Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/12/15

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Subject: [Leica] OT Gun Violence
From: lew1716 at gmail.com (Lew Schwartz)
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2012 13:07:08 -0500
References: <CABDm86XFvac-Z6kdAaLvqTbVCkHJxMO7gf8gwr4XZR5yEzDOtg@mail.gmail.com> <BD4B04EE-AD00-4A6F-8F06-373DEDD53A09@teleport.com>

Mark, the ideas you have stated (I acknowledge that they are not yours
personally) are fallacious and morally reprehensible. It's extremely
troublesome to have to read them repeated, as they frequently are, in the
context of this atrocity. I am a former teacher, and, among some moments of
weeping and nausea, I also feel obligated to respond. I hope the following
isn't too strong and that you have the patience to read through to the end.
I break down your remarks as follows:

>> Criminals will break the law ....

A tautology, it adds nothing to the argument. The idea that people such as
myself who oppose gun ownership are naively or unrealistically asking for
world without crime is patronizing at best. It's really just an attempt to
change focus away from this issue.

>> We cannot be Pollyanna's and magically make guns or the Second Amendment
disappear.

There's no magic here at all. The Second Amendment was made by men and
should be changed by men. Why would getting rid it, changing it, or
reinterpreting it be any more or less Pollyanna-ish than any other
constitutional change or addition? The United States was founded on the
idea that unjust, inhuman laws can and should be opposed and/or changed.
The underlying assumption that the amendment was made by "real men" and
that supporting it, because it is part of the constitution, is a
gregarious, flag waving, patriotic obligation of all citizens is pure bs.
The same argument was used to support slavery. If the founding fathers
thought this is an inalienable right, they would have attempted to put it
into the main body of their document. They didn't. It was a right that
served a purpose when it was given, but that purpose has long since passed.
A real man (read true citizen) has an obligation to see wrongs and set them
right. Nothing could be more clear in this case.
There's also an intimidation factor that runs through this rhetoric, namely
that (falsely) patriotic gun owners, "honest," criminal and insane alike
will band together in militia-like, lead slinging preservation of their
rights. Further, that the "honest" gun owners will be innocently aided by
these latter two groups because we all know how unaccountable they are. It
seems to me that a true patriot should accept the idea that self sacrifice
is necessary to prevent guns from getting into the hands of the wrong
people.

>> Face it guns are a part of our society...like it or not.

More rhetoric. "Face it" means doing something about it, not passively
accepting it. The idea that we are a society and, therefore, must respect *
all* of each others rights and wishes, including guns, is despicable and
complacent; it presumes on our friendliness and good nature. You know very
well what you can do to make sure another massacre never takes place. Will
you?

>> Will these few ideas end gun crime? No. If a criminal or an mentally ill
person is going to use a gun to commit a crime, they will find a gun...just
maybe these ideas will make it a bit harder and discourage the opportunist.

Just because you admit that these half measures won't work 100% doesn't
mean we should consider them out of deference to your dubious rights, or
because this is a world of shades of grey, not blacks and whites. Would you
be willing to face those 40 parents in Connecticut and offer to make their
grief "a bit" less?

Again, sorry if I'm coming on strong. I'm hearing this stuff from more than
one source, and I felt I had to put my thoughts down where everyone can
read them.

-- 
-Lew Schwartz


In reply to: Message from herrgard at gmail.com (Max Herrgard) ([Leica] FS Leica M4-2 / Summarit-M 35/2.5)
Message from mak at teleport.com (Mark Kronquist) ([Leica] OT Gun Violence)