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NYT: Americans With Assault Rifles Should 'Give Them Up For The Good Of Their Fellow Citizens'
Townhall.com ^ | December 6, 2015 | Matt Vespa

Posted on 12/06/2015 6:48:55 PM PST by Kaslin

Well, it seems the media's horrific campaign of inaccuracy hasn't stopped. According to Reuters, for the first time in nearly a century, The New York Times editorial board took their plea for gun bans to the front page on Saturday, calling our nation's inaction on gun control a "moral outrage and a national disgrace." No, we shouldn't be surprised that they decided to follow the likes of the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times with their own inane call to arms for gun control. And we shouldn't be shocked that they want policies that employ confiscatory measures, while also banning an entire class of firearms, specifically assault rifles and certain types of ammunition [emphasis mine]:

It is a moral outrage and a national disgrace that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed specifically to kill people with brutal speed and efficiency. These are weapons of war, barely modified and deliberately marketed as tools of macho vigilantism and even insurrection. America's elected leaders offer prayers for gun victims and then, callously and without fear of consequence, reject the most basic restrictions on weapons of mass killing, as they did on Thursday. They distract us with arguments about the word terrorism. Let's be clear: These spree killings are all, in their own ways, acts of terrorism.

It is not necessary to debate the peculiar wording of the Second Amendment. No right is unlimited and immune from reasonable regulation.

Certain kinds of weapons, like the slightly modified combat rifles used in California, and certain kinds of ammunition, must be outlawed for civilian ownership. It is possible to define those guns in a clear and effective way and, yes, it would require Americans who own those kinds of weapons to give them up for the good of their fellow citizens.

First, let's give it up for the New York Times, and their like-minded colleagues in the media and in politics for driving up gun sales. Undoubtedly, after all of this nonsensical discussion about gun control, gun and ammo sales will go up (that's a good thing). The irony never ceases to amaze me how the very faction of this country what wants to deploy unconstitutional gun control measures, only end up becoming better gun salespersons.

Moreover, every mass shooting is an act of terror? They're not. Mass shootings can be part of a terrorist's arsenal of carnage to push whatever agenda they have in mind, but not every mass shooting is terrorism. The same logic is applied to defining genocide. Genocide is mass killing, but not all mass killings are genocides. What happened in Paris was a horrific terrorist attack perpetrated by ISIS. They had an agenda. They deployed suicide bombers and shooters to target scores of innocent Parisians, which they thought could influence the nation's policy in the Middle East. The Islamic State attacked France for insulting the prophet Muhammad; they called Paris "the capital of abomination and perversion;" and perhaps the most important part–the French were attacked due to their intervention in Syria. There are multiple definitions of terrorism; almost every singe one includes some form of political goal. There was no such goal when Adam Lanza senselessly murdered 20 schoolchildren in Newtown in 2012, hence why it was called a mass shooting, and not an act of terrorism. Concerning the San Bernardino shooting, it's now a federal terrorism investigation. We'll know in due time the motives and aims behind this attack.

The Times says that it's easy to define "combat rifles," though they apparently didn't know the definition of terrorism and the left has tried to do this back in the early 1990s with the Assault Weapons Ban. It was a laughable piece of comedy that was attached to the overall Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act in 1994, that was partially responsible for historic Democratic losses in the midterm elections. When it expired in 2004, the data showed that these weapons are a) rarely used in crimes, which remains so to this day and b) did next to nothing to reduce violent crime. Oddly enough, the New York Times ran a piece in September of 2014 highlighting that fact:

…[I]n the 10 years since the previous ban lapsed, even gun control advocates acknowledge a larger truth: The law that barred the sale of assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 made little difference.

It turns out that big, scary military rifles don't kill the vast majority of the 11,000 Americans murdered with guns each year. Little handguns do[*].

In 2012, only 322 people were murdered with any kind of rifle, F.B.I. data shows.

The policy proved costly. Mr. Clinton blamed the ban for Democratic losses in 1994. Crime fell, but when the ban expired, a detailed study found no proof that it had contributed to the decline.

