How did gun control become a left wing issue? [View All]

[lancemurdoch]

I would say I am left-wing, especially on economic matters, pro-union and so forth. I also think the US is still too racist and affirmative action is necessary, feminism is OK and gays shouldn't be treated like pariahs. And I think US foreign policy, even under Democratic presidents, has been outrageous ever since the US invaded the Philippines over a century ago and probably before that.

I can't see for the life of me why the left supports gun control however. What's the history of this, when did the Democrats, or the left or whatever start down this road? On TV, I hear Democratic politicians and pundits say they are not for getting rid of all guns, just little tweaks like banning this or that or passing this or that law. But when I speak to Democrats I know, some of them say scary things, and give odd reasons for gun control. The scary things are they want all private arms confiscated by the government (I suppose the military, national guard, polcie and probably a dispensation for private corporate security would be allowed though, of course) and give odd reasons for it such as "I'm scared of what all these workers in Idaho, Mississippi, Kentucky etc. who have guns might do". Huh? Personally, I feel a lot safer knowing working people in Idaho, Mississippi, Kentucky and so forth have guns. Not just for protection from crime or whatever, but in case in the future some kind of political change happens that they don't approve of. Sure nothing like that appears on the horizon, but if you look at history, it's quite likely.

That's in the US. I've read a little about the history of this. Actually, if you see the move "1900", the PCI type guy at the end tells all the workers why they should disarm themselves at the end of the movie. I didn't really buy it though. Of course, this reflected PCI's request for disarmament in the 1940's. What is not mentioned is how many of the workers became alienated from PCI due to this. PCI was Italy's left-wing party - they got over 30% of the vote in 1972 (they were the left party, not the center-left party, PCI was way to the left of the Democrats). Anyhow, what's the history of the whole thing of the left wanting the government confiscating workers guns? And don't tell me it's just minor changes because most of the people I know want a lot more than minor changes.