It's amazing what one has to believe to believe in gun control...
by Michael Z.
Williamson
Copyright 1999,
2001 by Michael Z. Williamson, daggers@indy.net.
Permission is granted to copy in whole or part for non-profit
purposes,
provided due credit is given.
Mr. Williamson's online archive is available here:
http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com/Williamson
That a punk wakes up one
morning, and thinks, "Gee, instead of robbing, raping, sodomizing
and killing a young woman, why don't I turn my $400 gun in for
$20 and a pizza and go work at McDonald's?"
That the more helpless
you are, the safer you are from criminals.
That you should give a mugger your wallet, because he doesn't
really want to shoot you and he'll let you go, but that you
should give him your wallet, because he'll shoot you if you
don't.
That Washington DC's low
murder rate of 80.6 per 100,000 is due to strict gun control, and
Arlington, Virginia's high murder rate of 1.6 per 100,000 is
attributable to the lack of gun control.
That despite all the outrage about Corporate America's cavalier
treatment of employees, Domino's Pizza's demand that employees be
unarmed is an altruistic effort to stop them from hurting
themselves, and not a calculated financial bid to avoid having a
lawsuit filed by a dead robber's family.
That one can sue a store for having a slick floor, falling
ceilings, and sharp corners, but if they refuse to let you bring
a gun in and you get shot by a criminal, they aren't liable for
enforcing that rule with others.
That there is no right of self defense, but the police are not
legally obligated to respond to my cries for help when disarmed,
but you can sue them if they take too long to get to a traffic
accident.
That assault rifles are far too powerful to hunt deer and elk,
and too dangerous for private citizens to own, but are too
impotent for modern warfare, too weak to reliably kill soldiers,
and have no place in the concept of a citizen reserve.
That the preferred weapon of a drug dealer is a $25 .22 pocket
pistol, and the preferred weapon of a drug dealer is a $2000
machinegun.
That any cheap weapon is a "Saturday night special," and any
expensive weapon is an "assault weapon."
That "Cops" and other shows are edited to show the boring
encounters with traffic stops and the occasional drunken fool
with a revolver in his pocket, and never show the millions of
cases where the cops are gunned down in droves by machinegun
toting drug dealers.
That "NYPD Blue" and "Miami Vice" are documentaries.
That an intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven spray,
but if shot with a .44 Magnum will get angry and kill you.
That firearms in the
hands of private citizens are the gravest threat to world peace,
and China, Pakistan and Korea can be trusted with nuclear
weapons.
That Charlton Heston as president of the NRA is a shill who
should be ignored, but Michael Douglas as a representative of
Handgun Control, Inc. is an ambassador for peace who is entitled
to an audience at the UN arms control summit.
That ordinary people, in the presence of guns, turn into
slaughtering butchers, and revert to normal when the weapon is
removed.
That someone who fails to clear his weapon, fails to point it in
a safe direction, pulls the trigger without checking the chamber,
and blows his foot off is an example of how even a "trained
professional" can be a "victim" of a diabolical gun, but people
in the military who clean weapons millions of times a year
without getting hurt are "dumb grunts."
That the New England
Journal of Medicine is filled with expert advice about guns, just
like Guns and Ammo has some excellent treatises on heart
surgery.
That one should consult
an automotive engineer for safer seatbelts, a civil engineer for
a better bridge, a neurosurgeon for spinal paralysis, a computer
programmer for Y2K problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms
expertise.
That the best thing our kids can do to bullies and drug dealers
is "just say no," and fight back, and the best thing we can do to
bullies and drug dealers is to give them $50 and wait for them to
go away.
That it's outrageous that the Milwaukee police took 45 minutes to
respond to reports of Jeffrey Dahmer's last victim running around
naked in the cold, then returned him to his attacker without
checking ID, but the best thing a citizen can do in an emergency
is dial 911.
That the "right of the
people peaceably to assemble," the "right of the people to be
secure in their homes," "the enumeration herein of certain rights
shall not be construed to disparage others retained by the
people," "The powers not delegated herein are reserved to the
states respectively, and to the people," refer to individuals,
but "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" refers to the
states.