The ban did reduce the number of assault weapons recovered by local police, to 1 percent from roughly 2 percent.

"Should it be renewed, the ban's effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement," a Department of Justice-funded evaluation concluded.

Lastly, the "it would require Americans who own those kinds of weapons to give them up for the good of their fellow citizens" part. Why? The vast majority of gun owners–99.9 percent according to Sen. Bernie Sanders are law-abiding. They have to turn them over because the liberal political class is egregiously ignorant on this issue? They have to turn them over because while they aren't used often in gun crimes, liberals are afraid of them? The Times has shown that the left is getting closer to outright saying having assault rifles in one's home warrants the National Guard, FBI, ATF, and local law enforcement busting down your door, terrifying your family, and confiscating constitutionally protected items.

Any rational person should balks at this proposal. Any Second Amendment supporter would, as in other counties, should (and probably would) completely ignore the call to hand over their firearms. But if you're a liberal in keeping with their principle that government power should be controlled by the few in order to be dictated to the rest of us you must believe this is a good policy. If ending gun violence enhances the public good, then by all means strip law-abiding Americans of their rights; the end result will pay off. It's a perverse notion.

This is where this debate is heading and it's getting messier with each horrific mass shooting. The left is now mixing terrorism and mass shootings to push a narrative to eviscerate the Second Amendment. We once again have rehashed stories about the AR-15 rifle, which isn't as powerful as a hunting rifle and rarely used in crimes. And we have the media endorsing gun control policies that would require gun bans and confiscation. They're insinuating parts of it, but the brash call to ban guns entirely is coming.

Yes, not every right is absolute. There are restrictions, but government and active citizenry should work to maximize these rights to their fullest extent. The pre-existing laws on guns are fine. We need to have a debate on how to revamp our mental health system, and integrate it into our background check system. The problem is that it doesn't accomplish the left's goal of destroying gun rights, so they'll do everything in their power to prevent that debate.

*Support for a handgun ban is insanely low



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Syria; US: California; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; abrogation; banglist; brainiacdictatorship; california; demagogicparty; derogationofrights; diktat; doasisay; fartfaces; guncontrol; guncontroldebate; gunrights; helotization; iamwearingadiaper; intellectualarraunt; leftabsolutism; leftism; leftwingmedia; leftwingmediabias; memebuilding; nakedtotalitarians; newyork; newyorkarrogance; newyorkcity; newyorkism; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; oopsicrappedmypants; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; rawsocialism; resistanceisfutile; sanbernadino; sanbernardino; screwtheconstitution; secondamendment; socialstratification; spandexpantload; thelawsareinmymouth; totaitarianism; totalitarianism; treasonoftherich; waronterror; willtopower
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To: Kaslin

For the good of the environment, country and climate the use of printed newspapers should be terminated. Print newsmedia requires the destruction of millions of trees, the processing of which into paper uses many tons of toxic chemicals and creates a huge amount of toxic waste discharged into the environment. In addition there is a huge amount of energy required to process, print and distribute newspapers resulting in massive CO2 emissions. In the computer and mass media age newspapers are obsolete and inefficient methods of transmitting information. Not to mention that the product is outdated and essentially useless in 24 hrs and then must be discarded, often ending up in landfills and as litter. If the NYT, Washington Post and the rest of the newspaper industry care about the planet and their responsibility to humanity they should immediately and permanently cease operations.


81 posted on 12/06/2015 7:50:51 PM PST by Brooklyn Attitude (It's the apocalypse, lets have some fun!)
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To: Kaslin

82 posted on 12/06/2015 7:51:54 PM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: VerySadAmerican

” That’s exactly what the Founding Fathers intended for the citizenry to have in case they had to fight the government.”

Exactly. Guns are great also for fighting aliens, demons and zombies. I could make a short film called ‘a liberal tries to confiscate a gun from a right wing redneck’ and make a killing at the box office.


