Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Reports Of Gun-Control’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

The Left Call

Over on The Atlantic, Molly Ball has announced “The Death of Gun Control.” She says that any serious efforts on gun control ended when the Senate voted down enhanced background checks back in April. And if that wasn’t the death of gun control, the recall of two pro-gun-control Democrats in Colorado on Tuesday made it official.
The Atlantic — On Tuesday, two Colorado state senators, both Democrats, were recalled by voters for their votes in favor of gun control. Gun-rights advocates instigated the recall drives; the National Rifle Association spent $360,000, sending mailers and airing television ads calling the lawmakers “too extreme for Colorado.” Gun-control proponents, buoyed by donations from New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, outspent their opponents five to one. But the NRA turned the money against the lawmakers, painting them as pawns of fancy-pants out-of-state liberal interests. And the NRA won. –
Here’s what matters for the future of gun control: Advocates needed to send a signal that politicians could vote for gun control without fear of ending their careers. Instead, they sent the opposite message. Now risk-averse pols, already all too aware of the culture-war baggage the gun issue has historically carried, will have no incentive to put their political futures in jeopardy by proposing or supporting gun-control legislation.
I agree this was not a desirable outcome, but it was a fairly minor setback. Yes, there are indeed many risk-averse politicians out there, but that’s hardly a reason to admit defeat. If this was the prevailing attitude in the time when the Civil Rights Act passed, there would be no Civil Rights Act. The same could be said of the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, Social Security and so on. The point is this — usually the greatest progressive legislative achievements happen when they do not have anything approaching unanimous support. In fact, usually these progressive achievements happen in a climate when a plurality, even a majority are against it. So to admit defeat because a couple of Democrats lost their seats to a fringe group of rabid gun nuts is to say progressive and liberal politicians in 2013 have no courage. And maybe that’s true, but I hope not.
A second problem with admitting defeat on gun control, is the carte blanche given to gun fanatics to dictate gun policy to the rest of the nation. You say gun control groups outspent the NRA and still lost? So what? Spend more money next time. Or spend money in more effective ways. Because there is an easy way to defeat the crazy gun nuts, outnumber them at the polls. The only reason the NRA and gun advocates successfully recalled these two Democrats is that the zealous one-issue voters showed up and everyone else stayed home. And remember, the gun control measures passed in Colorado are still in place. The NRA and their gun-loving cohorts did not recall the law, they only recalled the politicians. That’s hardly a defeat, and it’s definitely not a reason to say gun control is dead.

11 comments:

  1. Jennifer Kerns, of the Basic Freedom Defense Fund, appeared on Breitbart News Sunday on ?Sirius XM Patriot channel 125 with Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon and said her group sent a letter to all of Colorado's state legislators. The letter asked if they would vote for a full repeal of Colorado's unconstitutional gun laws and, if the vote failed, if they would support a ballot initiative to repeal the laws."

    "She emphasized the group was "taking no prisoners" and "taking a page out of the left's playbook" to build on its success to get a full repeal of the gun control laws."
    http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/15/Group-Behind-Colorado-Recall-Pushing-for-Full-Repeal-We-Won-and-Now-We-Want-More

    Sounds like the next legislative session might get interesting.

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  2. Yes, we need more weapons to find their hands into crazies so that events like this where only a few people are killed make the news.

    It's already happened since it takes a fairly large body count before these incidents make the news, or they have to happen somewhere shocking (like a military base).

    Soon, we will have incidents with 15, 20, 30, plus bodies stacking up.

    Maybe someone will get fed up and we will see the pictures of the Sandy hook victims leaked.

    Until then, people in the US will be numb and do nothing until they experience what others who have lost family or friends have which is:

    "Can't sleep...thinking of the 12 families that received the horrific phone call today. The call that will take them to their knees. The call telling them that their loved one went off to work this morning & will never be seen again. The call telling the poor soul that gun violence has taken the life of a family member. The call that will forever change their life. The call that puts you in the club no one ever wants to be in..."

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  3. Some people are allergic to reality, it seems. The author of this rant tells us that we made progress by passing the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts. Indeed. But then he advocates for gun control, which would be a regress of rights. But that's political philsophy. What he can't see is the fact that Americans don't want gun control. He thinks that by spending more money or by "outnumbering them" at the polls, his yearning for control will win. We won't be outnumbered at the polls. That's because there are more of us than there are of the gun control side. This is America, not Europe. When someone from on high tells us no, we shout and march and sometimes shoot back yes.

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    Replies
    1. Do you not read the polls, or do you always lie to make your case. Polls: Americans overwhelmingly want regulations on certain guns, ammunition, and other sensible regulations. There is no majority to take all guns away, as you preach the anti-gun crowd wants to do.

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    2. Yes, I read the polls. I also know that many polls are bullshit. When it comes to a vote, gun control loses most places.

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    3. 90% of Americans wanted the last bill that gave reasonable gun control steps, the Congress voted against the bill and against the will of the people. According to your definition of law abiding, we should take arms against a government that won't vote the will of the people. Like take the drug dealer down with YOUR gun, don't bother to call the police, do it yourself. Anarchy.

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    4. The only poll question I have seen to specifically address the M-T bill was after it failed, and a slight majority said they were "relieved". The poll result with the 80-90% support were general questions specifically worded by polling groups to get a desired response. Someone can support background checks, but be completely opposed to how the senate tried to go about it. Another good example would be if you ask people of they feel our health care system needs fixing. A yes answer doesn't mean they must love the affordable care act.

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    5. Greg the fake NRA professor said:
      "What he can't see is the fact that Americans don't want gun control."
      Which is totally not true and MANY polls have said so. So now claim those polls are lying, or don't represent the view of Americans.
      Fine, live in your denial fantasy world. I will go by the polls that have not been found in error by professionals.
      Right, legislation is an act of compromise. During the 2007 campaign for president, the polls found 75% of Americans backed a government funded health plan. What we got was not even near that, so today the polls show 45% disagree with ACA. Of course they disagree with ACA, they told us during the public debate that's not what they wanted. Should we overthrow the government because we did not get our government funded health care insurance the people wanted by 75%? The fake professor would say that vote means Americans don't want health care reform. BS

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    6. TS showed you how polls can be manipulated. The only polls that matter happen on election days, and gun control consistently loses in most states. Or did you miss how a hugely majority Democratic district tossed out that senator in Colorado?

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    7. Amusing how you deny facts in favor of YOUR facts. I like the stance you two NRA extremists take: polls and facts aren't worth shit, unless they agree with your ideas. HA HA HA HA HA.

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    8. Frank Luntz was the first to run polls where these numbers came from. He specifically avertizes that his polling firm will ask questions in a way to get the answer his client wants. Bloomberg paid for the poll to get the answer Bloomberg wanted. If you want an accurate representation you don't go to Frank Luntz. You go to him when you want to use poll results to manipulate legislators.

      I'm a perfect example. I support an actual expansion of background checks for private use, so I can honestly answer "yes" to Luntz's question. But I was vehemently opposed to the billshit that came out of the senate.

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