Following the gruesome massacre of school children in Connecticut, news stories have shared a common theme -- that gun owners are now "ready to compromise" on guns. Unfortunately, too many of those on our side seem intimidated by the media, and unwilling to fight back. But they are making a huge mistake, both in terms of public safety, and our freedoms.
Anyone who understands anything at all about violent crime knows that no assault weapons ban or restriction on high-capacity magazines is going to save a single life or reduce crime in any way. This is not a matter of opinion -- we now have decades of data, from the Federal ban and our "laboratories of gun control" (the States with extreme restrictions on lawful gun owners). And the results are clear and unmistakable -- gun control actually increases the probability that one will be the victim of a violent crime. (See: Chicago, Detroit, Washington D.C., or Los Angeles).
Ditto the imaginary "gun show loophole" -- the bogus claim that felons and other prohibited people can just walk into a gun show and buy a gun from an unlicensed dealer. But research shows that felons DON'T GO TO GUN SHOWS, at least not in any measurable numbers. They buy their guns from the black market almost exclusively.
The Force Science Research Institute at the University of Minnesota (Mankato State) reported on a 5-year nationwide study by the FBI of over 800 incidents involving the most dangerous armed street criminals, and concluded: "Contrary to media-generated myth, not a single weapon in the study was purchased at a gun show." But, hey, why listen to the FBI?
In reality, the "gun show loophole" is a Trojan Horse, since an unlicensed dealer is ANY private citizen who sells a gun, including you and me. The real purpose behind this scheme is to mandate a background check on every private sale. Note that this will likely require going to a gun store and paying a fee.
This latest bit of bureaucratic nonsense will not prevent a single felon or mentally disturbed whacko from getting a gun -- they will NOT subject themselves to any background check. It is simply a way to institute a back-door gun registration scheme. Besides, it is already a FELONY for anyone to sell a gun to a felon or a juvenile. Buying a gun on behalf of any prohibited person (the so-called "straw purchase") is also a felony.
The other issue is the genuine threat to our liberty. The moment we give even the slightest concession to the gun control argument, we essentially agree with their position. But neither you nor I, nor any of the nation's 90 Million gun owners, had anything to do with the Sandy Hook School shooting. Giving in is always interpreted as guilt.
Ironically, the gun issue could be a hanging curve ball to Republicans, just BEGGING to be knocked out of the park. All they would have to do is grow a pair and throw the entire issue back in the faces of Democrats: "Your ridiculous ‘gun free zones' have failed! It's time to do what's necessary to protect our kids -- not stripping lawful gun owners of their rights!" Americans would cheer.
Because in case you haven't noticed, while the talking heads on TV are talking "reasonable restrictions" the American public is reacting by flocking to gun stores, buying up the very guns that the liberal Democrats are targeting -- those evil military style carbines, many of them driving cars with "Obama 2012? stickers on them!
And these same people are going to vote in 2014 …
The pressure to sound "reasonable" and "willing to compromise" is enormous. But instead of knuckling under to more gun control, we should all be taking the fight to the enemy. And that means every one of us MUST start by demanding that our legislators, whether Democrat or Republican, refuse to go along with ANY new gun laws.
Then demand that they begin repealing many of the 20,000 largely ineffective gun laws that we already have on the books. Because, sometimes, giving in is just wrong, and the only honorable answer is "no."
Better yet, "Hell, NO!"