The headline reads, “Groups rally for, against gun control in Va.” I kept looking in the article for how many were on each side. I’ve commented on this before, but the recap is short. In the past when I have been to protests and rallies the pro-gun people outnumber the anti-gun people up to 1000:1 and always at least 10:1. But the article didn’t say what the numbers were. It just said:
Later in the day, far fewer gun control supporters wrote the names of those killed or injured in gun violence on hearts made from construction paper and placed them into a basket before lying on the grass outside the Capitol for three minutes to signify the time it takes to purchase a gun.
A commenter gives us the answer:
2,400 v 24… For every one person against the bill of rights, there was 100 for it…
On a logarithmic scale that was about average.
One has to wonder why the votes in the legislatures don’t have similar ratios. The bigots/special interest groups apparently have pull far beyond their representation in the people at large. And it is the MSM failing to report the facts that help them get away with that.
Only 3 minutes to purchase a gun? Where are they buying from, because I would like to get rid of the hassles I go through. Its usually a minimum of 10 minutes just to make sure all of the paperwork is right (and I’ve had it take as long as an hour). Of course, if you are buying from a friend then it should only take about 3 seconds (just enough time for him to grab the cash and hand over the gun).
Maybe they mean a gun is bought every three minutes. Nope, quick calculation shows that would only equal 175,000 sold every year. How about every 3 sec? That is more like it, 10 million (which would include all new and used guns). Of course lying down for three seconds isn’t a protest, it is more of a trip and fall then get back up.
the Russian president ran a very impressive second place finish in the foot race finishing only 100 yards behind the winner. While the American president finished a disappointing next to last.
The above is an example of American and Soviet style journalism. They provide factual accounts with biased modifiers, but fail to mention it was only a two man race.
Go and buy a gun right now. Ready?…..Go!
You have to get ready, get in your car, drive to the gun store, park, walk in, check out all the guns and decide which one you want, haggle over the price, ask for the paperwork, fill it all out, double check it, have the salesperson call it in (“I’ll need your driver’s license please…”) discuss ammunition, pick some out, open the box to look at the loaded cartridges (yes, they’re shiny) complete the transaction, get the gun boxed up, say your thanks and goodbyes, walk out to the car, drive back, stopping at several friends’ places to show them your new purchase…
I say an hour, minimum, if you have a gun store in your neighborhood and you don’t make any stops along the way. How long does it take to exercise your right to free speech, and would that time figure ever be a legitimate consideration in determining whether you actually have that right?
“The bigots/special interest groups apparently have pull far beyond their representation in the people at large.”
They don’t need much pull when the legislators have an inherent suspicion, hatred or fear of the People’s rights. You can push them into tyranny with a feather, or with the motive force or a light fart, or just sit and do nothing and watch it happen anyway.
I was at the rally in Virginia on Monday of this week. According to Philip van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), there were about 1,000 VCDL members on site at the General Assembly Building in Richmond. Perhaps the 2,400 figure cited by the commenter included folks who were there as part of the TEA Party rally as well as VCDL members.
I left the rally early, so I missed the “LIE in”… Pity.
Bill,
The commenter could have exaggerated to make the number a nice even 100:1 instead of 41.667:1. Since we are talking about log scale anyway that would be 2.00 (log10(100)) instead of 1.620 (log10(41.667)). That not so much rounding anyway.
The point is the people involved in the “LIE in” get far more press coverage than their numbers warrant.
Lyle,
Remember, these guys think New Jersey’s gun laws are “common sense regulations” that they think should be a model for the nation.
I just picked up an LCP earlier this week. I purchased the gun and requested “permission” from the cops to pick it up in early November.
And even so, we have gun controllers advocating for stricter laws here in NJ.
Never doubt for a minute that these people are unreasonable extremists. It’ll _always_ be one more “common sense restriction”, right up until the last single-shot rimfire rifle is banned.