The National
Rifle Association’s mission, in our Nation today, is just that: “any firearm, in anyone’s hands (sane,
violent criminal or not), to be taken anywhere” would equal Freedom in
America. The people who run the NRA are
not insane; they are owned and guided by the dollars of munitions
manufacturers. The NRA functions just as
our government does. When the battle
lines are drawn between the common good and large dollar interests, it is the
power of money that always wins the day.
It isn’t just your elected representatives that are owned and ruled by
large corporate dollars. The appointed
U.S. Supreme Court is also (example: Citizens United Decision).
“Two years
ago last week, President Obama ordered the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to get back to studying the causes of gun violence.” - The Washington Post. This order was issued by Obama in response to
the massacre of children at Sandy Hook Elementary. Congress responded to the order by not
funding the research, due in no small part to NRA influence. I’m not sure that I would support such a
study myself. You can easily predict the
study’s outcome. It will show a bell
curve of the American population. A
couple of standard deviations to the right of this violent population, will be
the mass murderers, who would like to shoot up large numbers of innocent
students and at their tip, the few who actually do so. At the center, or top of the curve, is the
simple majority (you and me). We enjoy
violent video games, violent TV series, violent films and read the stories in
our newspapers of our Storm Troopers of The American Empire vanquishing “the others
or the terrorists” in lands far, far away.
We each own one or more deadly weapons.
On the left of the curve, are a tiny number of pacifists (these are the
people who think), they don’t belong here in America any more than the psychopathic
killers on the far right side do. The
right and left indications mentioned are not political beliefs; they are
positions represented on a bell chart.
The Political Right might tend to align with the NRA, but that is a
topic for another day (you dumb-ass Ultra- Right-Wingers need not take offence).
In today’s
paper, there is also an editorial written by Fareed Zakaria in which he quotes
Andrew Bacevich, military historian, in pointing out that before Syria,
Washington had already launched interventions in 13 countries in the Islamic
World since 1980. Zakaria wonders if one
more intervention, into Syria, will really do the trick of stopping terrorism. You do wonder if the U.S. interventions aren’t
part of the cause rather than the cure.
There seems at least to be a positive correlation. The munitions manufacturers and the NRA would
certainly not like to see the killing stop.
Can’t make any money if that happens.
That concept is our Nation’s true moral guide. God Bless America’s Corporations.
Comments are welcome, Old Buz
Comments are welcome.
ReplyDelete"The munitions manufacturers and the NRA would certainly not like to see the killing stop. Can’t make any money if that happens. That concept is our Nation’s true moral guide. God Bless America’s Corporations."
ReplyDeleteWe don’t live in a democracy. The textbooks say we live in a republic, but I think you’re touching on corporatism. An interesting thought though, given that humanity will never end its obsession towards glamorizing and promoting violence in all forms. The opinion of the NRA and the munitions corporations is really of secondary importance. That’s like saying, Planned Parenthood advocates the slaughter of the innocent because it is a multi-million dollar industry. I don’t know of anyone who denies the reality and horror of abortion (on both sides of the issue), just as with any violence committed with a firearm. What you should be discussing are the underlying justifications that allow each to occur.
Advocates of staunch gun rights legislation see the world differently, and that’s the key. And because of that fundamental worldview pivot point, there is and will always be a demand to end human life in incredibly effective ways. I’m of course commenting on your usage of the verb, “Like”. Which refers to finding something that is satisfactory or enjoyable. Taking pleasure in doing so is not even on the drawing board.
You ever watch the movie, Iron Man? A quote.
Christine Everheart: You've been called the Da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?
Tony Stark: Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint.
Christine Everheart: And what do you say to your other nickname, the Merchant of Death?
Tony Stark: That's not bad. Let me guess... Berkeley?
Christine Everheart: Brown, actually.
Tony Stark: Well, Ms. Brown. It's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we got. I guarantee you the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace, I'll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals.
Thank you Jonathan for your comments. I think that you are right about the NRA not directly profiting by civilian deaths. I would agree that they don't "like" them either. That being said, I do believe that their aim is, "Any Gun - Any One - Anywhere." They push for no regulation of a deadly tool. No regulation of the firepower. No background checks. Concealed weapons in any public building, bar or school. That is a recipe for tragedy. The influence that the NRA has on elected representatives is not so much their dollar contributions, but is primarily instilling an imaginary fear of government weapon seizure. It is a fairly large block of votes that they influence. As for "defense" contractors, they really do like a good war or the threat of one. Not a dime is made without it. If you like factual films, watch "The Fog of War" narrated by Robert McNamara, Sec. of Defense.
