This year I reached the three-quarters of a century mark. I anticipate that I have a few more productive years ahead of me but when I publically rant against the NRA’s obscene passion for ownership of guns developed specifically for mass-killing of human beings, my friends warn me I’m flirting with disaster; that I could get myself killed. My bumper sticker, Another American for Sensible Gun Laws, breeds regular middle-finger salutes from drivers of big 4WD trucks and I encountered a brave citizen attaching a semi-threatening note to my truck in a local parking lot (but who refused to discuss the issues with me face to face, calling me a “f—– Liberal.”)
Well, whatever the few years that remain for me, I will not submit to spending any of them being afraid of the nut cases or the NRA who supports them. So, I will continue to argue, “There is no place in a civilized society for personal ownership of firearms designed for one purpose and one purpose only…the killing of human beings.”
Maybe I should be afraid, but I’m not! I’m more than willing to focus on facts, so here’s a few “facts” on the NRA’s purpose of gun ownership found in a recent NRA affiliate newsletter. The lead article was entitled, Top 5 Firearms from the 2014 NRA Annual Meeting.
First, all of the firearms portrayed were military semi-autos and here are direct quotes from that article.
- “Who said us civilians couldn’t own a submachine gun? SIG has high hopes for this wicked multi-caliber “pistol”(wink-wink).” (Indicating there are ways to get around the federal ban on automatics)
- “The SRM Arms model 1216 is only 32.5 inches from muzzle to recoil pad. What that means for us shooters is an easily maneuverable semi-auto shotgun for clearing rooms or shooting out of a vehicle.” (How many times have you, or anyone you know found it necessary to “clear a room” with an auto-loading shotgun or shoot it from a vehicle?)
The argument in support of the NRA definition of the 2nd Amendment is almost always, “the citizenry needs guns to prevent domination by an oppressive government.” So, who would such a government rely on to oppress the citizenry? It’d have to be our military…so you sure can’t support them.
And is our military capable of oppressing us? Probably, as it currently hosts over 275,000 tanks and armored combat vehicles; 10,000+ fighting aircraft; 1.3 million trained personnel, and even a stockpile of over 3,000 tons of serin gas, not to mention nuclear devices. The logic that a bunch of untrained NRA members could offer any meaningful military opposition makes as much sense as giving each of eleven construction workers a football and betting they can beat the Green Bay Packers.
I was raised to believe a Democracy was a political system where the citizenry voted and the majority made the rules. The NRA, a minority, believes they should make the rules through threat of sedition.
Scary times ahead, I fear.
deansshots 