In a place where gun ranges advertise assault rifles and machine guns on billboards and taxicab doors, it's clear Nevadans like their guns.
Almost four in five registered voters questioned in a poll taken for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and KLAS-TV, Channel 8, said they agree with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that gun ownership is a fundamental right for all law-abiding citizens. Fifteen percent said they disagreed with the ruling and 6 percent were unsure.
There's certainly no surprise there. I wondered how these attitudes affect the millions of visitors and transient residents of the state. These folks, who are not Nevada voters, far outnumber the residents who are. Perhaps it's something like the way they handle prostitution. Within the city limits of Las Vegas, it's illegal but tolerated, in the rest of the state there are legal brothels. Maybe they treat guns the same way.
Bob Irwin, owner of The Gun Store, said the polling results are not surprising because the Founding Fathers "made their intent clear in the Constitution."
"You're dealing with guys who had just finished throwing off a British tyranny with guns. If they hadn't, we'd be counting our change in shillings and speaking with British accents," Irwin said.
"If you don't have a right to a gun, you don't have the right to defend your own life. You have a basic right to survive and to protect yourself and your family from criminals."
Don't these guys ever tire of referring back to the Founders? Bob Irwin and his clientele have about as much to do with the Founding Fathers as they do with Cochise and Sitting Bull.
Something I don't accept is the idea that owning a gun is necessary to defend your life. Where does that come from? You could just as easily claim that you need claymore mines and rocket launchers to defend yourself and your family.
What's your opinion? Is the Libertarian spirit of Nevada something we want to base national policy on?
Please leave a comment.
"I wondered how these attitudes affect the millions of visitors and transient residents of the state. These folks, who are not Nevada voters, far outnumber the residents who are."
ReplyDeleteWho do you think these billboards and taxicab signs are marketed to? Do you really think the locals are lining up to rent machine guns every day at the local ranges? The tourists are the customers. These are people that cannot shoot or own such guns in their home states. I'm sure if you could run a check on who is renting these guns you would find that the overwhelming majority are from places like New York and New Jersey as well as Canada.
You have touted Hawaii as one of the best gun control states. In Hawaii there are scores of gun clubs scattered out over the islands. These clubs safely store guns for their members as well as rent guns out to patrons. Do you know who constitutes the majority of members at these clubs? Its not the locals. The majority of the patrons that join and are shooting at these clubs on any given weekend are wealthy Japanese businessmen. They fly there on weekends with their families then while the kids are at the beach, they flock to their gun clubs to participate in something that is banned in their home country.
"What's your opinion? Is the Libertarian spirit of Nevada something we want to base national policy on?"
Absolutely.
"You're dealing with guys who had just finished throwing off a British tyranny with guns. If they hadn't, we'd be counting our change in shillings and speaking with British accents," Irwin said.
ReplyDeleteGuns or no guns, nobody touches my regional accent.
I would say that Nevada is a national disgrace with their legalized gambling. But now that California has twenty different lottery games and a burgeoning casino industry on virtually every Native American land, there's not much to condemn. I remember my parents describing the lottery in Franco's Madrid to me as a boy in 1968. How utterly barbaric I thought. At least that idiot Schwarzeneggar is out. He wanted to balance the state budget with more slot machines.
Prostitution victimizes women. Go on about the Happy Hooker all you like.
FWM makes the case for sex tourism in Thailand. Gary Glitter would be proud of you.
ReplyDeleteSoooo..FWM would like to see the US look more like Nevada?
ReplyDeleteHow's that working out for Nevadans? Well, they have the nation's highest unemployment rate--which isn't surprising given the fact their economy is based on gambling, which in a recession tends to dry up. They also lead the nation in crime--for the 5th or 6th straight year. Looks like those lax gun laws aren't working.
Education-wise, Nevada ranks in the bottom 15% of the states in terms of education levels and student testing.
BTW, there are not "scores" of gun ranges in HI. There are fewer than 10 on Oahu. There are 2 I know of on the Big Island. One on Kauai. Possibly 2 on Maui. Additionally, several of these ranges are private and not generally open to the public.
"Soooo..FWM would like to see the US look more like Nevada?"
ReplyDeleteI believe Mike's question was in terms of gun ownership.
""You're dealing with guys who had just finished throwing off a British tyranny with guns. If they hadn't, we'd be counting our change in shillings and speaking with British accents," Irwin said."
ReplyDeleteActually, we'd be counting our change in marks and speaking German, because the British were in no position to win WWII.
So, if the gun rentals and shooting ranges cater to the visitors, what's that got to do with the libertarian frontier attitude of native Nevada residents? This stuff would have more to do with the "tourism and leisure activities" that Michael Corleone was involved in.
ReplyDeleteCould it be both? Could the cowboy mentality prevail outside of Vegas and the big business of providinig what the gamblers want work in the city?