General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The actual reason that we lost on gun control. [View all]DanTex
(20,709 posts)Personally, I can't think of a single person who I respect intellectually who agrees with the GOP on guns. Can you name one? And I don't mean DUers, I mean politicians, pundits, social scientists, media figures, etc. Anyone? And these are the people you claim "know what they're talking about". Leaving aside that, on a factual basis, the NRA is demonstrably wrong about just about everything (even the "cosmetic features" bit is a lie: nobody can seriously think that a pistol grip or forward grip on a rifle are "cosmetic features", least of all gun enthusiasts who discuss their tactical advantages at length when not repeating NRA talking points), but just the fact that everyone one your side is a raving lunatic should clue you in that maybe it's time to take a step back.
But it's really odd that you don't recognize that the forces preventing sensible gun laws are exactly the same forces that are preventing all the other sensible laws that both of us are in favor of. Your advice: "If you want Congress to pass your agenda, you have to have a Congress that will introduce and vote for that agenda" has nothing to do with guns specifically, but is simply a truism that applies to any other policy area just as well.
Want reform of drug laws? You need Congress to vote for it. Want a stronger social safety net? You need Congress to vote for that. Want cleaner air and water? You need Congress to vote for it. Want a better education system? You need Congress to vote for it. I'm not sure why our "pro-gun progressives" think this is some kind of profound observation. I get it, we have a right-wing congress that opposes common sense across the board, it's just that, lucky you, you happen to agree with Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry on gun policy. If only you were as fond of poverty and pollution as you are of gun violence, you'd be in business!
Finally, with regards to Canada and Australia, it takes about three seconds of looking at crime statistics to see that they are doing a far better job than we are dealing with gun violence. Yes, it's harder to get a handgun for self-defense in those countries, but the net result is that people there are safer than we are. An analogy. I would prefer not to pay any taxes. That would be great. But if nobody paid any taxes, then society would collapse. So everyone has to chip in a little. Similarly with guns, even though you personally might feel safer with a handgun, as a society, we are all more safe with less handguns around.
Actually, the analogy is imperfect, because whereas paying taxes definitely harms me, statistically, there is no safety benefit whatsoever associated with keeping a gun for self-defense -- in fact, the opposite is true. It's like homeopathic medicine laced with poison. So really, what's going on is that everyone in society has to suffer just to allow some people to feel safer even though they are actually putting themselves at greater risk.