Dennis Campbell
June 29, 2008
Liberals and guns: hysteria, but not much reasoning
By Dennis Campbell

Hysteria: 1: a psychoneurosis marked by emotional excitability and disturbances of the psychic, sensory, vasomotor, and visceral functions 2: behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess. — Merriam-Webster

When one considers the above definitions of hysteria, the only conclusion that can be drawn regarding the Left's reaction to the Supreme Court's affirmation of our constitutional right to keep and bear arms is that many are overcome by hysteria at the thought of law-abiding citizens owning guns.

Consider some of the typical comments gleaned from discussion groups after the court — or at least a bare majority — came to the astonishing conclusion that the Constitution actually means what it says:

"Be very afraid! The rednecks who pollute these discussion threads are now going to be walking around ready to pop anyone who ticks them off!

"As scary as those yokels are, think of the multitudes of their bretheren who are too illiterate to spell anything longer than NRA. They are even a more mobile pack of morons. They can now souse themselves, crawl into their pickups, and start brandishing firearms at anyone they don't like on the road."

"Great... more hillbillies with handguns. Signed, Deliverance."

'Here we go again,

"The terrorists are here!!! Ther terrorists are here!! Get yer gun guys, were gonna get in some shootin... Yee Haw!! I've been waiting all these years to fire a clip into the crowd...'

"...How dare anybody tell us we can't blow stuff up? So when it comes to the fourth of July and I take those fifty mortars and explode them in the middle of my street...Back off cause I'm an American and it's my right to blow stuff up..."

Years ago, a Texas relation, in a condition of advanced inebriation, entertained a family gathering by predicting the coming slaughter as that state was about to affirm the right of its citizens to carry firearms. Cocking his fingers into a make believe gun, he staggered around the living room saying things like, "Bump into me with your shopping cart? Pow! Cut me off on the freeway? Pow!"

Of course, after Texans were permitted to carry, absolutely nothing like that happened, but liberals, because they come to their conclusions based on emotion and not reason, tend to be immune to facts. Nevertheless, here are a few they ought to consider before going off the deep end over this issue:

1) Gun bans absolutely, positively have no impact on gun violence because criminals — surprise! — do not obey the law.

2) Communities with a high rate of private gun ownership almost always have a low rate of gun violence.

3) When England and Australia initiated an outright ban on private gun ownership, violent crime increased dramatically.

4) When Florida liberalized (in the positive sense) its gun laws, violent crime decreased equally dramatically.

5) "Gun-free zones" are simply an invitation to bad people to do bad things, as we saw last year at Virginia Tech. That university's gun-free status simply meant there was no one available to stop Seung-Hui Cho when he came looking for people to kill. The thousands of existing gun laws did not stop him, but perhaps armed students would have.

The idea that someone who buys a gun automatically becomes a would-be criminal, murderer or serial killer is utter nonsense. When I began to acquire firearms several years ago I did not suddenly start shooting at people. However, I now have the ability and, in my state, the right, to defend myself against criminals.

Historically, corrupt governments have used gun bans and confiscation to control their citizens, something our Founders knew well. They viewed an armed citizenry as one of the great differences between America and other countries.

The inability of the Left to think rationally was demonstrated the other day by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's statement to the press: "To the NRA, we just say, 'Stay away. ... Let us protect our citizens'." Apparently, Mayor Newsom is unaware that the police do not prevent crimes, they solve them.

When the crime scene investigators show up to collect evidence and the detectives search for clues that might lead to the apprehension of the people who just killed your wife or husband, the mayor's words ring a bit hollow.

I have the duty and the right to defend myself and my property. That the Left would deny me that is utterly outrageous, but unsurprising in that it comes from people who believe we ought to trust our feelings more than our thinking.

© Dennis Campbell

 

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