Okay, I decided I had to reply to Dick's comments. I hope the last paragraph gets by the NYT moderator--it is pretty well subdued compared to the original. I did run it by the THR staff before posting here.
Pretentious pseudo intellectualism and verbal flatulence seem to be a high art here.
Whether this conversation demonizing firearms owners is in ringing academic tones or uneducated Southern drawl coming through white sheets the bottom line is the same: stereotyping, irrational fears, prejudice and willful ignorance. Bigotry. Firearms control laws have a fine history of racism and the current suggestions for laws that punish the responsible 99.5% for the sins of the .5% fall right in line with that history of bigotry.
The stereotypes include equating firearms with violence and decent firearms owners with depraved criminals and child molesters. The willful ignorance is of the NRA's original charter and ongoing tradition of promoting safe and responsible firearms ownership and severe punishment for criminal use. The willful ignorance is failing to have a clue about current firearms sports and the quality of people who participate.
Proposed laws such as firearms bans, registration and insurance assume guilt and put a burden on the decent 99.5% while doing nothing to control the actual criminals.
Then we have Dick's comments on the phallic symbols of firearms. (As a side note, snubbies are "in".) I wonder how Dick would deal with handling a flashlight or screwdriver.
