For a while it’s seemed as if the anti-gunners have been staggering around without direction. Yes, they’ve won several billionaire-funded state-level victories on the issue of gun-owner registration universal background checks. But beyond those few determined mega-rich (we’re talking to you, Bloomberg, Hanauer, and your elitist Microsoft pals, and you, too, Ms. Wynn), the hoplophobes appear to be wandering lost.
No doubt the financial smackdown for the Brady Center’s frivolous lawsuits has had something to do with that.
But recently, the marching morons show signs of getting their feet back under them so they can go goose-stepping along their merry way.
To wit:
1. The influential Pew Research organization issued yet another poll claiming that darned near every American, of any party or philosophical stripe is just dying to impose more restrictions on gun ownership.
It doesn’t matter that poll questions can be carefully crafted to produce desired results. It doesn’t matter that the 85% supposedly in favor of forcing us to ask government permission to buy guns universal background checks almost certainly haven’t studied the matter at all, let alone studied it well enough to grok the ramifications. Pew helpfully produced a statistic for the antis to use. And use it they will.
2. The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health (consider the source!) next drops a badly done “study” claiming the more guns in a given state, the more murdered cops.
3. Then Georgetown University (consider the source!) comes out with a report on “Lone Wolf Terrorism” that once again makes the laughable claim that “far-right extremists” (e.g. angry gun owners) are at least as big a threat as Islamic jihadis.
This isn’t new, of course. It’s a notion that the media and various alphabet agencies of the fedgov have been promoting for a long time. But there is a problem when it becomes acceptible (and even encouraged) to think of millions of fellow countrymen as the enemy — not just as people you might disagree with, not just as political opponents, not just as members of a different culture — but as enemies.
(And yes, it’s ironic that that excellent quote was tweeted by the wildly excessive, polarizing CSGV, who have been responsible for stirring endless hate against gun owners — to the point of calling on people to SWAT us and otherwise threaten our health and our lives.)
We already know what happens when propagandists turn an entire country against a portion of its population. Been there. Done that. Have the mass graves to show for it in country after country. Of course, not very often do Masters of Public Opinion choose well-armed millions as their target.
That could end up getting interesting if they push the issue.
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I communicate with people all over the country, and parts of the world beyond. Many are not familiar with guns and many are even against general ownership of them… but I would love to see a survey done to determine just what direct influence the anti-gun propaganda – such as Bloomberg, et al – has had on them. Most of those I talk to recognize Bloomberg as a former Mayor, if that.
The propaganda in small doses, hidden in everyday conversation and media, carefully formulated to be seen as normal and even valuable information without any reference to guns at all… but building the myth that these others have both the wisdom and the authority to form public opinion…
Seems like a much greater danger to me than all of the direct attacks by those who would love to confiscate our guns.
It’s all about how you ask the question, who you ask the question of and who is asking the question!
If you ask if criminals & violent crazy people should have guns methinks offhand everyone but criminals and violent crazy people would be for that in general. But when you get to read the fine print of the laws to prevent criminals & violent crazy people from having guns you will find that everyone!!! who owns a gun in the eyes of those who make these laws is a criminal &/or violent crazy person unless of course it be one of their body guards.
That should have read;
If you ask if criminals & violent crazy people should “not” have guns methinks offhand everyone but criminals and violent crazy people would be for that in general. But when you get to read the fine print of the laws to prevent criminals & violent crazy people from having guns you will find that everyone!!! who owns a gun in the eyes of those who make these laws is a criminal &/or violent crazy person unless of course it be one of their body guards.
Amazing how one little word makes such a difference!
Most of this stuff ain’t going anywhere. The banners have lost large segments of their constituency since a lot of people have realized a gun might be useful after all. Yeah they might still be believers in the government religion, and baloney-slicing tactics might still work for the banners, after a fashion – but many many gun owners have decided not to bother paying attention to dumb-ass gun laws any more. I wouldn’t get too worried about some patently-silly study. All it does is cause those pushing it to lose what little credibility they have left.
It doesn’t matter that the 85% supposedly in favor of…
What does matter is credibility. Eighty-five percent? Really?
Whatever you think about Congress, representatives and senators know how to count votes. If 85% of the voters wanted universal background checks, Manchin-Toomey would have gone through Congress like a rifle bullet through an orange.
More and more people are opting out of surveys, and fewer and fewer believe in them any more.