That the 2nd Amendment,
ratified in 1791, allows the states to have a National Guard,
created by act of Congress in 1916.
That the National Guard,
paid by the federal government, occupying property leased to the
federal government, using weapons owned by the federal
government, punishing trespassers under federal law, is a state
agency.
That private citizens can't have handguns, because they serve no
militia purpose, even though the military has hundreds of
thousands of them, and private citizens can't have assault
rifles, because they are military weapons.
That it is reasonable for California to have a minimum 2 year
sentence for possessing but not using an assault rifle, and
reasonable for California to have a 6 month minimum sentence for
raping a female police officer.
That it is reasonable to
jail people for carrying but not using guns, but outrageous to
jail people for possessing marijuana.
That minimum sentences
violate civil rights, unless it's for possessing a
gun.
That door-to-door
searches for drugs are a gross violation of civil rights and a
sign of Fascism, but door-to-door searches for guns are a
reasonable solution to the "gun problem."
That the first amendment absolutely allows child pornography and
threats to kill cops, but doesn't apply to manuals on gun
repair.
That a woman in a microskirt, perfume and a Wonderbra, without
underwear, is a helpless victim, but someone getting paid $6 an
hour to deliver the cash from a fast food place to the bank at
the same time every night is, "asking for it." And you won't
allow either of them to carry a gun.
That Illinois' law that allows almost any government official
from Governor to dogcatcher to carry a gun is reasonable, and the
law that prohibits any private citizen, even one with 50 death
threats on file and a million dollar jewelry business from
carrying a gun is reasonable. And it isn't a sign of police
stateism.
That the 80 religious kooks in Waco were a threat to American
security, but snipers killing them as they left the building,
machinegunning children, hiding the video evidence, possibly
torching the building on purpose, and having no case to present
in federal court is good law enforcement. And it isn't a sign of
police stateism.
That free speech entitles
one to own newspapers, transmitters, computers, and typewriters,
but self defense only justifies bare hands.
That with the above, a 90 LB woman attacked by a 300 LB rapist
and his 300 LB buddy, has the "right" to kill them in self
defense, provided she uses her bare hands.
That there's nothing in the Constitution that specifically
prohibits banning certain guns, but there is something in the
Constitution that specifically prohibits banning certain sex
acts.
That gun safety courses
in school only encourage kids to commit violence, but sex
education in school doesn't encourage kids to have
sex.
That the ready
availability of guns today, with only a few government forms,
waiting periods, checks, infringements, ID, and fingerprinting,
is responsible for all the school shootings, compared to the lack
of school shootings in the 1950's and 1960's, which was caused by
the awkward availability of guns at any hardware store, gas
station, and by mail order.
That we must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go on
a shooting spree at any time, and anyone who owns a gun out of
fear of such a lunatic is paranoid.
That there is too much explicit violence featuring guns on TV,
and that cities can sue gun manufacturers because people aren't
aware of the dangers involved with guns.
That the gun lobby's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign
about kids handling guns is propaganda, and the anti-gun lobby's
attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign is responsible social
activity.
That the crime rate in
America is decreasing because of gun control, and the increase in
crime requires more gun control.
That 100 years after its founding, the NRA got into the politics
of guns from purely selfish motives, and 100 years after the
Emancipation Proclamation, the black civil rights movement was
founded from purely noble motives.
That statistics showing
high murder rates justify gun control, and statistics that show
increasing murder rates after gun control are "just
statistics."
That we don't need guns against an oppressive government, because
the Constitution has internal safeguards, and we should ban and
seize all guns, therefore violating the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 9th
Amendments of that Constitution, thereby becoming an oppressive
government.
That guns are an ineffective means of self defense for rational
adults, but in the hands of an ignorant criminal become a threat
to the fabric of society.
That guns are so complex to use that special training is
necessary to use them properly, and so simple to use that they
make murder easy.
That guns contribute to high death rates and should be banned,
but tobacco and alcohol are okay.
That guns cause crime,
which is why there has never been a mass slaying at a gun
show.
That guns cause crime,
just like matches cause arson.
That guns cause crime,
just like women cause prostitution.
