What if we made gun culture uncool like we did cigarettes? http://t.co/8kfxieZR8N pic.twitter.com/AyTZL1YZIO
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) October 8, 2015
(Courtesy of my Facebook friend, Harold Jennings)
Just talked with a Belgian weapons manufacturer, (I’m visiting Europe right now) who is equally puzzled, and amazed at the level of violence in America.
They specialize in silencers and suppression devices. They are only bought by extremely wealthy individuals, or businesses that use gun ranges. They are either illegal, or taxed several hundred percent and registered at every level.
When was the last time you heard of a mass killing with a suppressor or silencer used? That would make the killers’ jobs easier, if they were trying to kill lots of people, right? Yet it never happens.
They are effective, but far too valuable, and regulated, to get into the hands of 99% of Americans, let alone crazies.
Just like RPGs and mortars. Effective killing machines that are regulated to the point of being impractical, so they aren’t used in American mass killings, even though they can kill the most people.
Regulation works.
When Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foes © begin to bleat about how regulating guns can’t and won’t work, the above is a very good argument that can and should be used to call “bullshit” on them. One need not look terribly hard to find examples of where regulating guns works quite well…and saves lives.
For too long, we’ve allowed Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foes © to dominate the debate, to carry the day via their screaming and caterwauling and ownership of our elected representatives. We’ve allowed the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the rest of the Guns uber Alles © lobby to demand that they- and only they- have the right as patriotic Americans to define the 2nd Amendment. That their definition ignores the first 13 words to focus on the last 14 only proves that they care nothing about what’s best for America. Their only concern is their own narrow, monstrous self-interest. They care about guns far more than human life.
It’s time for the silent, cowering majority that believes in common sense gun control to seize the initiative and make it clear to Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foes © that we will no longer allow a vocal, self-absorbed, callous minority to dictate gun policy.
So how do we take back our country from those so devoted to guns that they’d happily continue a system guaranteed to see a never-ending parade of gun massacres? Well, we could always take a page out of the playbook of anti-abortion zealots. We could barricade gun shops, scream at customers as they look to enter gun shops, stalk and shame those who purchase assault weapons.
Or we could simply stand up and scream, “ENOUGH!!!” and demand that our elected representatives listen to the voice of the majority and get to work on common sense gun reform. If that doesn’t get them off their collective backside, then we should get to work voting them out in the next election. We have the numbers and the power that goes along with having a majority, though we’ve yet to organize with an eye towards using it. That needs to change.
There’s no guarantee that common sense gun control will work or work as we believe it will. In a democracy success is always a moving target, and you don’t stop aiming at a target because it won’t hold still. We try, we evaluate, we revise. Lather, rinse, repeat. There’s no doubt but that people will still die from gun violence. If you subscribe to Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foe © logic, that means we should throw up our arms, walk away, and do nothing. Inertia means Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foe © win. If we continue to do nothing, then nothing will change.
We need to stand up for what’s right- saving lives- and demand that our gun laws be changed, revised, rewritten, redone- whatever it takes to make progress on reducing the deaths of innocents from mass shootings.
Don’t let Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foes © fill your head with propaganda. Regulation works; all you need do is look at other countries and examine their approach. It’s unlikely we’ll be able to take the drastic steps the UK and Australia did…but we need to figure out what CAN be done…and if Proudly Closed-minded Gun Control Foes © won’t get on board, we need to leave them behind.
WE DESERVE BETTER. It’s time we stood up for what’s right and demand that we get it.
