Here's a scary thought

[rayfromtx]

I'd like to clarify my position on whether the democratic party will push a gun control bill. I didn't mean to imply that it was a matter of the amount of actual time it would take. My wording would indicate that is what I meant.

What I actually think is that it would be politically unwise to do so. There are a few hot button issues that can bring the right out of their chairs with fire in their eyes. One of them is the 2nd amendment. Bless them all for that.

If Obama pursues gun control, the right will rise up and prevent his entire agenda from being successful. It happened with the "assault weapons bill". Passage of that bill, as weak and ineffective as it was, still cost the democrats hard feelings in congress that hurt their other agenda items. There will be democrats in safe districts that will make noise about it to play to their base, but democrats in moderate districts and our president can not afford to use their political capital that way. They will simply not survive the backlash.

The country will not look kindly on Obama if he speaks constantly of bringing the country together and then pursues one of the most divisive and partisan issues of our time.

I understand the feeling of, "if you give them an inch they'll take a mile." It is the same fear that makes liberals so intransigent on the issue of abortion rights. Both of these issues inspire hatred and mistrust of our fellow Americans that we would otherwise love. I rode with a woman the other day that shares almost all of my political beliefs. When I mentioned that I am a competition shooter, she said she doesn't mind hunting weapons. I told her that virtually every gun I own would be restricted by recently proposed legislation. I went on to say that if a nut job that wanted to kill school children didn't have access to guns, an arizona iced tea bottle filled with gasoline and a handkerchief would have at least as horrific results as a semiautomatic handgun. She folded her arms in front of her and didn't speak with me further.

This type of fear of the unknown and lack of understanding of the issues surrounding gun rights and the dangers of an unarmed society are the real enemies of gun rights. Our discussions must be thoughtful and diplomatic in order to not alienate the mothers in this country. Many will not listen but those that will are the ones that matter.

It is not unlike attacking every Muslim on the basis of their religion. Unless you decide to practice genocide on all Muslims, we should recognize that moderate Muslims are our best chance for peace and an end to terrorism. Unless you are ready to commit to a full scale civil war based on 2nd amendment rights, our discussions with gun control advocates should be reasonable and historically based. Twisted claims that can easily be disputed by fact checking are also unhelpful in maintaining our creditability.

Perhaps our biggest hurdle to being percieved as rational citizen gun owners is the fact that movies and tv shows are simply more captivating if the guys with guns kill people. I can't remember a single show on mainstream tv that includes a father teaching his son how to hunt or a retiree finding joy in shooting small groups. I don't see shows that include fathers taking their kids to the range or teaching them gun safety. That means that people who are not shooters only have gun violence on tv and in movies to form their opinions from along with daily news stories of gun violence in our major cities. It is going to be very difficult to overcome this cultural phenomenon.

Please do not attack gun owners that vote democratic. I form the front line against gun control advocates. The far right in this country will not make or break this issue any more than the far left. It is we in the middle that will carry the discussion. Alienating us will hurt us all. Non shooters who know examples of wise and thoughtful gun enthusiasts are less likely to fall for the negative stereotypes.

Thank you for your consideration.

[WHISTLEPIG]

Well said.

[jo191145]

If Obama pursues gun control, the right will rise up and prevent his entire agenda from being successful. It happened with the "assault weapons bill". Passage of that bill, as weak and ineffective as it was, still cost the democrats hard feelings in congress that hurt their other agenda items. There will be democrats in safe districts that will make noise about it to play to their base, but democrats in moderate districts and our president can not afford to use their political capital that way. They will simply not survive the backlash.

Sorry Ray. While I agree with some of what you say perhaps you can show me the logic of this.

If gun control is such a hurtful agenda for the Democrats then why do they constantly pursue it?
They pursue it when they're quite sure it will not pass. They pursue it when they're quite sure it will pass.
Why would anyone believe this time would be different? History tells us otherwise.

The Right will rise up and do what? If the Democrats control the House,Senate and POTUS the right will not be able to stop it. I've never noticed the Democrats being afraid of hurting gun owners feelings before.

