Help Us, President Obama, You’re Our Only Hope
I could be totally wrong about this but I doubt it since this is, after all, a professional political organization, but it seems to me that the gun nuts are not going to vote for President Obama no matter what.
I am a gun owner. But, I don’t think Jim Bob needs an AK47, a 100 clip magazine, or a Bradley fighting vehicle. If “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” is taken literally, then I have the right to a nuclear weapon. So, of course we have “arms” control. We have already infringed on the Second Amendment.
Mr. President, I love you. I do. But, I want you to remember something: Republicans are not afraid to feed red meat to their base because they know that they are not getting my vote no matter what they do, but getting their base to the polls is important. In the about-face of that, I’m not asking you to feed your base red meat – I’m asking you to save lives. As a by-product, your base will be proud.
The NRA is pro mass murder. Let them wear that crown with pride.
Let us be the voice of reason. Let us be pro-life.
.
Amen! We need leaders that are willing to risk their re-election for issues and policies that are for the good of ALL people.
1I’ve seen very small glimmers of this recently, of showing a sense of “enough is enough.” I keep remembering Edward R Murrow. All he had to do was call McCarthy’s bluff, knock down that first little domino. A commentator on MSNBC
Amen! We need leaders that are willing to risk their re-election for issues and policies that are for the good of ALL people.
2I’ve seen very small glimmers of this recently, of showing a sense of “enough is enough.” I keep remembering Edward R Murrow. All he had to do was call McCarthy’s bluff, knock down that first little domino. A commentator on MSNBC last night pointed out that most gun owners are supportive of rational gun laws. Fewer people are buying guns right now, so the NRA has to play to a shrinking group so they will buy multiple guns. Maybe in the next generation we will prevail!
1. The second amendment talks about a “well-regulated” militias needed for the right to bear arms. Well regulated.
2. Somebody on anther blog commented that we need to call it “Massacre Control,” not”Gun Control.”
3Not gonna get me hating on NRA, been a member off and on for 40 years. They do have their wingnuts as does the my religious denomination and my local Democratic party. But It is not usually the NRA member that twists off and kills a bunch of people. Charlie Whitman wasn;t a member best I can tell, nor this latest confused little puppy in Colorado.
Second Amendment:
I am only an amateur historian and reader of the Constitution, but my take on the Second Amendment is that its purpose was to prevent the local militias from being disbanded by the States as sort of a peace dividend. Remember there was a nut case in Merry Ole that still had designs on re-establishing that “special relationship” with the Colonies. So the Framers likely never contemplated any weapon technology beyond single shot black powder muskets and pistoles. Brass cartridges were beyond their experience, so the weapons we shoot today were beyond all but their imaginations. What would George W (the real one) or TJ say if they could be with us today and see 30 round banana clips taped butt to butt? Or the 50 caliber special purpose rifle being effectively used in Afghanistan to retire bad guys from 5000+ feet? The would probably say the Second Amendment needs some updating and imagination to stay current as killing technology changes.
And btw, they, the Framers, WERE NEVER thinking about one on one personal self-defense when they wrote the Second Amendment. That right was a given and local laws could handle all that quite effectively.
4Jan says: Oops. Sorry for the inappropriate timing for hitting enter!
5I got no problem with people who want to own guns. My late husband used to hunt geese. He had a shotgun.
The problem I have is with people who can buy automatic rifles, and unlimited ammunition, over the internet, and commit a massacre in a move theater.
Like I read on somebody’s website this morning. If the guy who did this….. was an Muslim or an Arab…. he would be a labeled a “terrorist.” If he was African American….. he would be a “thug.” If he were a Latino, he would be deported, and the whole thing would be blamed on “illegal immigration”. But…… he’s white…… so……. without a doubt….. he’s “mentally ill”.
I agree with President Obama…….Automatic weapons belong in the hands of soldiers in combat…. they should not be sold to criminals.
JMHO.
6The 2nd amendment protects the right to bear arms. It doesn’t mention bullets, does it? So tax bullets, like cigarettes, like alcohol. Just enough so people could not afford to buy 6000 rounds at a time, but not so much that it would overly affect someone with a six bullet handgun, or deer rifle. And keep the 2nd amendment out of the discussion.
7@Miemaw: near as I can tell from long distance, the shooter in Colorado was not shooting an automatic rifle. It fired one round with one pull of the trigger, just like the goose gun your husband used to hunt. The shooter in Colorado also is alleged to have shot a shotgun there in the theater.
