Gun lovers typically argue that when a perpetrator encounters an armed person–the perpetrator will either back down or get shot. The way to stop gun violence is with guns. We can prevent gun violence so long as sane and rational people are properly armed. So, crazy people care–or even notice?
Robert V. Thompson
June 11, 2009
Holocaust museum shooting–‘just say no’ to the gun lobby
[Actually, Mr. Thompson, the crazy person did notice. Someone with a gun shot him and he stopped his attack. As Greg Hamilton said, “Nothing is as debilitating and disorienting as blowing chunks of heart, spine, and brain out of your opponent.”
I did not leave the above comment for Thompson. Since Thompson quoted Gandhi, I left a couple Gandhi quotes and asked him Just One Question. My guess is either Reasoned Discourse will break out or the comments will be ignored.–Joe]
There’s that “gun lovers” bit again. It’s an interesting form of argument by innuendo, or a stealth ad homonym attack–saying something without having the courage to say it openly. It doesn’t say anything directly about the gun owner, while implying that gun owners are defective in some way. It means our “love” for guns has clouded our reasoning, at the least, and it can go as far as suggesting a deviant and disturbing sexual attraction to our guns, as it is said we “fondle” our guns. In the latter case, we are to be seen not merely as having clouded judgment, but as being sick and perverted as well. I’ve noticed that when you confront the person using this tactic, they’re invariably taken off balance and usually flame out right there and then.
Lots of denial in there for sure;
“…the perpetrator will either back down or get shot.” Uh, yes, exactly. It happens every day. Without guns in the hands of the would-be victims, the perp will keep right on going. What other viable options are there? The perp is either stopped by force or he keeps going. Or are we to “talk him out of it”? Yeah, I’m sure that works every time it’s tried. We should have done that with the German national socialists and the imperialist Japs, back in the ’40s– just talk them out of it. What were we thinking, using force? For shame.
“So, crazy people care–or even notice?” Uh, yes. It happens every day. Even crazy people have the instinct for survival, and those that have planned to die, such as suicide bombers, are sometimes stopped through the use of deadly force. Japanese kamikazes were often shot down. Suicidal Japanese foot soldiers were mowed down with machineguns in large numbers. What’s not to get? Are police to be disarmed then, since crazy people don’t care or even notice? Maybe we shouldn’t bother having a justice system. If crazy don’t care or even notice, what’s the point?
Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t suggest disarming the armed guards or police. So, even in my utopian world, the museum guard would still have had the chance to stop him.
What I’m talking about is what Helmke always says. Let’s find a way to make it more difficult for criminals and nutjobs to get guns.