mhdishere
Member
The other night on the train I had a discussion with an aquaintance about the AWB. He was sure the AWB banned full-auto weapons, and he's certainly not alone in that belief. Once I explained to him what semi-auto meant (he likened it to being like a handgun, where you didn't have to cock it each time), and that you could have two rifles, one with a bayonet lug and one without, one would be banned and the other not, he seemed to understand.
There are lots of people out there who just don't have the information to make an informed decision on these issues. They're told that a .50 cal could take down an airliner and aren't told that the problem would be hitting it at all with one shot from a rifle (as opposed to a machine gun). (For that matter, a .38 puncturing the skin of an airliner at 20k feet would do a world of damage.) They're told that AW's can fire thousands of rounds a minute (my finger would get tired of squeezing that fast). They're told that certain guns have no "legitamate purpose" whatever that is. They don't know any better and they believe what they're told.
Our founding fathers ennumerated a free press among the rights humans are born with. The exercise of that right requires that the people be informed of the issues, not just accept whatever the press says is right. People need to have enough information, aside from the press, to be able to call "B.S." on blatent mis-information when it's found. It also requires that the people running the press themselves be informed, because too many calls of "B.S." mean that the newspaper/TV show/whatever loses its credibility. It's the same with all our rights, with every right comes a responsibility. We all believe we have the right to own arms. I for one understand that I need to learn how to use my arms safely and responsibly, and if I fail to do so I'm going to be held accountable, not the gun, not the manufacturer, but me.
So, what do we do? A lot of us have written letters to the editor giving the facts, but obviously facts aren't enough. On the one hand you have someone pointing out that the AWB was about cosmetic parts of the gun, on the other hand you have a young woman crying because her child was murdered, all while a sound track of an M-60 firing is playing in the background. For a start, how about publicizing people who successfully defended themselves with guns? How about publicizing people who were victimized because they weren't permitted the means to defend themselves? How about publicizing the shooting sports as fun, family oriented passtimes, not as a bunch of yahoos who just want to go out and blow crap up? How about publicizing children who knew about guns and did the right thing when they came across one at a friends house instead of playing with it and causing a tragedy?
So, what are your thoughts?
There are lots of people out there who just don't have the information to make an informed decision on these issues. They're told that a .50 cal could take down an airliner and aren't told that the problem would be hitting it at all with one shot from a rifle (as opposed to a machine gun). (For that matter, a .38 puncturing the skin of an airliner at 20k feet would do a world of damage.) They're told that AW's can fire thousands of rounds a minute (my finger would get tired of squeezing that fast). They're told that certain guns have no "legitamate purpose" whatever that is. They don't know any better and they believe what they're told.
Our founding fathers ennumerated a free press among the rights humans are born with. The exercise of that right requires that the people be informed of the issues, not just accept whatever the press says is right. People need to have enough information, aside from the press, to be able to call "B.S." on blatent mis-information when it's found. It also requires that the people running the press themselves be informed, because too many calls of "B.S." mean that the newspaper/TV show/whatever loses its credibility. It's the same with all our rights, with every right comes a responsibility. We all believe we have the right to own arms. I for one understand that I need to learn how to use my arms safely and responsibly, and if I fail to do so I'm going to be held accountable, not the gun, not the manufacturer, but me.
So, what do we do? A lot of us have written letters to the editor giving the facts, but obviously facts aren't enough. On the one hand you have someone pointing out that the AWB was about cosmetic parts of the gun, on the other hand you have a young woman crying because her child was murdered, all while a sound track of an M-60 firing is playing in the background. For a start, how about publicizing people who successfully defended themselves with guns? How about publicizing people who were victimized because they weren't permitted the means to defend themselves? How about publicizing the shooting sports as fun, family oriented passtimes, not as a bunch of yahoos who just want to go out and blow crap up? How about publicizing children who knew about guns and did the right thing when they came across one at a friends house instead of playing with it and causing a tragedy?
So, what are your thoughts?