That guns cause crime, just like men cause rape.
That guns aren't
necessary to national defense, which is why the US Army only has
3 million of them.
That banning guns works,
which is why New York, DC, and Chicago cops need guns against
armed criminals.
That the Constitution protects us, so we don't need guns, and can
confiscate them, thereby violating the 5th amendment of that
constitution.
That women are just as
intelligent and capable as men, and a woman with a gun is "an
accident waiting to happen."
That women are just as intelligent and capable as men, and
gunmaker's advertisements aimed at women are "preying on their
fears."
That a handgun, with up to 4 switches and controls, is far too
complex for the typical adult to learn to use, as opposed to an
automobile that only has 20.
That handguns are useful
only for murder, which is why the police and military define them
as defensive weapons.
That neighbors who carry guns against the occasional lunatic are
paranoid, because of the perfectly justifiable fear that every
single one of them is waiting to turn into a lunatic.
That a majority of the population supports gun control, just like
a majority of the population used to support owning slaves.
That one should ignore as idiots politicians who confuse Wicca
with Satanism and exaggerate the gay community as a threat to
society, but listen sagely to politicians who can refer to a
self-loading small arm as a "weapon of mass destruction" and an
"assault weapon."
That there is no absolute right to a weapon, documented
historically because the British government used to prohibit
Catholics from owning guns. And that wasn't a sign of religious
bigotry. (Note: the Constitution actually RESTORED to Protestants
the right to own arms, which Catholic James II denied them)
That rifles with pistol
grips are assault weapons, just like vehicles with racing stripes
are sports cars.
That you don't need a gun against invaders, because the
government will know in plenty of time to issue you whatever
weapons you need.
That Massachusetts is safer with bans on guns, which is why Teddy
Kennedy has machinegun toting guards.
That most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws against
guns, which most people will abide by, because they can be
trusted.
That a woman raped and
strangled with her panties is morally superior to a woman with a
smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet.
That guns should be banned because of the danger involved, and
live reporting from the battlefield, which can keep the enemy
informed of troop deployments, getting thousands of troops killed
and perhaps losing a war, is a protected act that CANNOT be
compromised on.
That the right of "child pornographers" to exist cannot be
questioned because it is a constitutionally protected extension
of the Bill of Rights, and the claim that handguns are for self
defense is merely an excuse, and not really protected by the Bill
of Rights.
That the ACLU is good
because it uncompromisingly defends certain parts of the
Constitution, and the NRA is bad, because it defends other parts
of the Constitution.
That a house with a gun
is three times as likely to have a murder, just like a house with
insulin is three times as likely to have a diabetic.
That police operate in
groups with backup, which is why they need larger capacity
magazines than civilians, who must face criminals alone, and
therefore need less ammunition.
That we should ban "Saturday Night Specials" and other
inexpensive guns because it's not fair that poor people have
access to guns too.
That guns have no legitimate use, but alcohol does, which is why
we issue cops guns instead of beer.
That police and soldiers are the dregs of society who were unfit
to get any real job, which perfectly qualifies them with the high
moral standards and keen intellects to handle these complicated
tools and be our guardians.
That it's acceptable to arm a courier at $6 an hour to shoot
criminals for stealing bank deposits, but unacceptable for a
college-educated business owner to do it himself.
That a registration plan
will reduce crime, because criminals will register their guns
despite the Supreme Court decision Haynes v. U.S. (309 U.S. 85,
1968) that registration violates self-incrimination.
That it's reasonable to require proof of a criminal act before an
order of protection can be issued, and reasonable to assume
anyone with a gun will commit a criminal act.
That teaching abstinence
exclusively rather than use of condoms is doomed to fail, but
encouraging absolute bans on guns rather than education in safe
use is the only acceptable method of reducing crime.
That it is outrageous that civilians have rifles that were
designed for the military, for self defense, but perfectly okay
to have polluting, potentially unstable, heavy vehicles that were
designed for the military, simply as status symbols.
That guns are the gravest
threat to society, because 83,000,000 gun owners didn't commit a
crime yesterday.