83 posted on 12/06/2015 7:52:59 PM PST by max americana (fired every liberal in our company at every election cycle..and laughed at their faces (true story))
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To: Kaslin

Don’t know why I missed it, but I did retract.


84 posted on 12/06/2015 7:54:00 PM PST by Blue Collar Christian (Ready for Teddy, Cruz that is.)
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To: max americana

Make the movie. I’d pay to see it.


85 posted on 12/06/2015 7:54:08 PM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: Kaslin

I think the writers for the newspapers calling for Americans to give up their guns, should give up their precious automobiles, first. Take away their insulated-from-humanity cones of silence, inundated with their satellite radios, and their CO2 producing engines. Let THEM travel along with the rest of the folks, getting bumped, cramped, eyeballed, and intimidated on public transit.


86 posted on 12/06/2015 7:54:34 PM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: Kaslin

Not Bloody Likely


87 posted on 12/06/2015 7:56:01 PM PST by FlyingEagle
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To: Kaslin

I already gave them up. Sold them privately on armslist.


88 posted on 12/06/2015 7:57:09 PM PST by RC one (....and subject to the jurisdiction thereof)
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To: Kaslin

Absurd and dangerous advice.


89 posted on 12/06/2015 7:57:58 PM PST by apocalypto
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To: Kaslin

NYT: GFY


90 posted on 12/06/2015 7:58:39 PM PST by PLMerite (The Revolution...will not be kind.)
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To: Kaslin

Here’s something for the NYT: Lock and Load!


91 posted on 12/06/2015 8:05:34 PM PST by Ranger Warrior
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To: Kaslin

92 posted on 12/06/2015 8:05:37 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy" 6Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Kaslin

Democrats. Importing murderers into formerly peaceful America since 1965.


93 posted on 12/06/2015 8:09:12 PM PST by The Toll
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To: Kaslin

The NYT should close is doors for the greater good of mankind.


94 posted on 12/06/2015 8:10:41 PM PST by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: Kaslin

The individual weapons of 1788, protected by the second amendment specifically, were used in their time as weapons of war.


95 posted on 12/06/2015 8:11:14 PM PST by BlueNgold (May I suggest a very nice 1788 Article V with your supper...)
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To: Kaslin

I will consider it, as long as the NY Times shows leadership on this matter. End any armed security first, then ask me if I’m willing to disarm.

I am going to contact my congressman, and ask him to introduce a House Resolution, that any organization that seeks to disarm the American public, first end any armed, private security that organization pays for. And they should not be allowed to request that taxpayer paid police officers be stationed at their location, any more than can a private citizen. They should have to call 911, and wait the average of 20 minutes for a police response.

Mark


96 posted on 12/06/2015 8:14:03 PM PST by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: cripplecreek

The Eww Yuck Slimes should give up their 1st Amendment rights.


97 posted on 12/06/2015 8:16:25 PM PST by 2CAVTrooper (Obamacare...... Because grandma is shovel ready.)
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To: Kaslin

YOU and All politicians FIRST...NYT


98 posted on 12/06/2015 8:20:47 PM PST by goodnesswins (hey..Wussie Americans....ISIS is coming. Are you ready?)
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To: Kaslin
After watching the President's speech tonight, I have decided it is time to join the NRA.

I don't own a gun. When I got out of the Army I made a choice to not have a weapon in my home. I am re-thinking that now.

99 posted on 12/06/2015 8:22:04 PM PST by Volunteer (Though I know that the hypnotized never lie, do ya? - The Who)
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To: 50mm
Americans: NY Times ‘Sholud Destroy Their Printing Presses For The Good Of Their Fellow Citizens’

There are people that try to make that argument, how the Second Amendment was written when all that was around were muskets, and that they don't apply to today's arms. Then I say that we should abolish the internet, sending mail via trucks, telephones, and go back to mail delivered by horseback. They try to refute it, then I tell them it's double standards.

100 posted on 12/06/2015 8:29:21 PM PST by wastedyears (uchikudake - toki michite - ikiru tame - tokihanate)
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