[rayfromtx]

In the Senate you have to have 60 votes to get anything passed. An angry minority party in the Senate can put a virtual halt to all legislation and appointments. If having both houses and the whitehouse enabled a party to pass anything they wanted, then we would have drilling in ANWR, more restrictions on abortion, and all the judicial apointments would be filled by hardcore conservatives. It's all about compromise and making the other side see red is not the best way to achieve your agenda in Washington. The last time they passed a gun bill it was so watered down as to be meaningless. I was unable to buy a 17 round clip for my Glock but I could buy almost anything at a gun show. And for that scary but relatively minor annoyance that they were only able to pass by including a sunset clause, they gave up health care and a host of other items on their agenda and lost both houses of congress in the next election. That wasn't the only issue that cost them the election but it was significant.

The reason it is constantly proposed is to appease a constituency that can't understand why there is so much gun violence in America and wants government to do something about it. Those in safe blue districts can go back home at the recess and say I co-sponsored this gun control bill that would make America safer but it was blocked by the republicans. A huge portion of gun violence in America is due to the war on drugs. That policy empowers criminals to make billions in tax free income and they protect their enterprise with gang warfare that makes the mafia look civilized. There are better ways to stem drug use but talk of legalization and treatment, invariably leads to accusations of moral bankruptcy. It's politically expedient to keep a policy that doesn't work as intended and has horrible unintended consequences. As far as all the gun violence, we'll just blame it on the NRA and all those darn gun nuts. They just don't understand that many of the best people in America are the gun owners. It is up to us to show them that. We don't really sell our case very well with lines like "from my cold dead hands" That line gets donations from us for the NRA and scares the people that we need to understand us and support our cause.

The point I keep repeating is that we will not be successful in protecting our right to own guns if we just attack good Americans that are uninformed and misinformed about the issue and demonize those on the left. I have to believe that they too are trying to do what they feel is best for America. Questioning their patriotism and their motives will only serve to alienate us from those that support their ideas. Once the discussion stops, it becomes a matter of time until they have the votes to challenge us and at that point we'll be counting on the court to save us. It doesn't have to go there and it won't. If we are wise about how we present the shooting sports to our friends and coworkers, we can create an environment where nonshooters support our right to do the things that we love in this free country that we all love.

Touchy feely isn't in my nature but I'm adapting.

Can you feel the love?

There is a movement in this country that is rejecting combative political rhetoric. Obama's popularity is a reflection of that movement. Every time Hillary goes negative, she drops in the polls and loses more of her former supporters. The republicans are at a loss as well. They can't win with the old strategies. We are experiencing a backlash to Karl Rove and Clinton type tactics. The more they attack and slander their opponent, the more they lose support from all but their base. Let's move forward in the knowledge that tolerance is the new paradigm and find ways to cash in on it for our own cause.

[jo191145]

Let's move forward in the knowledge that tolerance is the new paradigm and find ways to cash in on it for our own cause.

I'll be watching closely for this new found tolerance you speak of but I won't be holding my breath.

As for cashing in on it maybe I'll hold on to those musket balls and sell them at a later date for a nice profit when they become a rarity.

[rayfromtx]

With the cost of lead and copper and the weak dollar, my best investments lately have been bullets. I bought 3000 6mm match bullets in Dec. and in Jan. they went up from 22 to 26 cents each and my 40 grain bergers went from 18 to 23 cents each. That's a heck of a return. Good night ya'll thanks for not flaming me. See, I feel the love already.

[Glen]

But doesn't/can't gun control wear many disguises? The serialized ammo? The gov't being able to place a tax on all ammo & raise it at will? This effectively makes more guns useless with the inability to shoot it when that much more money can go to their families food & shelter. I don't like it one bit that they can control any aspect of our beloved sport. Especially when lawful gun owners are the ones being targeted & singled out & the criminals are being left to run free & terrorize the general population. Which begs the question,, are terrorism acts in this country only related to the foreigners that commit them here? Being terrorized on your own soil by a fellow American is another form of terrorism that is not recognized. Matter of fact it is disregarded as hogwash & the blame gets placed squarely on the shoulders of the gun everytime.

I do agree wholeheartedly about the crime money in the economy. This country could not possibly survive without all the illegal revenue being pumped into it yet let someone make an honest mistake on a tax return & get audited by the IRS. Which are the only people that have the authority to MAKE you guilty BEFORE you hire a high priced lawyer to PROVE your innocence. They can & will lock your assets at will & you will be the one footing the bill to get them re-opened. There are a lot of things that this gov't will not address regardless of who is in control & the general welfare of all the citizens is one of them. At times it seems like they don't want us to succeed for fear we might end up with nice things in life too.

I'm done.