It is very rare that anything monumental gets done in America’s political system without strong public support. That’s certainly the case with gun control.
The emphasis here is on strong support.
What we need to attain that is a hefty gun safety TV ad campaign.
Polls have consistently shown that the vast majority of citizens support gun control — but not strongly enough to force meaningful bills through Congress, such as requiring universal background checks and banning assault weapons, particularly their high-capacity magazines.
It’s not at the top of voters’ priority lists — and hardly thought about between mass killings at schools, churches, bars and dance halls.
That’s not true, however, of hardcore gun addicts. They’re single-issue voters whose candidate choices often depend solely on a politician’s uncompromising allegiance to unrestricted gun rights. That enables them and the gun lobby to wield extraordinary influence over members of Congress, especially Republicans.
And it’s why America’s national firearms restrictions — unlike California’s — are pathetic.
George Skelton
January 30, 2023
How do you win voters over on gun control? Meet them where they are — in front of the TV
[I find it very telling that the question of minority rights never come up in his proposal. Would if the majority of citizens supported the deportation of communists? Or lying in public? Or the banning of abortion? Or citizenship and government ID to vote? Or a tax on your skin color based on the number of “your kind” in prison?
This is not a majority rule country. And to suggest a majority supporting the denial of everyone a specific enumerate right is sufficient basis to do that is either a demonstration of profound ignorance or evidence of evil intent.
One of the things I have observed in the last few years is our opponents are far more open about their intentions. In the 1990s and through the 2000s as they were advancing they kept “reassuring” us they didn’t intend to take our guns. And they “respect the 2nd Amendment”. The big players make almost no mention of the 2nd Amendment now. It is further conformation of the observations made in the When Prophecy Fails book. When their prophecies fail (the 2nd Amendment doesn’t apply to individuals, gun control saves lives, blood will flow in the streets with concealed carry, etc.) instead of revising their beliefs to match the facts they proselytize all the more vigorously. They are “doubling down” on their failures to connect with reality.
Notice also that people who vote for the protection of civil rights are “addicts”. That is what they think of you. That is their dehumanization in preparation for the next big “reveal” of their true intentions.
Prepare and respond appropriately.—Joe]
They’re single-issue voters whose candidate choices often depend solely on a politician’s uncompromising allegiance to unrestricted gun rights.
And sometimes that has little to do with gun rights, specifically.
I, along with others, view a politician’s attitude toward gun rights and the 2nd Amendment as a useful proxy for their attitude on individual civil rights in general.
To whit: Do they see me, an armed citizen, as a responsible and productive member of society worthy of respect and dignity? Or do they see me as a problem to be controlled and dealt with?
Because if they don’t respect us when we’re armed, they certainly won’t if we’re disarmed.
It’s interesting that he considers the current level of infringements upon millions of gun owners, representing about half the US population, “pathetic”. Actually, so do I, but from the opposing direction.
George Skelton, You’re not but a despicable junkie whore. Everything of substance you talked about was a lie. Far more than can be listed in a blog comment.
The big one is the single issue voter. If we were, why is there a 100 million gun owners or more, and the NRA can’t get above 5 million members?
Communists always point out extremes as the whole world. And that we just have to do what they tell us right now or we will all die! It’s bullshit.
Truth is most people vote and react in self -interest. Which is as it should be. They may call themselves republicans or democrats. But if it’s not in their best interest to vote that way, they won’t.
George just can’t imagine that people won’t actually believe his lies. Just like a junkie wanting money for a fix. No matter how ignorant or debased from reality his lies are. You just have to believe them!
He could write the same piece just using global warming as the issue. And it would sound the same. Formatted lies and all.
The only upside in all this is knowing that George is in for a lifetime of disappointment and misery.
As communists are truly miserable people. And misery loves company.
It’s the one thing Socialism and Communism do right: the equal sharing of misery.
It is amazing to me how similar the arguments for “gun control”, “climate change”, “women’s health” (read: free abortions), censorship, mandatory vaccinations, single-payer healthcare, etc., sound when distilled down to the core. But the desired outcome is always the same: less individual choice, more government intrusion and control.
Equal sharing of misery, all around.
More precisely: equal sharing of misery for all except the ruling elite — plus the expectation that they will be part of that ruling elite (rather than part of the red smudge on the wall).
Exactly. Even then there is no mercy though. As looking at the photo of Stalin’s close advisers being photoshop out of the picture….. Or Xi having the last party boss arrested in front of the politburo assembled.
No such thing as a true communist.
I would love it if people like this ran 50 state ad campaigns touting firearms bans, restriction of carry and leave you at the mercy of criminals, limiting boxes with springs and so on. I want people to see what their plans and intentions are.
You tell gun owners in their face they are coming for their guns and their rights upfront and in the open would be a gift to single-issue voters and for gun organizations in fund raising to fight them on every front.
I want them to stop dancing in the shadows. Come out! Own your bigotry and desire to restrict. Take pride in it!
This guy is talking like it is going to be a successful strategy. Apparently he hasn’t studied the history of gun control and the fact they have always needed deliberate lies and deceit to push their agenda. Ask Josh Sugarmann. I may hate the guy but I respect him for the fact he flat-out stated honestly that lying was needed to sell gun control. He knew the issue couldn’t survive an honest conversation.
Putting the lies of gun control out in the face of the public in-their-face would be the greatest gift gun control could give us!