I ove the semi-hysterical story in the NY Post on a seized "arsenal," including 4 guns and less than 200 rounds of ammo. Here's my favorite line:
“It was enough to arm a small army or militia,” a police source said of the bust. “These guys were ready for war.”
LOL! What a clown show! If I had that stash in my car I'd feel a bit undergunned. Does go back to the idea that we, the pro-rights community, and our enemies are increasingly living in 2 separate universes. I strongly urge you to read this piece from the incompatible Claire Wolfe on the history of moral panics:
We are in the midst of a moral panic against the very concept of weapons (and people outside of government who wield them).
But one scary thing about moral panics is that hardly anybody recognizes them for what they are until everybody finally snaps out of the hysteria.
The panic against weapons and those who use them has been going on at least since the early 1990s (and probably began in the 1960s). My great fear is that a) it's getting worse and b) it's infecting the minds of an entire generation, so that the current crop of children and young adult students will arrive "in the real world" with the assumption -- implanted by the current hysteria -- that weapons themselves are actually evil.
Definitely read the whole thing (from JPFO) and pass the link along. This is as succinct a definition of our current battlespace as I've seen. One of the best examples of this hysteria come from Mother Jones, a bastion of second-rate advocacy journalism, on alleged threats against antigun fanatics.
Here's my take...anyone who threatens the life or assault anyone needs to have the full force of the law brought down on his or her head. Note that I mentioned "the law." Pro-gun or antigun, if you are assaulted or are in fear of your life, there is a mechanism in our society for redress, and it's not Mother Jones. If someone breaks one of the numerous laws on assault, on stalking, on threats by email, voice, telephone or Internet, then call the police and file a complaint.
If you "feel threatened" by the sight of a gun, I strongly suggest that you seek therapy, because you have a mental issue. Note that I said "feeling threatened" is your problem, not mine. "Feeling threatened" by the sight of a firearm, especially a firearm openly carried by a citizen of the country we all happen to live in, is no different that "feeling threatened" by clowns, Afro American men, black cars, alien abduction or Brie...a mental problem on the part of the person involved. I am no more obligated to change my behavior to make you feel better than a grocery store is obligated to remove all Brie because it gives you the faints.
This will sound harsh, but only because of today's societal drift — for the most part, I don't care how you feel. It is not my role in the world to adjust to your quirks. "Feelings" are something totally under your own control, so control them.
I've always been a proponent of word substitutions when analyzing my own feelings. When I was working on the Media Education Project for NSSF, I would routinely use word substitution with speaking with editors and commentators on media bias...substitute "Jew" for "gun nut" in a sentence, for example, then read it aloud. Occasionally, the editor or reporter would stop in mid-sentence and apologize for slurring gun owners.
So for all you Moms out, all 16 of you or however many there really are, try a little substitution test of your own..."I feel uncomfortable when I see << young black men>> on the street. I want my children to feel safe from <<young black men>> in public...I want to lobby local, state, and federal law enforcement so that I and my family can feel safer from <<young black men>>...
Pretty repulsive, huh?
7 comments:
M. Bane for media consultant for whatever party we end up with after the Republicans give up the pro-gun plank of their ever eroding platform!
I don't know Claire, but if you say she is incompatible (spell check and auto correct can be evil) that explains a lot. I do still enjoy her writing!
"If you "feel threatened" by the sight of a gun, I strongly suggest that you seek therapy, because you have a mental issue. Note that I said "feeling threatened" is your problem, not mine."
So true! I am so sick of the vocal minority politically correct minions toting the party line. This needs to STOP!!!
It's a slippery slope, if a person doesn't like the sight of a gun do they evolve to not tolerating talk of them. While at UMass Boston I knew a woman who wouldn't tolerate discussions of firearms. Needless to say we all regarded her as what she was, which is mentally ill.
Gerard in CT
Speaking of repulsive articles. I just came across this one on market watch titled 10 Things the Gun Industry Won't Tell You. I can't help but wonder who financed the article.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-the-gun-industry-wont-tell-you-2014-03-07?siteid=yhoof2
Yep.
Nice write up Michael.
Michael,
We are not losing the next gen folks, they grew up playing xbox and feeling the moral panic against violent video games. It is not a stretch for them to see it against gun owners. Their parent's moral panic is their cause for eye rolling. I routinely meet young men and women curious about guns. My immediate response is to offer to train them. Just like the failed war on drugs causing drug use to skyrocket, gun ownership is climbing into urbanish groups that have never considered hunting. Keep pking fun at them it is the only cure.
Funny, I was curious about the orange tip thing and googled it. First result was the video from Michigan. Second result was a John Lott article from March of 2010. Makes me wonder how urgently this issue has been pressed?
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