedience to clearly obscene laws (like what is going on in Connecticut right now), gun control absolutely works. We’ve tried to tell you that it works for its intended purpose, i.e., control of the citizens (gun control is all about control). We’ve tried to tell you it has nothing whatsoever to do with crime or violence. We’ve tried to tell you that the proponents of gun control know this as well, and routinely set up a straw man to hide their real intentions. Let me demonstrate for a moment. At Daily Kos, this bit of honesty appeared one day.
The only way we can truly be safe and prevent further gun violence is to ban civilian ownership of all guns. That means everything. No pistols, no revolvers, no semiautomatic or automatic rifles. No bolt action. No breaking actions or falling blocks. Nothing. This is the only thing that we can possibly do to keep our children safe from both mass murder and common street violence.
Unfortunately, right now we can’t. The political will is there, but the institutions are not. Honestly, this is a good thing. If we passed a law tomorrow banning all firearms, we would have massive noncompliance. What we need to do is establish the regulatory and informational institutions first. This is how we do it. The very first thing we need is national registry. We need to know where the guns are, and who has them.
Yea, I know what you’re thinking. It seems invasive and creepy to me too, sort of like a fat uncle who can’t stop staring at little girls during family reunions. That’s the way anti-gunners are.
6. Guns & Politics
Catey says of the gun industry, “Politically, we’re practically unbeatable.” This was exactly what I was thinking, except substitute gun owners for gun industry. And I don’t know why you’re not listening. If you were you wouldn’t have enacted those obscene laws in New York and Connecticut.
7. Guns & Obama
Catey says of the gun industry, “Under ‘Gun Ban Obama,’ we’re doing just fine.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that in spite of gun ban Obama, we’re doing just fine.
8. Guns & Advocacy
Catey says, “Sometimes we aren’t ‘pro-gun’ enough.” To add insult to injury, she brings up the S&W boycott. Sheesh! I do hate to rehearse that bit of pain because I love S&W so much, but I have indeed pointed out that we reward those who are friendly to us and punish those who aren’t. So this is sort of what I was thinking along with Catey. I’m glad we could agree on something.
9. Guns and Gun Sales
Catey says of the gun industry, “We sell guns to people you might not want us to.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking that I’ve tried to tell you that I know your real intentions. I am on this list of people “you might not want” to have guns, along with every other law-abiding citizen. I know this, and you know this. Now it’s just a matter of telling everyone else the truth.
10. Ammunition Availability
Catey say of the gun industry, “Ammo is our secret weapon.” That wasn’t what I was thinking at all. I was thinking just today that if I didn’t have my truck, I wouldn’t have to buy so much gasoline.
There are many more things, but that covers it for now.
On March 8, 2014 at 3:04 pm, Paul B said:
Reading one of Brackens books. Enemies foreign and Domestic. It shows what happens when one of out current institutions goes of the rails. ATF is the agency. It is a sobering read.
On March 9, 2014 at 1:57 pm, Barry Hirsh said:
1. “Owning our product may be hazardous to your health.”
You can’t live life without risks. Owning just about anything can be hazardous to your health, but that doesn’t negate their purpose or efficacy.
2. “Fear is good for our bottom line.”
Fear of violent crime up to and including rape and murder is nature’s way of priming you to take measures to protect yourself. Fear of fire is good for marketing fire extinguishers.
3. “Guns get special treatment under the law.”
Since they have their very own constitutional amendment protecting them, there is nothing particularly “special” about their treatment under the law.
4. “We want your kids to play with guns.”
Kids should be trained in real gun safety (not political, pseudo “gun safety”) for obvious reasons, among them the preservation of American tradition and the ability to fully utilize their enumerated rights responsibly when they reach adulthood. This is a proper education, not “playing”.
5. “Gun control may work. We still think it’s a bad idea.”
Gun control doesn’t work, because it only affects people who don’t commit crimes. In fact, the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics provide irrefutable evidence that whenever gun ownership increases, violent crime rates go DOWN.
6. “Politically, we’re practically unbeatable.”
Tell that to the poor saps in New York and Connecticut.
7. “Under ‘Gun Ban Obama,’ we’re doing just fine.”
Not for his lack of trying. It is gratifying that Americans know which end of the gun is the muzzle.
8. “Sometimes we aren’t ‘pro-gun’ enough.”
Since our rights are under constant attack, compromise of any sort is not only counterproductive, it is just plain stupid.
9. “We sell guns to people you might not want us to.”
People in the United States are eligible to buy legal firearms up until their right to do so has been disabled by due process of law. “Suspected” anything doesn’t meet that burden.
10. “Ammo is our secret (business) weapon.”
Ammunition is “secret”? Wow, that’s news to US! Is there any reason beyond ideological antipathy that ammo makers shouldn’t be financially successful?
On March 9, 2014 at 5:01 pm, falkenberg said:
Do not think of their ignorance as a bug, think of it as a feature.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
We do know ourselves and our TWANLOC opponents. Be of good cheer.