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Must Pack Heat: The Case for Mandating Gun Ownership
New York Observer ^ | 3/14/16 | Michael Malice

Posted on 03/14/2016 12:00:17 PM PDT by OddLane

America has reached a point where political discourse is close-to-impossible. Nowhere are our views as immutable as on the issue of guns. From one perspective, guns are an enormous social harm that must be relegated to trained professionals and law enforcement. In this context, the stigmatization of guns is a wise one. A population that is comfortable around guns is a population that is comfortable using them—and sometimes using them on innocent people. Therefore, the number of guns held by the general populace should be driven as low as possible (and, hopefully, eliminated entirely). Australia, Australia, Australia.

The other perspective is the complete opposite. Guns are what keep communities safe, either from criminals or (God forbid!) government overreach. Gun-free zones are invitations for madmen and terrorists to attack a population that is advertising its defenselessness. Guns are what freed this country from the British, have stopped many would-be assailants, and are a constitutionally protected right not up for discussion. Heller, Heller, Heller.

(Excerpt) Read more at observer.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Society
KEYWORDS: banglist; guncontrol; rkba
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To: OddLane

The first ten amendments don’t grant rights, they recognize inherent rights. The only thing subject to being “Regulated” (either in its 18th century meaning or current meaning) is the militia. The weapons the militia or the rest of “the people” may choose to keep and bear are specifically exempted from regulation.


21 posted on 03/14/2016 1:59:09 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: OddLane

No. For one thing, the idea of mandating anything in the name of freedom is self-contradictory. For another, forcing someone to carry a deadly instrument against his will is certain to place it into the hands of the irresponsible. “You bought the thing, now it’s your responsibility” is a cogent argument. “But you made me” is a cogent rejoinder.


22 posted on 03/14/2016 2:01:07 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: OddLane

“...It’s far better to stigmatize gun ownership and render it taboo, in one of the myriad ways that progressivism reveals itself to be domestic imperialism.

“The White Man’s Burden” remains unchanged, but now it is those who are poorer and whiter who are in desperate need of civilizing. The gun-owner culture is allegedly primitive and dangerous, and it falls on “right-thinking” people to show them the error of their ways.”

Hard to tell where he’s coming from. But calling progressivism “domestic imperialism” is food for thought, IMO.

Doesn’t that describe how largely rural states have liberal politics imposed on them by one dominant city?

The author’s portrait as North Korean dear leader is a hoot.


23 posted on 03/14/2016 2:01:12 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: elcid1970; All

The Author actually makes good points. He sees the debate very clearly.

We are moving in his direction, and winning.

The facts, the Constitution, and the culture are with Second Amendment supporters.

There are only a few urban centers that promote citizen Disarmament. Remove New York City and New Jersey, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the citizen disarmament falls apart. Its ideas are intellectually bankrupt.

We will not have to mandate that citizens carry guns; we need only insist on the right to do so being respected.

Gun sales are breaking records; gun carry is breaking records. Gun crime is at all time lows.


24 posted on 03/14/2016 3:37:33 PM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

“We will not have to mandate that citizens carry guns; we need only insist on the right to do so being respected.”

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Folks, we have a winner!

:^)


25 posted on 03/14/2016 3:54:52 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: gundog
Biased much?

He appears (in the excerpt) too have stated both positions in the debate. Where's the bias in that?

26 posted on 03/14/2016 3:54:59 PM PDT by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: Innovative
I don’t believe in mandating it, but they could make it easier to get a CCW permit for responsible people.

Any permit or licensing requirement is an infringement on our rights as recognized by the second amendment.

27 posted on 03/14/2016 3:57:09 PM PDT by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: JimRed
A population that is comfortable around guns is a population that is comfortable using them—and sometimes using them on innocent people.

I see this as anti-gun people bias. I'll cede that he may have intended it to look like such for the sake of arguement...but I doubt it.

28 posted on 03/14/2016 4:22:39 PM PDT by gundog (Help us, Nairobi-Wan Kenobi...you're our only hope.)
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To: elcid1970
Yes, it is.

I've read about a dozen books on the subject of the DPRK and Korean War, but Dear Reader is wholly unique.

I actually did a writeup of the book when it was released a few years ago.

29 posted on 03/14/2016 4:28:16 PM PDT by OddLane
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To: gundog

I’ve “been comfortable around guns” for over 25 years now, and I have yet to shoot anybody. Huh, I must be atypical or somethin’.

CC


30 posted on 03/14/2016 5:44:37 PM PDT by Celtic Conservative (CC: purveyor of cryptic, snarky posts since December, 2000..)
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To: OddLane

No, let’s start with mandatory basic training for all enlistment quality males, then we can talk about mandatory firearms...


31 posted on 03/14/2016 5:48:27 PM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: gundog
I see this as anti-gun people bias. I'll cede that he may have intended it to look like such for the sake of arguement...but I doubt it.

Fair enough.

32 posted on 03/15/2016 12:01:59 PM PDT by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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