What Should We Do about Guns?

nationalreview.com ^ | 1 May, 2013 | John Lott

[marktwain]

After the defeat of the Manchin-Toomey background-check bill, and the subsequent demonization of the Senate, Senators Manchin and Toomey are reportedly back at work on bipartisan legislation addressing gun control. John R. Lott, author of the new book At the Brink, who has been researching gun policy for decades, talks about the state of the debate with National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez.

Kathryn Jean Lopez: Gabby Giffords has accused the Senate of being in the grips of the gun lobby. Is there another explanation for the defeat of the Manchin-Toomey bill?

JOHN R. LOTT: Yes, there is. The politicians were simply representing the voters in their districts.

The accusation that politicians were attempting to please the gun lobby at the expense of their constituents, which is based on the oft-repeated assertion that 80 to 90 percent of the public say they favor background checks, is simply not credible. The survey questions on which this statistic is based proved nothing more than that respondents wished to disarm criminals. The questions posed were about a hypothetical, idealized system of background checks, not about the actual legislation facing Congress.

A better survey was recently released by the Pew Research Center. It asked: “What word best describes how you feel about the Senate voting down new gun control legislation that included background checks on gun purchases?” Many voters were upset that the bill didn’t pass, but a very substantial group were relieved. Overall, 47 percent were disappointed and 39 percent were relieved. Not surprisingly, opinions varied drastically across political affiliation. Among Republicans, 51 percent were relieved and 34 percent were disappointed. Among independents, the split was 48 percent relieved and 41 disappointed. In sharp contrast, only 22 percent of Democrats were relieved, while 67 percent were disappointed.

[neverdem]

John Lott: "The Obama administration made the extremely unusual move of lobbying Democrats in the Colorado state house for a bill that would charge people a fee when they purchase a gun. The day before I went to Colorado to start my book tour for At the Brink, Vice President Biden promised Democratic state legislators help from the White House next year if they voted the right way on gun control. He also threatened that the White House would help recruit primary opponents to run against those who voted the wrong way. Democrats voted down Republican amendments that would have exempted poor people from paying the fee and capped the transfer fee at a maximum of $35."

That's one of the reasons that we have been losing the culture wars. The left is not afraid to advance the goals it wants to achieve. Instead of calls to eliminate “gun-free zones,” we get geniuses at places like the Republican National Committee that want to attract moderates with ideas like Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind and the recent mea culpa for why Romney blew it last November. It can be effective, but it's conventional thinking. That's what Schumer and Emanuel did when, "In 2006, Democrats built a congressional majority by embracing and convincing pro-gun, pro-life moderates to run in marginal states and districts."

To roll back the left we needs pols that can vigorously advance conservative ideas, not RINOs like Dole, McCain and Romney who want to nibble around the middle. That's why we have nationally almost 40 % Independents, and why so many white voters stayed home last November. "Rough calculations suggest that in 2012, 2 million to 5 million fewer whites voted compared with 2008, even though the pool of eligible white voters had increased."

I made a mistake of omission when I wrote about my state ping list project. I assumed everybody thinks like me. I failed to state that when I saw a particular state being mentioned in a story like Colorado in the first quoted paragraph of my comment, and I pinged george76 with my list for Colorado, I assumed george76 would in turn also ping his Colorado state ping list. That was my fault for not being explicit when I wrote that vanity.

Ping lists are not 100% efficient for any number of reasons. I only check pings to me periodically, less than I check my threads or mail. That's my fault too. Except for the largest states, most of my state ping lists are on the small size.

So if I already pinged you to a story that involves your state, e.g. Colorado, please don't be annoyed if george76 also pings you to it. You may have missed my earlier ping about that story, other pertinent links or comments may have been been made to the thread, etc.

Let me know if you want to be removed from my list of State ping lists.

[null and void]

A fee to exercise a Constitutional right?

Good idea! Let's bring back the poll tax!

[Little Ray]

Design cool, accurate new guns with simple, reliable, robust actions that would impress even John Moses Browning and give ‘em HUGE magazines to PO the gun grabbers. Design even better ammo to feed ‘em!

[muawiyah]

The Brits were undoubtedly bored to tears and decided to bring some excitement and beat-downs into their lives ~ so they restricted guns.

