It's Amazing What One Has To Believe...To Believe In Gun Control
By Michael Z. Williamson
That the more helpless you are, the safer you are from criminals.
That Washington DC's low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due to gun
control, and Indianapolis'high murder rate of 9 per 100,000 is
attributable to the lack of gun control.
That an intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray, but if
shot with a .44 Magnum will get angry and kill you.
That firearms in the hands of private citizens are the gravest threat to
world peace, and China, Pakistan and Korea can be trusted with nuclear
weapons.
That Charlton Heston as president of the NRA is a shill who should be
ignored, but Michael Douglas as a representative of Handgun Control,
Inc. is an ambassador for peace who is entitled to an audience at the UN
arms control summit.
That ordinary people, in the presence of guns, turn into slaughtering
butchers, and revert to normal when the weapon is removed.
That one should consult an automotive engineer for safer seat belts, a
civil engineer for a better bridge, a surgeon for spinal paralysis, a
computer programmer for Y2K problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms
expertise
That the 2nd Amendment, ratified in 1787, allows the states to have a
National Guard, created by act of Congress in 1917.
That the National Guard, paid by the federal government, occupying
property leased to the federal government, using weapons owned by the
federal government, punishing trespassers under federal law, is a state
agency.
That it is reasonable for California to have a minimum 2 year sentence
for possessing but not using an assault rifle, and reasonable for
California to have a 6 month minimum sentence for raping a female police
officer.
That it is reasonable to jail people for carrying but not using guns,
but outrageous to jail people for possessing marijuana.
That minimum sentences violate civil rights, unless it's for possessing
a gun.
That door-to-door searches for drugs are a gross violation of civil
rights and a sign of fascism, but door-to-door searches for guns are a
reasonable solution to the "gun problem."
That the first amendment absolutely allows child pornography and threats
to kill cops, but doesn't apply to manuals on gun repair.
That free speech entitles one to own newspapers, transmitters,
computers, and typewriters, but self defense only justifies bare hands.
That with the above, a 90 lb woman attacked by a 300 lb rapist and his
300 lb buddy, has the "right" to kill them in self defense, provided she
uses her bare hands.
That gun safety courses in school only encourage kids to commit
violence, but sex education in school doesn't encourage kids to have
sex.
That the ready availability of guns today, with only a few government
forms, waiting periods, checks, infringements, ID, and fingerprinting,
is responsible for all the school shootings, compared to the lack of
school shootings in the 1950's and 1960's, which was caused by the
awkward availability of guns at any hardware store, gas station, and by
mail order.
That we must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on a
shooting spree at any time, and anyone who owns a gun out of fear of
such a lunatic is paranoid.
That there is too much explicit violence featuring guns on TV, and that
cities can sue gun manufacturers because people aren't aware of the
dangers involved with guns.
That the crime rate in America is decreasing because of gun control, and
the increase in crime requires more gun control.
That statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control, and
statistics that show increasing murder rates after gun control are "just
statistics."
That we don't need guns against an oppressive government, because the
Constitution has internal safeguards, and we should ban and seize all
guns, therefore violating the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Amendments of that
Constitution, thereby becoming an oppressive government.
That guns are an ineffective means of self defense for rational adults,
but in the hands of an ignorant criminal become a threat to the fabric
of society.
That guns are so complex to use that special training is necessary to
use them properly, and so simple to use that they make murder easy.
That guns cause crime, which is why there are so many mass slayings at
gun shows.
That guns aren't necessary to national defense, which is why the army
only has 3 million of them.
That banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, and Chicago cops
need guns.
That the Constitution protects us, so we don't need guns, and can
confiscate them, thereby violating the 5th amendment of that
constitution.
That one should ignore as idiots politicians who confuse Wicca with
Satanism and exaggerate the gay community as a threat to society, but
listen sagely to politicians who can refer to a self-loading small arm
as a "weapon of mass destruction" and an "assault weapon."
That Massachusetts is safer with bans on guns, which is why Teddy
Kennedy has machinegun toting guards.
That most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws against guns,
which most people will abide by, because they can be trusted.
That a woman raped and strangled with her panties is morally superior to
a woman with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.
That the right of online child pornographers to exist cannot be
questioned because it is a constitutionally protected extension of the
Bill of Rights, and the claim that handguns are for self defense is
merely an excuse, and not really protected by the Bill of Rights.
That the ACLU is good because it uncompromisingly defends certain parts
of the Constitution, and the NRA is bad, because it defends other parts
of the Constitution.
That police operate in groups with backup, which is why they need larger
capacity magazines than civilians, who must face criminals alone, and
therefore need less ammunition.
That we should ban "Saturday Night Specials" and other inexpensive guns
because it's not fair that poor people have access to guns too. That
guns have no legitimate use, but alcohol does, which is why we issue
cops beer instead of guns.
Copyright 1999, 2000 by Michael Z. Williamson. Permission is granted to
copy in part or in total for non-profit purposes, provided due credit is
given.
c. 1999, 2000