The Economist
The NRA can never declare victory, for then what would be the point of it? After each concession, it demands more. Some day, perhaps, it will ask for something so outrageous that it sparks a backlash. But for now it strikes a chord. For the first time in two decades a new poll by the Pew Research Centre found more Americans supporting gun rights than gun controls. How can this be so, when such a huge majority favour background checks? The answer is that background checks are tools of the state and trust in the state has plunged in the past decade, notably on the right where it blends with loathing for Mr Obama. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s charismatic frontman, told a conservative crowd in February that when criminals attack, our wives, sisters and daughters face assault through “a kicked-down door”, “laws can’t protect you…You’re on your own.” That is the authentic voice of the gun lobby in 2015. Fear smothers rational debate. It is meant to.
I had to check to see if this was an old article because the Everytown study got brought up and it was quite thoroughly discredited by such conservative media sources such as CNN and Politifact when it first came out. But apparently someone hopes people will stop mentioning it.
ReplyDeleteI believe the important point of the article is this,
"For the first time in two decades a new poll by the Pew Research Centre found more Americans supporting gun rights than gun controls. How can this be so, when such a huge majority favour background checks? The answer is that background checks are tools of the state and trust in the state has plunged in the past decade, notably on the right where it blends with loathing for Mr Obama."
Actually I believe this distrust started much farther back and therefor cant be laid at the feet of racism. Americans used to be content to give the government wide ranging powers in exchange for the perception of safety. Then of course, the government started getting caught violating the trust the citizens gave it and they started demanding, and rightfully so radical concepts like equal treatment and accountability.
The move from discretionary may-issue carry laws to shall-issue laws are a good example of this, and now things seem to be moving past that to an expansion of states adopting Constitutional carry.
A lot of this distrust results directly from the advances in technology that have allowed the fast widespread sharing of information. I sort of wonder if the recent increases in minorities placing a higher value in gun rights might be as a result in the perception of their shoddy treatment by the government's most visible representatives, namely police.
After all, if government workers are mistreating you, isn't the distrust mentioned in this article justified?
For the first time in two decades a new poll by the Pew Research Centre found more Americans supporting gun rights than gun controls. How can this be so, when such a huge majority favour background checks?
ReplyDeleteIf the author is confused about conflicting poll results, maybe looking the the source of the polls will help clear that up. One is from a reputable pollster, while the other specializes in designing polls to push an agenda (in this case paid for my Michael Bloomberg).
In reality, they are far from winning.
ReplyDeleteTo use sports metaphors--a winning team doesn't employ the use of "OMG, we're up 300 pts but Holy shit we've got to get the first team out there playing better!!!"
Fact is, gun ownership is down.
Hunting is down.
Most folks regard the NRA as something less than the Flat Earth Society.
The only thing keeping the NRA afloat is an industry.
"Fact is, gun ownership is down.
DeleteHunting is down.
Most folks regard the NRA as something less than the Flat Earth Society.
The only thing keeping the NRA afloat is an industry."
If your assertion is true about declining interest and ownership are true, then you have but to wait for the gun culture to die of natural causes and the Second Amendment to become as contentious as the 3rd Amendment, though no one seems big on repealing that one either.
I have given numerous real world examples why I believe you're mistaken in regards to declining interest. And there is certainly nothing wrong with making a profit on a legal Constitutionally protected activity. Sort of like newspapers making a profit with the First Amendment.
I also think that you're suffering from tunnel vision in your fixation on the NRA. There are quite a large number of more local gun rights advocacy groups that I believe have a much larger impact on state and local level legislation than the NRA. In fact, I'm contemplating driving down to the Capitol tomorrow to attend a committee meeting,
"The next important hearing for our Second Amendment bills is tomorrow -- Tuesday, April 14, starting at 11:00 a.m. in room 10 of the State Office Building.
If you can, please join us tomorrow in St. Paul, in your GOCRA shirt, to show our strength."
"The House Public Safety Committee will be working on the omnibus public safety bill. This is a single, massive bill that contains most of the public safety intiatives that have already passed committees in the House.
The omnibus bill provides a way to force at least part of the Senate to consider these bills, which anti-2A Senator Ron Latz has refused to hear in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs.
This omnibus bill will, we hope, include the five pro-2A bills we've worked for this year:
Rep. Jim Newbwerger's HF722, emergency powers
Rep. Mark Anderson's HF1434, suppressors
Rep. Jim Nash's HF372, Capitol notification
Rep. Eric Lucero's HF830, interstate purchase of long guns
Rep. Dan Fabian's HF305, ND carry reciprocity
See our 2015 GOCRA Bill Tracker for more details about all of the bills."
https://www.facebook.com/gocra
Jade: "In reality, they are far from winning."
DeleteConsidering your mantra that "we have no gun control", this would mean your team hasn't even scored a point.
"The only thing keeping the NRA afloat is an industry."
DeleteRight. That's why most hotels were full 50-100 miles around Nashville and the NRA's estimate of how many people would attend undershot the figure by 8,865 people.
"If your assertion is true about declining interest and ownership are true, then you have but to wait for the gun culture to die of natural causes"
DeleteActually, attrition is one of the biggest things working against the gun rights movement, that, and the gradual evolution of the human species.
"Right. That's why most hotels were full 50-100 miles around Nashville and the NRA's estimate of how many people would attend undershot the figure by 8,865 people."
DeleteYou guys love to brag about the supposed 100 million gun owners in the US. And you also love to do the old percentage thing when alking about kid shootings or gun accidents. But I never hear you acknowledging the piss poor percentage of NRA members there are compared to the total number of gun owners. Why would that be?
But I never hear you acknowledging the piss poor percentage of NRA members there are compared to the total number of gun owners. Why would that be?
DeleteYeah, one of many gun rights advocacy organizations is composed of probably fewer than 5% of American gun owners. Tell me, Mikeb, your guess on what the percentage is of people who do not own guns and who are members of any of the following groups: Brady Campaign, VPC, CSGV, Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, Americans for Responsible Solutions, and every other domestic "gun control" group--all put together.
I bet it's a lot more "piss poor" than 5% (which would, after all, be over 10 million people).
Nice diversion, Kurt. Whenever cornered, turn the question around and aim it at your opponent - instead of answering.
DeleteWhenever cornered . . .
DeleteUm, "cornered"? I ain't that. And it's a legitimate question. If NRA membership levels as a proportion of gun owners are "piss poor," the very likely vastly lower rate of "gun control" group membership among those who do not own guns must indeed be even "piss poorer," and by a very wide margin.
Yes, when cornered turn the question around, aim it at your opponent, and repeat.
Delete