Who is Afraid of the NRA? Why?
By Charles Bayer
Claremont, CA– Air travel is nastier than ever. On our recent trip we were screened 25 times. In the US that often meant multiple baggage checks, the loss of a tube of sun screen lotion, and a couple of rude officials. A few years back some forgotten chap put a match or something in one of his shoes, and ever since then hundreds of million pairs of shoes have been unlaced, removed, scanned, retrieved, put back on and laced up. The advent of the underwear bomber now means we are now stripped naked by means of a new invasive device. In Europe all that fuss has been eliminated. These here are other evidences that the war on terror is an undifferentiated assault on what nobody really can define.
On our arrival back home we were met with the spectacle of a seriously disoriented young man who was easily able to purchase, among other things, an assault weapon with a 100 bullet clip. While nobody has been shot on an airplane, every year thousands of Americans are shot with legally purchased guns. Why anybody outside a war zone needs an assault weapon boggles the mind. You can’t even shoot an elephant with one you can pick up on the internet or in a gun show. Consider the suggestion that if those in that theater audience had been equally armed, the slaughter would have been prevented. Really? Thousands of bullets whizzing around a closed theater is hardly a sane scenario. The recent shooting in New York resulted in the death of the culprit and the wounding of nine bystanders—all from police bullet fragments!!
For years howitzers and anti-tank weapons have been out of bounds for all but military use. Since the ban on domestically held assault weapons expired in September of 2004, hundreds of people have been killed with these devices, including those senselessly gunned down in the recent Colorado slaughter. And yet not a politician in sight, with the exception of Dianne Feinstein, has been willing to raise as much as a whisper. How come? The Republicans are cuddled up with the NRA, the Democrats are scared to death of this gun loving organization, and the majority of Americans don’t seem to care.
While the Supreme Court has ruled that the 2nd Amendment guarantees the right of citizens to bear arms apart from State militias, no one claims they meant grenade launchers or anti-tank weapons.
A study last year in the Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care analyzed gun death statistics for 2003 from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. It found that 80percent of all firearms deaths in 23 industrialized countries occurred in the United States. For women, the figure rose to 86percent; for children age 14 and under, to 87percent. And we are supposed to be the most sophisticated of all modern nations!
Nobody is suggesting that all guns be confiscated. Hunters need them, as may those who claim an honest need for self or home protection. But who really needs an automatic or semi-automatic assault weapon? And just what is the objection to some stringent enforceable laws that prohibit the sale of weapons to potentially violent or seriously disturbed individuals? Every time there is either a slaughter like the one in Colorado, or some important person is gunned down, there is puff of concern raised suggesting something must be done about the proliferation of weapons—but in three weeks that matter disappears from the agenda and nothing happens until there is another bloodbath. In this election year you can guarantee that nothing will happen.
In the meantime thousands of our fellow citizens will be shot, as we continue to live in a culture of, for and by the NRA. Charles Bayercandwbayer@verizon.net
September 5, 2012 - 1:33 pm
This has to be one of the most nonsensical, misinformed opinion pieces I’ve every seen.
This entire article is pretty much a rambling, incoherent mess.
The author talks about “assault weapons” without the slightest understanding that there is no such category of firearm.
He seems to think that anything that looks like an ‘assault weapon’ must be a machine gun, capable of shooting ‘thousands of bullets’ at a time.
This of course is pure fantasy.
The only rifles of any type available to ‘civilians’ are semi-automatic. That is you have to press the trigger for each round fired.
He seems to think the AR-15 rifle used by the CO murderer is powerful enough to shoot elephants with.
Sorry, but more delusions.
In most states you can’t even go deer hunting with an AR-15, it’s too small a caliber.
As for banning any so-called ‘assault weapons’, the data shows conclusively that the federal ban did not change the use of any type of rifles in crimes one bit.
When it expired, the gun control industry predicted ‘blood in the streets’, just like they always do. Instead they got… nothing. No increase in crimes committed with rifles at all.
The assault weapon ban has never been intended to fight crime. It is the gun control lobbies ‘foot in the door’, to make people get used to banning particular types of firearms arbitrarily.
The only gun control law that should be under discussion is the dangerous ‘gun free zone’ laws that prevent law abiding citizens from being legally armed.
Every ‘bloodbath’ mentioned took place where citizens were disarmed by a simply ‘no guns’ sign. A sign that signals open season for mass-murderers.
Repeal that one law, and we would avoid hundreds of deaths a year from mass murderers using ‘gun free’ zones as shooting galleries.
That’s what this article should be talking about. Ignore the rest of the blather…
September 5, 2012 - 6:03 pm
It is not legal to buy a gun over the Internet. Also, fully-automatic weapons have been tightly regulated since 1934 and even more so since 1986. You also seem to be ignorant of laws that prohibit firearms possession by anyone who has been committed to a mental institution.
Really, you just seem ignorant.
Oh, the Colorado shooter was not “disoriented”. Perhaps the word you were looking for is disturbed.
September 5, 2012 - 6:04 pm
“For years howitzers and anti-tank weapons have been out of bounds for all but military use. Since the ban on domestically held assault weapons expired in September of 2004, hundreds of people have been killed with these devices, including those senselessly gunned down in the recent Colorado slaughter. ”
Who has been killed in the US with a howitzer or anti-tank weapon? I think this statement is factually inaccurate.
