Free Republic

It's the common talking point from left leaning media and gun control advocates: NRA leaders are out of touch with NRA members and the organization is disagreement over top gun control issues. Turns out, the exact opposite is true. The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action conducted a national scientific poll of NRA members this week and found the vast majority are on the same page regarding a wide range of issues, in particular when it comes to new gun control measures and how to prevent mass shootings. One-thousand members were randomly selected for the poll. The NRA is...

When Barack Obama implored Americans to "do the right thing" on gun restriction during a news conference this week, the "right thing" should have been obvious to everyone. Absolute moral authority -- it's the only way to go. If you fail to see the picture as clearly as the president, you may be an extremist or, more than likely, you're too feeble-minded to withstand the Jedi mind tricks employed by gun merchants or radio talk show hosts or the National Rifle Association or all those folks "ginning up fear" on the issue, according to a president who trots out 7-year-olds...

By now, we’ve heard the argument about semi-automatic "assault" rifles: nobody needs one. we’ve heard the only reason why someone would obtain this kind of weapon is so they can kill people, which is far from the truth. We’ve also heard the argument from both the Left and the Right that a pistol is how someone protects their home. "I really don’t know why people need assault weapons. I’m not a hunter but I understand people who want to hunt," Republican Rep. Peter King said on Morning Joe earlier this week. "I understand people who live in rough neighborhoods...

In last week’s column, “Good Guys With Guns,” I wrote about the Mayan 14 incident, in which a shooter was halted by an off-duty cop. I referred to the cop as a “good guy,” and my readers were quick to issue a correction: the good guy was actually a girl. Lisa Castellano shot the wannabe James Holmes after he ran into the Mayan 14 theater and began firing—and managed to snatch away his gun. I don’t know about you, but Lisa Castellano is my new hero. I’ve written about women and guns before, when I was the lone conservative columnist...

What is missing in every gun-control discussion is a "full disclosure" of which politician has a concealed weapons permit, has any guns in his own home, or is protected by armed security guards. Just like the CNBC disclosure regarding touting stocks and the personal holdings of the person touting the stock, we need a "full disclosure" rule regarding armed protection of the politicians who advocate gun control. Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/12/a_call_for_full_disclosure_in_the_gun_control_debate.html#ixzz2FQ8JHvJW

The notion of the president as comforter-in-chief fits snugly with the notion of political "solutions" -- e.g., gun control -- to essentially moral and theological problems -- e.g., schoolhouse massacres. In a well-meant message of consolation delivered Sunday at Newtown, President Obama declared that "These tragedies must end. And to end them we must change." He again used the word "change," in gainsaying the idea that America does enough to protect its children. "We are not doing enough," said the president, "and we will have to change." "Change" what, exactly? That would be the question, wouldn't it? Change the...

"No set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society." So said President Obama in words of comfort in Newtown. The president was right to speak of evil, but mistaken when he called the massacre "senseless." For this was a premeditated and purposeful act of mass murder, and the devil that did it knew exactly what he was doing and why. When he put four bullets into his mother's head while she lay in bed, Adam Lanza wanted her life ended along with his. When he headed for Sandy Hook...