At one level, the 'coastal elites' expressing similarity to non-Americans when it comes to guns, specifically, aversion to them, only strengthens the resolve of Americans in the middle of the country that the Coastals just aren't Americans.
This overstates the situation somewhat, but not completely. It also mischaracterizes it as coastal-middle. It's much more an urban-rural divide. And it's definitely the case that most urban and suburban dwellers don't hunt and don't have parents or grandparents who hunted. That said, no one hunts with AR-15s unless their goal is to leave dead animals for scavenging animals to eat.
If there's common ground to be found which gun non-owners and responsible gun owners could share, time to establish it, and FAR PAST TIME to ignore the gun fetishists and gun CONTROL absolutists who do poison any attempts at compromise. If serial incremental change is all that's possible, all-or-nothing types are a danger to society.
"I own no handguns or rifles, I have no desire to do so, and Iām mystified by the sine qua non significance often placed upon them in American discourse of rights."
My sentiments exactly, Ed. And I've lived here all my life.
I cannot imagine anymore the stress of having things in your professional inbox. Granted, my position at work is not managerial, so I'm not beholden like others that I work with are. That must truly be terrible to not have your grasp on.
And, I don't think JVL has once missed an email from me. A true mensch, you have my thanks for always being attentive.
Question: Why donāt we levy a special on tax guns/ammo sales like cigarettes and gasoline, and allocate the revenue for mandatory training and background checks? Why donāt we require gun dealers and gun shows to have special licenses and carry liability insurance, like liquor stores and gas stations?
Hannity's pet idea of hiring retired police officers and veterans to volunteer for armed guard duty at school is ridiculous. Did he not just see an entire town's police forces paralyzed by one 18-year old gunman?
Armed retirees are supposed to do a better job than the town's active police officers?
65 year old Ethel, the social studies teacher, is expected to handle a shooter better than the town's police officers? What's that say about how weak they think cops are?
May 28, 2022Ā·edited May 28, 2022Liked by Jonathan V. Last
Nothing teaches kids about Liberty(tm) and Freedom!!!(tm) more than having their schools turned into heavily fortified camps and acclimatizing them to being surrounded by armed security and police forces.
Mental illness is prevalent in all societies from minor separation from reality to significant. The greater the separation from reality the greater propensity to get caught up in the tide of toxic culture that runs through our society. Ask yourself if you contribute to that toxicity.
Hmm. I don't know that Condon's equivocation of American gun violence and abortion is a sensible frame. Mass shootings are the work of mentally disturbed individuals, yes, but in the case of events like Buffalo are also explicit acts of domestic terrorism (violent acts carried out with the intent of causing political change through fear and intimidation; pretty textbook definition, seems to me). While one can quibble with the statistics - prenatal Americans aborted vs active Americans murdered by gunmen - this equivocation feels... icky? I feel there's an immorality in the equivocation, even as it reaches for a moral frame.
Religion is part of the problem. Check out the book, "Jesus and John Wayne". Okay, the sacralizing of guns is a thing. And many religions are complicit. Those entities should lose their tax exempt status. Now. Let's get serious here.
Bishop Flores was eloquent in this conversation. Thank you. Elevating the gun debate to āthe good of the wholeā and a need for our children to be less fearful & depressed. My military father loved his guns and hunting. He gave me a Winchester 22 at age 12. We went hunting and I was horrified to find that the squirrel I shot was pregnant. Then I received a 12 gauge shotgun and was very proud to go skeet shooting & bird hunting with my dad until I shot one. I even went on a deer hunt with Dad & friends. (Only 30 cal rifle) Of course I often heard the refrain that bad people will always get guns, so we need to have them. That was back in 1959. Believe me, we donāt need automatic war weapons to defend ourselves or to hunt. Our animals and other people need a safe ecosystem and world. For the few people that might confront a hungry bear š» or moose a high powered rifle will suffice. I was trained in all aspects of gun safety by my father and at gun clubs. It seems to me that requiring people to have training before being able to buy a lethal weapon is a No-Brainer.
People need to speak this truth that guns are idols to many (not all) in this country. They are creeping more and more into some people's view of what God wants - thus poisoning it. If you frame it in the context of a choice between love and hate (not good and evil) it is easier to identify these days. Why would so many choose to hate people/ their neighbor - violating one of the "two greatest commandments" then justify it with the same religion. Hate is also a good warning sign of some mental illness and certainly of evil.
At one level, the 'coastal elites' expressing similarity to non-Americans when it comes to guns, specifically, aversion to them, only strengthens the resolve of Americans in the middle of the country that the Coastals just aren't Americans.