Delete"Any Gun - Anyone - Anywhere."
Delete- Shannon Watts (founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America)
Reads like a bumper sticker; the kind of naive rhetoric I’d expect to hear from college sophomores in politics class 101. There is about as much intellectual depth to that statement as a slab of concrete. I’d put little stock in forming opinions or deriving any kind of meaningful discussion from any organization that begins with the word “Mom’s.” Unless of course these same moms are hitting can’s off a fence post at 400 yards with an AR15.
“They push for no regulation of a deadly tool. No regulation of the firepower. No background checks. Concealed weapons in any public building, bar or school. That is a recipe for tragedy.”
And so it giving the keys to a BMW to a 16 year old. But that's the risk we take isn't it? I’m not sure where you’re getting this information. I’ve been a firearms enthusiast for most my life, an owner for six, and a conceal carrier for two years. The reality is, firearms are regulated quite heavily (and have been for some time), and are supported by a broad range of individuals including many gun right advocates. When the issue exists only in the high temples of MSNBC, then it becomes quite clear. Something must be done to stop the carnage! Along the way, let’s stand on the gravestones of dead children to make our point. Then suddenly we’re transported back to 1881 where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday are staring down the Clanton Gang at the O.K. Coral. Many gun regulations are in fact encouraged, promoted, and originally conceived by the NRA. To name a few:
1) Concealed carry permits should only be restricted to individuals who have completed a safety training course and are 21 and older.
2) Requiring criminal background checks on gun owners and gun shop employees. (I am 100% for this, as long as my gun serial numbers are not collected in a database by the government). People prefer their anonymity.
3) Restricting firearms to individuals who have a history of violent behavior, unstable mental health, and convicted felons.
It doesn’t stop there. In 1934, the NRA supported the National Firearms Act, which served to regulate and tax firearms that were considered used by gangsters at the time. They also supported the Gun Control Act of 1968, which expanded on the system to license firearm dealers and prohibit criminals and those with mental impairments from owning firearms. The NRA offers extensive firearms training and safety programs for everyone. I don’t know of any organization that focuses so much attention on gun education, especially towards youngsters. Nothing like that parent that encourages their sexually promiscuous teenager with these educationally resounding words, “have fun and wear a condom”.
The official position of the NRA is that they aim to pass legislation that regulates these core principles more effectively, rather than impose burdensome fluff that dances around the real problems. You know these as ammo bans, magazine capacity bans, scope bans, silencer bans, etc. My point is, this is all arbitrary. There is a mass shooting - the response? The criminal should never have gotten his hands on a gun. There is a mugging on a college campus, where a women gets beaten and raped - Where was her pink snub-nose revolver when she needed it the most? All completely arbitrary. (See initiative 594 in Washington State).
DeleteI think perhaps the most interesting part of your response was this idea of an “imaginary fear of government weapon seizure”. History is replete with shining examples of governments usurping power, seizing and blocking opportunities for individuals obtaining firearms. Thousands of Polish Jews in Krakow during “The Relocation” in 1942. I wish they would have taken a few hundred of those Nazi bastards out when their homes were raided. But we’re in America now. Nothing to worry about, right? Do I tremble with anxiety like a deranged conspiracy theorist that Obama’s goons are going to break down my door? Of course not. That’s not the point. 99% of Americans have never attended a peaceful protest. Does that mean we should throw out that fundamental component to the first amendment? A nation is never free without a wide availability of firearms (please don’t read the Wild West into that). It also starts small. Gun confiscation always starts small and insignificant, and usually masked as legislation that seems “common sense.” People agree and little by little give up fractions of their gun rights until there is no need to own one except as a mantle piece.
The reality is, the USA has a rich and vibrant gun culture which is healthy and good for this country. Like anything in life, stigmas are created when individuals choose to abuse and mishandle firearms. Unfortunately, many staunch gun control advocates are driven by an uninformed ideology. An ideology of fear. In my experience there are gun laws that are necessary and effective, and there are laws that cause nothing but burdens and distraction to good law abiding gun owners. Criminals and minors will get their hands on firearms, just like pornography on the internet. It’s the world we live in. Human nature is a bitch. Whenever these “Mom’s” can give an accurate comparison between a gun “clip” and a gun “magazine”, I’ll lend an ear to what they have to say. Until then, I remain skeptical and unmoved as they leverage this issue primarily from a victim-hood mentality.
Hi Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
Old Buz