I believe LZ is one of the better opinion writers as well. This well written piece will hopefully stick around on the site for a good while, hopefully as an example to other writers. Calmly stated opinions, with relevant logical paths described to back them up, and I didn't catch much if any of him "knowing not of which he speaks" as is so hopelessly common in gun journalism.
He almost gained back all the respect I lost for him after the Newtown shooting (after which he committed all of the above transgressions, though perhaps not as greviously as many of his ilk). The important thing to take away from the article, is that anti's are perhaps finally waking up to the fact that the NRA and "bulk" gun owners are unassailable. We've been telling them for years that they are both wrong and foolish to target us with mass bans and prohibitions, but they retorted we were merely part of the mean "gun culture" that thwarts their efforts at most every turn despite being 'marginalized and insignificant'
Though I know their ultimate goals have not changed, I would very much welcome a renewed campaign from anti's that focuses less on guns and gun owners, than on the causes and victims of gun violence (even better would be a focus on violence in general). Such an approach would actually prove capable of engaging us in the "debate" they claim to want. I truly believe that the vast majority, if not all anti's, sincerely do wish to improve the lot of people who are or may be subject to violence (but only from firearms). Perhaps, just perhaps, the antis' will move bans/laws on mainstream gunowners to a lower priority, and find their goals actually align with the Gun Rights/Self Defense crowd, if only for a brief while
(when their guard is down we'll take them to a shooting range and chant "
one of us"
)
That said, expect the creeping incrementalism to creep towards gradually more restrictive mental health guidelines. There is now a nation-wide mechanism to use this means to reliably prohibit entire classes with very little recourse, according to medical rules that are not legally codified or generated by democratically-accountable officials. Very fertile ground for expansion of authority. Very tough to challenge. Be aware that it is also becoming increasingly acceptable to question the very sanity of people who disagree or are undesirable --probably an unintended consequence of the admirable campaign to make mental illness a more publicly discussed issue in this country. Half the op-eds on Washington Post have some variation on "Right Wing Insanity" as their title at any given time. Most .gov officials would "call me crazy" for thinking that machine-guns be regulated as "loosely" as semi-autos; would they
treat me crazy as well if said so out loud?
Oh no, PRISM just told them I wrote that!
Or is that just paranoia? Whatevs, someone's at the door...
"If you ever need someone to talk to, we're always listening" --govt. agent
TCB