This overstates the situation somewhat, but not completely. It also mischaracterizes it as coastal-middle. It's much more an urban-rural divide. And it's definitely the case that most urban and suburban dwellers don't hunt and don't have parents or grandparents who hunted. That said, no one hunts with AR-15s unless their goal is to leave dead animals for scavenging animals to eat.
If there's common ground to be found which gun non-owners and responsible gun owners could share, time to establish it, and FAR PAST TIME to ignore the gun fetishists and gun CONTROL absolutists who do poison any attempts at compromise. If serial incremental change is all that's possible, all-or-nothing types are a danger to society.
"I own no handguns or rifles, I have no desire to do so, and Iām mystified by the sine qua non significance often placed upon them in American discourse of rights."
My sentiments exactly, Ed. And I've lived here all my life.
Smoky Bear: āForest fires. What can you do? Canāt stop them.ā
When you are in a World Series? Never comment on a World Series victory.
I cannot imagine anymore the stress of having things in your professional inbox. Granted, my position at work is not managerial, so I'm not beholden like others that I work with are. That must truly be terrible to not have your grasp on.
And, I don't think JVL has once missed an email from me. A true mensch, you have my thanks for always being attentive.
Question: Why donāt we levy a special on tax guns/ammo sales like cigarettes and gasoline, and allocate the revenue for mandatory training and background checks? Why donāt we require gun dealers and gun shows to have special licenses and carry liability insurance, like liquor stores and gas stations?
Here's an idea. It's estimated there are anywhere from 5 to 10 million AR-15 rifles in the US. On average they cost $800.
For the low, low price of $8 billion we could purchase every single AR-15 and melt them down to slag.
This would be a much better use of Elon's money instead of [not] trying to buy Twitter. And it's a free-market solution!
Hannity's pet idea of hiring retired police officers and veterans to volunteer for armed guard duty at school is ridiculous. Did he not just see an entire town's police forces paralyzed by one 18-year old gunman?
Armed retirees are supposed to do a better job than the town's active police officers?
65 year old Ethel, the social studies teacher, is expected to handle a shooter better than the town's police officers? What's that say about how weak they think cops are?
Nothing teaches kids about Liberty(tm) and Freedom!!!(tm) more than having their schools turned into heavily fortified camps and acclimatizing them to being surrounded by armed security and police forces.
Mental illness is prevalent in all societies from minor separation from reality to significant. The greater the separation from reality the greater propensity to get caught up in the tide of toxic culture that runs through our society. Ask yourself if you contribute to that toxicity.
Patchwork gun laws can be about as effective as non-smoking sections were on airplanes and in restaurants.
Hmm. I don't know that Condon's equivocation of American gun violence and abortion is a sensible frame. Mass shootings are the work of mentally disturbed individuals, yes, but in the case of events like Buffalo are also explicit acts of domestic terrorism (violent acts carried out with the intent of causing political change through fear and intimidation; pretty textbook definition, seems to me). While one can quibble with the statistics - prenatal Americans aborted vs active Americans murdered by gunmen - this equivocation feels... icky? I feel there's an immorality in the equivocation, even as it reaches for a moral frame.
I don't know. Good column apart from that.
Religion is part of the problem. Check out the book, "Jesus and John Wayne". Okay, the sacralizing of guns is a thing. And many religions are complicit. Those entities should lose their tax exempt status. Now. Let's get serious here.
Bishop Flores was eloquent in this conversation. Thank you. Elevating the gun debate to āthe good of the wholeā and a need for our children to be less fearful & depressed. My military father loved his guns and hunting. He gave me a Winchester 22 at age 12. We went hunting and I was horrified to find that the squirrel I shot was pregnant. Then I received a 12 gauge shotgun and was very proud to go skeet shooting & bird hunting with my dad until I shot one. I even went on a deer hunt with Dad & friends. (Only 30 cal rifle) Of course I often heard the refrain that bad people will always get guns, so we need to have them. That was back in 1959. Believe me, we donāt need automatic war weapons to defend ourselves or to hunt. Our animals and other people need a safe ecosystem and world. For the few people that might confront a hungry bear š» or moose a high powered rifle will suffice. I was trained in all aspects of gun safety by my father and at gun clubs. It seems to me that requiring people to have training before being able to buy a lethal weapon is a No-Brainer.
The State of Texas does more to protect a fetus than our living, breathing children. What hypocrisy. Outlaw assault weapons now.
People need to speak this truth that guns are idols to many (not all) in this country. They are creeping more and more into some people's view of what God wants - thus poisoning it. If you frame it in the context of a choice between love and hate (not good and evil) it is easier to identify these days. Why would so many choose to hate people/ their neighbor - violating one of the "two greatest commandments" then justify it with the same religion. Hate is also a good warning sign of some mental illness and certainly of evil.