Here's a suggestion for those who wan't reasonable gun regulation in the USA: think practical!
1. The 2nd Amendment is reality. SCOTUS has weighed in on it and ruled that it does indeed grant individual Americans the right to bear arms. Repealing the 2nd Amendment is pure fantasy now or in the foreseeable future. So whatever you do, you have to work within the 2nd Amendment.
2. Remember how we settled for Don't Ask, Don't Tell when we really wanted true equality for military gays? We settled for that because that's what we could realistically get at the time. We settled for the Affordable Healthcare Act because a single payer system was just not in the cards. Any kind of gun legislation will need to be similarly realistic. Don't pursue shit that you have no chance of getting.
3. "The more you tighten your grip, Tarken, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." Remember that line from Star Wars? It's applicable here. The more you threaten 2nd Amendment rights, the more you'll spook the people who feel it is important - and they will donate more to the NRA, get more politically active and buy more and more guns. The gun manufacturers love Obama because gun sales skyrocketed when he was elected. Look up the numbers! This is not a battle which can be won by force. The harder you push, the harder they push back - and the numbers are not on your side.
4. The love of guns is very largely a cultural thing. The culture will have to change before a gun-free society is even remotely possible. I honestly think Christianity will be a minority belief here before that happens. To MANY Americans, guns = freedom and self-sufficiency. It's a fierce belief that will only go away when the people trust the government. Good luck on that.
5. If you really want some reasonable gun legislation, you should do some research on the "gun nuts" and try to understand what makes them tick. Like it or not, you'll have work WITH them if you're to succeed. If you fight against them, you'll lose. Oh, you'll win a few battles - like during times like this when emotions are raw. It won't last, though. To win anything meaningful, you'll need to come up with practical suggestions which will seem reasonable and acceptable to the gun lovers. You'll probably have to swallow some pride and give up a lot more than you would like but you're not going to beat the 2nd Amendment, 200+ years of culture and a lot of paranoia with a sledgehammer. They have a bigger one. You'll need velvet gloves.
1. The 2nd Amendment is reality. SCOTUS has weighed in on it and ruled that it does indeed grant individual Americans the right to bear arms. Repealing the 2nd Amendment is pure fantasy now or in the foreseeable future. So whatever you do, you have to work within the 2nd Amendment.
2. Remember how we settled for Don't Ask, Don't Tell when we really wanted true equality for military gays? We settled for that because that's what we could realistically get at the time. We settled for the Affordable Healthcare Act because a single payer system was just not in the cards. Any kind of gun legislation will need to be similarly realistic. Don't pursue shit that you have no chance of getting.
3. "The more you tighten your grip, Tarken, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." Remember that line from Star Wars? It's applicable here. The more you threaten 2nd Amendment rights, the more you'll spook the people who feel it is important - and they will donate more to the NRA, get more politically active and buy more and more guns. The gun manufacturers love Obama because gun sales skyrocketed when he was elected. Look up the numbers! This is not a battle which can be won by force. The harder you push, the harder they push back - and the numbers are not on your side.
4. The love of guns is very largely a cultural thing. The culture will have to change before a gun-free society is even remotely possible. I honestly think Christianity will be a minority belief here before that happens. To MANY Americans, guns = freedom and self-sufficiency. It's a fierce belief that will only go away when the people trust the government. Good luck on that.
5. If you really want some reasonable gun legislation, you should do some research on the "gun nuts" and try to understand what makes them tick. Like it or not, you'll have work WITH them if you're to succeed. If you fight against them, you'll lose. Oh, you'll win a few battles - like during times like this when emotions are raw. It won't last, though. To win anything meaningful, you'll need to come up with practical suggestions which will seem reasonable and acceptable to the gun lovers. You'll probably have to swallow some pride and give up a lot more than you would like but you're not going to beat the 2nd Amendment, 200+ years of culture and a lot of paranoia with a sledgehammer. They have a bigger one. You'll need velvet gloves.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