[marktwain]

Of course you are correct, but the reason the Republicans are timid is in large part because the MSM actively attacks them, but not leftists.

One of the reasons that Ted Cruz can be so bold is because he ran and won on new media.

[AdaGray]

This is so true. The Left is willing to fight tooth and nail, Republicans want to play around of golf and discuss. Until we are willing to slap them down big time, we will lose over and over again.

[henkster]

“Rough calculations suggest that in 2012, 2 million to 5 million fewer whites voted compared with 2008, even though the pool of eligible white voters had increased.”

I think they voted. I don’t think they were counted. The left realized that with modern computer voting, it isn’t as easy to create votes out of thin air any more. But addition by subtraction gets the same result if you just eliminate votes that were actually cast.

[bigheadfred]

if you do that does the first one become fee speech like if it is a penny for your thots like how much more is it gonna cost me for my two cents worth and if i just shut up then it costs me everthing right

[Chode]

Smith & Wesson Gun-Cam™

 Gun Cam is Active

For some time I had been wondering, "Do guns really cause crime? " I kept reading about "gun violence" and "gun deaths" and so many things blamed on guns. Then, foreign-owned Smith & Wesson sold its soul* to Impeached President Bill Clinton & Co. and I decided to rid myself of anything I owned that was produced by that evil corporation. In my sock drawer, I found my once-trusty Model 19. I was about to throw it in the recycle bin with my cans when a thought occurred to me- why not use it for testing purposes? I'll watch it and see if it causes any violence.

Well, a month passed and nothing, but of course, I had to sleep, use the bathroom, and go to work- it could have caused violence during any one of those times when I wasn't watching. So then I thought, what if I harness the Power of the Internet? So, I pointed my camera at it so anyone connected to the Internet can now help me watch for signs of violence. Of course, if anyone sees anything even remotely suspicious or out of the ordinary, please me at once.

[null and void]

Well said. I almost said “a penny for your thoughts” to a neighbor today.

[JMJJR]

Thanks for the ping.

Made a purchase last week, had to pay $10 for the CBI call.

no forum safe comment !

[Jacquerie]

Vice President Biden promised Democratic state legislators help from the White House next year if they voted the right way on gun control. He also threatened that the White House would help recruit primary opponents to run against those who voted the wrong way.

I ask all to take a step back and consider that statement. Recall the White House also helped coordinate Union opposition to Wisconsin state employee reforms a couple years ago.

What we are witnessing is a rapid consolidation, a gathering of political powers to the President. Obama enforces a top down authoritarian system with campaign money; the Senate has become his rubber-stamp, and the quote above shows that his powers reach down to State assemblymen. "Vote our way and cruise to reelection; oppose us and lose."

It is a complete reversal of the Framer's Constitution, a reversal of federalism, in which the Senate of the States played large roles in protecting both State interests and making our laws. Structure is everything. The Articles of Confederation were replaced with the Constitution not because the people of 1776 were less virtuous than those of 1787. They were replaced because they were detrimental to national safety and happiness.

With the 17th Amendment, the Framer's vertical separation of powers was removed and STRUCTURALLY made enforcement of enumerated powers and the Bill of Rights an impossibility. Absent State participation in the Senate, there is zero chance we will return to Constitutional freedoms.

[neverdem]

Good points!

[bigheadfred]

I have a little niggling thought too that if you institute a poll tax democrat turnout would increase dramatically while conservative turnout would hit bottom and the net revenue generated would be a negative number.

[Sergio]

bkmk

[george76]

As you may know:

Are Colorado Democrats Worried About Gun Control Recall Campaigns?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3014655/posts

Native Americans incensed over pro-gun rights billboard in Colorado .
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3014011/posts

FAKE FOLLOWERS: The New York Times Turns On Polis .
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3013747/posts

John Lott: “The Obama administration made the extremely unusual move of lobbying Democrats in the Colorado state house for a bill ...

Colorado Ping ( Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)

[bankwalker]

This is causing quite a stir - making the gun control freaks heads explode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F1nPSNnaBo

only 2 minutes - pass it on after viewing. it is going viral ...

[neverdem]

LOL! My last unit in Vietnam was the 7th Cav. Thanks for the links.

[neverdem]

Great link! I’ll be passing it around.

[Noumenon]

“Wipe them out. Wipe them all out.”