@Rick: I hate the idea of taxing ammunition. I’d much prefer a an alcohol approach: limit the hours of the day and/or days a week ammunition can be purchased. Or, Limit the amount that can be purchased at one time. For example when my boys were young I bought a brick of 22s (500 rounds) for us to use at my in-laws place. When they got a bit older and were in Scouts, on a shooting weekend I calculated a brick of 22s for every 3 Scouts and Scouters shooting. 60 shooters = 20 bricks of 22s. I bought that quantity from WalMart showing only a credit card. I’d have grumbled but understood if WM had said wait we can’t sell you that much ammunition even for an innocent reason.
Or limit weapon sales to non-military calibers, as some other nations have done. I personally would hate that because I own some 45 ACP handguns and really like the effectiveness of that round for personal self-defense, but I also understand that the accuracy of the shooter trumps the size of the cartridge every time. I am willing to carry 380 or 40S&W for self defense, plink with a 22 and hunt with 7mm-08.
8I think that if the second amendment is there to ensure that we have a militia, everybody who owns a gun should be on call to serve in it.
Otherwise, gun ownership should be right up there with driving: you have to reach the legal age, pass the competency tests, pay the licensing fees, carry the license, and carry insurance. And not all vehicles are allowed on the roads.
The insurance companies should jump at the chance to get more customers.
9@DJ only thing I see wrong with your logic is that an unlicensed minor may own a vehicle, at least here in Texas. They just can’t legally drive it. And until recently one didn’t have to have insurance to get a vehicle registered or safety inspected.
10Sgt Mike,
Your constitutional history is accurate but let me add another dimension; the southern colonies feared the federal army would be sent into all the colonies and “nationalize” all the local militias. The 2nd Amendment assured those less populous, rural, southern states that they would retain autonomy in law enforcement at the local level.
Those who are interested in American history of the 18th century, let me recommend Walter Isaacson’s biography of Ben Franklin. Franklin’s position on taxes and religion, two Tea Party favorite causes, might surprise today’s conservatives.
11From some reading of the Federalist Papers a long time ago another reason was because the Framers of the Constitution did not want a Full Time Standing Army, thus a non professional armed militia.
My question is: Which Assault Rifle would Jesus carry? M-16, AR-15, AK 47? I would think M-16 since it is made in the USA and Jesus is a Patriot, right?
12@rekster: I love WWJD? games!
Easy answer. Jesus would carry a Knight SR-47. “based on the M-4/M-4A1 carbine variants of the M-16 assault rifle family, but fire the 7.62 x 39mm Soviet-designed cartridge and magazines used in the AK-47 assault rifle.” Leverages his muscle memory of the M-16 but uses AK-47 magazines, thereby forcing the enemy to provide His logistical support.
13Rick, I once suggested limiting bullets if we can’t manage to limit guns, and was told that bullets aren’t that hard to make at home if you’ve got some tools. Not the fancy kind of ammo, but enough to kill people.
DJ, I’m with you on both points.
14I bought a gun and learned to use it when my ex was threatening my life…the guy at the shooting range asked me if I was sure I hadn’t shot before since the bullets were all in the kill zone…I hadn’t, had only been the victim of gun violence earlier in my life and figured if you were going to shoot at someone you should make it count–I think only rifles should be sold (for hunters) (my grandmother was killed in a hunting accident, so that’s saying a lot) handguns are simply for hurting people–so I am in favor of a ban–I have no desire to live in the Old West or Iraq–and if everyone is armed-(polite, my a$$) all we will be is shot up (young drunk males, anyone)–that bozo in the Dallas Walmart proves that…
15This man says it well…
16http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/opinion/an-arms-race-we-cant-win.html?_r=1
Oh Dear. Here I am again amongst the 2nd Amendment types. Explain to me why, in a completely urban setting where there is no hunting allowed at all and where the populace has voted twice in the last forty years to ban hand guns, that we have no voice. Yes, there is killing and gun violence–where the guns originate almost entirely from Virginia–among the drug dealers and gang bangers. What we have NOT had since 1976, when ownership of hand guns was disallowed, is much in the way of neighbors settling disputes with guns, or domestic disputes ending in gun fire, or guns falling out of people’s pants and going off and injuring bystanders. The exception to that has been police officers resorting to their own department-issued guns to settle their own domestic troubles. Nor have we had much in the way of children accidently killing each other with hand guns they found lying around their homes. I have never worried that any of my neighbors would pull a gun on anybody for any reason. Thanks to the Supremes in the Heller case, however, that has all changed. Thank you so damn much. Like we all feel freer, or something.
17@Sgt. Mike: I love that! Takes care of Jesus’ buy USA and also probably some use of Free Trade Agreements.
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