That it is essential to incorporate locks and sensors into guns
to make them safer, that only a criminal would not support them,
and cops and federal agents would be exempt for safety
reasons.
That a bank guard can
protect money with a gun, but you cannot protect your children
with one.
That all gun dealers sell illegal weapons, just like all black
people sell drugs.
That crime is higher in urban areas with less guns, and we must
continue to disarm the minorities in these areas because of the
risk of crime, and that isn't bigotry.
That an underpaid, overworked bodyguard should be glad to throw
himself in front of a bullet for you.
That your safety is someone else's responsibility, but they have
no right to tell you how to live your life.
That guns are useless
against tyranny, because an armed populace of 160 million cannot
defeat an army of 2 million mixed in among it.
That if the above is true, we should not be terrified of the
concept of that government holding control of our lives and
freedom at its whim.
That the piecemeal destruction of the right to keep and bear arms
makes the right useless, and therefore justifies destroying it
further.
That one should be more afraid of one's spouse blowing a gasket
and shooting the children, than of those children being run over
by a hormone-driven teenager in a car.
"It can't happen here."
That people are too
stupid to handle guns, but are intelligent enough to
vote.
That guns are not an
effective means of self-defense, which is why police carry
them.
That one can "study" the "gun issue," but not know the difference
between an assault rifle and a battle rifle.
That the NRA, with over 4
million members, is "out of touch" with America, and HCI, with 50
thousand members, is a "mandate from the people."
That a baseball bat is
good protection against a burglar, provided his gun fires
baseballs.
That to judge a group by secondhand news and hearsay is bigotry,
unless that group is the NRA.
That the National Defense Act of 1916 doesn't exist.
That pricing products out
of the reach of poor people through excessive regulation is
discriminatory practice, unless that product is a gun.
That manufacturers are
not responsible for damages caused by their products, unless that
product is a gun.
That trigger locks and
other devices make guns safer, which is why the police and
military refuse to use them.
That registration of guns will help law enforcement, because that
way they won't need probable cause and a warrant to conduct a
search.
That registration of guns, which makes their existence a matter
of public knowledge under the FOIA, isn't dangerous to
owners.
That registration of guns, in violation of the McClure-Volkmer
Act, and as declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, is
somehow still legal.
That private citizens making private sales of private property is
a "loophole."
That making it harder to get a license to sell firearms legally
will reduce the number of people selling illegally.
That it's safer to do nothing than resist with a gun, which is
why the military wins so many wars by not fighting.
That we must close shooting ranges because of the noise, but ban
silencers because they are quiet.
That owning a gun for
self-defense indicates an intent to kill, just like owning a
first aid kit indicates an intent to impersonate a
physician.
That guns are an "epidemic" so we should treat them with
penicillin.
That there's no right to own military weapons, which is why the
Civilian Marksmanship Program at http://www.odcmp.com exists to
sell military weapons to civilians under Congressional
authority.
That suggesting teachers
be armed is an outrageous suggestion for a "civilized" society,
which is why the Swiss and Israelis do it.
That making it harder and
harder for even cops to have guns on school property will make it
harder for lunatics to kill the utterly helpless
students.
That accidents with a product justify banning the product, even
though MADD has never called for a ban on alcohol, people
actively push to legalize drugs, and no one wants to ban swimming
pools, so basically it's only practical items like guns we should
ban and not the luxury items that are essential to human
survival.
That the 14th Amendment requires states to accept each other's
drivers licenses, even with age or vision requirement
differences, marriage licenses even with age or relationship
differences or if it's a gay marriage, but somehow doesn't apply
to licenses to carry weapons.
That the same people who build illegal high-tech drug labs for
less than $30,000 won't build illegal low-tech gun shops for less
than $10,000.
That people with large
gun collections are dangerous, especially if they have more than
two hands to shoot with.
That autoloaders are "easily converted" to fully automatic fire,
and the person telling you this has no idea how it's
accomplished.
That banning rifles with bayonet lugs will cut down on all the
drive-by bayonetings.
That shooting at an intruder who smashes your door and enters
with knife in hand will somehow "escalate the violence."
That it's safer with less
guns, which is why lunatics shoot up schools instead of gun shows
or police stations.