Saturday, January 12, 2013

Can Weasels Be Frightened — Yes, Fear Sells

"Let it be said, Let it be done."  /s/ Wayne "God" LaPierre


The heart of this story from the NY Times, in part:

"People were crowded five deep at the tiny counter of a gun shop near Atlanta, where a pastor from Knoxville was among the customers who showed up in person after the store’s Web site halted sales because of low inventory. Emptying gun cases and bare shelves gave a picked-over feel to gun stores in many states. High-capacity magazines, which some state and federal officials want to ban or restrict, were selling briskly across the country: one Iowa dealer said that 30-round magazines were fetching five times what they sold for just weeks ago."

The point is this: Fear sells.

Sadly, fear can drive sane men to do insane things. They are scared about "they are coming for my guns, I have to defend myself and my property."  Funny, in a pathetic sort of way, "they" never come for his guns!!!

In this battle, the NRA is the driving force. I offer some rational, common sense fixes that should get serious consideration, but won't:

1.  No AR-15 (or similar assault rifles) in private hands. They can, if owned, be kept at a gun club where they stay locked up to be used at the range, but not kept in any home.

2.  No 10 to 30 round magazines/clips/or drums; none at all, except maybe at a gun club under lock and key for target practice only.

3.  Conduct extensive background checks to ensure that only mentally balanced and non-criminal citizens can buy or own a gun, and only U.S. citizens, or permanent residents.

4.  Invoke a minimum 30-day waiting period to purchase, trade, or sell a gun.

5.  Stop gun shows from operating wide open without any kind of control. If someone buys a gun there, it should be as a lay-away. Then once checked out, they can pick it up later.

6.  States should not issue "right to carry permits" except in very rare cases.

Worth a try, I think.

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