September 6, 2012 - 8:13 pm
You could buy anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft cannon through the mail without a license up until 1968. There was virtually no crime committed with them.
“Gun control” has always been about disarming the population, particularily of the most militarily effective weapons. That is why all the hoopla about “assault rifles” which are used in less than half as many murders each year as hands and feet.
All rifles are used in about one percent of murders each year. There is virtually no reason to have controls on rifles as a crime prevention feature.
Registration of firearms serves no crime prevention purpose except to waste police resources. It works very well as a way to confiscate weapons from the population, whether peicemeal as the requirement for registration are racheted up, or en mass when the state has a crisis that it can use to disarm the population.
September 5, 2012 - 6:16 pm
A few points to ponder:
Most “children” killed by firearms in the USA are gang members killed by other gang members, and are criminals themselves.
The average shooting VICTIM, the one who gets shot, is a criminal with an average of 11 previous arrests. See the point above. Less gang members is not a bad thing.
90% of all violent crime in the USA does not involve a firearm at all.
GOOD people use a firearm to PREVENT a rape every 2.5 minutes.
GOOD people use a firearm to PREVENT a murder every 1.5 minutes.
There are more privately owned firearms in this country than there have been, ever. Crime is down to a level we have not seen since the 1960′s, despite the biggest recession since the Great Depression. More guns do NOT equal more crime.
In the time it takes most people to read this article, good people with firearms have prevented two rapes and three murders.
September 6, 2012 - 5:47 am
Yes, air travel is ridiculous and terrible. The TSA is an unconsitutional sham theater, and needs to be abolished.
Now, to address the ignorance. “100 bullet clip” – this does not exist. If you were refering to the drum magazine, those are unreliable novelty devices.
“Why anybody outside a war zone needs an assault weapon” – Chicago is a war zone. I would want one if I had to travel there.
“You can’t even shoot an elephant with one you can pick up on the internet or in a gun show” – Are you sure you aren’t high on something? Also, all internet and gun show sales from Licensed Dealers require FBI NICS background checks in all 50 states. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
“Consider the suggestion that if those in that theater audience had been equally armed, the slaughter would have been prevented. Really?” Yes, because contrary to all the leftist hand wringing, if everyone had been armed, the red-haired idiot would never have gone there to shoot anyone. No “thousands of rounds flying” at all. It’s called Effective Deterent.
“all from police bullet fragments” – If by fragments, you mean they were shot by whole bullets that completely missed the target from 5 feet away, then you’d be accurate. This is an NYPD training deficiency due to the blatently anti-gun culture forced by Mayor Bloomberg. Under his watch, the NYPD are NOT “armed proffesionals”.
“Since the ban on domestically held assault weapons expired in September of 2004, hundreds of people have been killed with these devices” – I would ask you to cite your source, but I won’t bother because this is a COMPLETE LIE. FBI stats, CDC stats, and an independent congressional study all confirmed that the Federal 1994 AWB had zero effect on crime. It also didn’t actually ban anything, which you would know if you had even bothered to read the wikipedia article about it. Semi-Auto AR-15s/AK-47s were perfectly legal under the ban, as long as they didn’t have flash hiders or bayonet lugs.
“And yet not a politician in sight, with the exception of Dianne Feinstein, has been willing to raise as much as a whisper. How come?” – Because DiFi is pandering to the leftist vote. And she is an idiot.
“no one claims they meant grenade launchers or anti-tank weapons” – You’re right, no one claims this. Why do the gun-grabers keep resorting to ad-absurdum arguments like this?
“80 percent of all firearms deaths in 23 industrialized countries occurred in the United States” – beware of statistics; this means nothing. More people are killed with bare hands than firearms. More children die by drowning in buckets. (FBI & CDC data)
“Nobody is suggesting that all guns be confiscated.” – Except the Handgun Control Inc., er, I mean, the Brady Campaign, the Violence Policy Center, and Most prominent Dems when they think no pro-liberty, true Americans will overhear them.
“Hunters need them… But who really needs an automatic or semi-automatic assault weapon?” – The AR-15, which you claim is an “assault weapon”, is currently the most popular hunting rifle in the US. Automatic, aka true “assault weapons”, are heavily regulated (effectively banned) under the National Firearms Act of 1934. Semi-Automatic Assault Weapon? No such thing. Please educate yourself before spouting nonsense.
Of the “thousands” that are shot every year, at least 50% are suicides. Suicide is not a “gun problem”, it is a mental health problem. Treat that. Of the other 50%, most are gang members shooting gang members, cops shooting criminals, and legitmate self defense (citizens shooting criminals during criminal acts).
“Mass Shootings” are actually quite rare. So rare, in fact, that it’s a media hey-day every time it happens. Again, more children drown in buckets.
Does statistical insignificance mean it’s something we should just accept? NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT. However, any law that focuses on the tools is not only useless, but harms over 80 million Americans. Focus on the true problems – Crime, and mental health.
MOLON LABE
September 6, 2012 - 6:37 am
Just another hoplophobic rant. Run and hide now. You should read the second amendment, it says nothing about “need”.
September 6, 2012 - 8:38 am
Please tell me where one can purchase a howitzer or anti-tank weapon. I would say you have a gift for hyperbole. However, out and out lies are not considered hyperbole. Please at least use a few facts before you spew your obvious anti-2A opinions.
Exercising a right isn’t about proving need to you or anyone else.