Posted on 10/03/2001 10:17:49 PM PDT by freedomnews
Americans brush aside gun fears in desire to bear arms
By Betty Liu in Atlanta, Sheila McNulty in Houston and Christopher Bowe in Chicago
Published: October 3 2001 One result of the terrorism crisis has been a rush by Americans to the nation's gun stores in a spending spree that promises to complicate the already complex debate on gun control.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) claims last month's attacks on New York and Washington are yielding a whole new group of supporters who in the past had not thought much about gun control.
For those who purport stricter gun laws, it has suddenly become harder to focus Americans on issues such as gun violence in schools - a central point in the debate this past year - when most are immediately interested in protecting themselves from terrorist assaults. Indeed, any gun control legislation in Congress is likely to remain untouched until the end of the year.
"One of the challenges is that most of our educational opportunities are enhanced when we have a bill to promote but that's not going to happen right now," says Desmond Riley, spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. "Things have been put on the backburner. It's not the time to debate such things."
If nothing else, the surge in gun sales has helped back those who advocate greater freedom to own firearms. In Texas, gun shops report sales increases of 10 to 25 per cent, with the clientele shifting from traditional hunters to white collar professionals.
"These are oil men and oil ladies, level-headed people in management positions," says one Texan gun shop owner.
At Landry's Guns in Louisiana, Dale Landry says customers are pouring in to buy bullet-proof vests and "ammo sales are through the roof". The purchases are often linked with other survival items such as military gas masks.
People are also crowding into shooting ranges across the US, some taping pictures of Osama bin Laden on to target boards.
The gun purchasing fervour is also boosted by the renewed sense of patriotism Americans are feeling now - helping to strengthen a belief that the right to bear arms is a part of all that is free in the US. In Florida last week, a state lawmaker introduced a bill to create a new licence plate that would celebrate the right to bear arms, featuring a revolutionary war soldier carrying a musket. In Ohio, state legislators are considering a bill that would allow citizens to carry concealed weapons.
Even the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest pilots union in the US, is lobbying for firearms in the cockpit for self- defence.
Not surprisingly, the NRA is finding itself in the spotlight. The association is publicly supporting the pilots' union and has been inundated with phone calls from people seeking firearms training or knowledge about guns, says Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the association.
"Whenever you see fear or the possibility of a threat, people go back to their Second Amendment freedoms and run to the NRA as a defender of those freedoms," he says. "A ton of folks have called us saying 'I used to be against you but forget that now.' "
But this may also, in the end, benefit advocates of stricter gun control as well. Although the issue of gun violence in schools has been somewhat overshadowed, many are pointing out another contentious issue: lax procedures in purchasing firearms at gun shows.
"People can buy guns at these shows from certain dealers without undergoing background checks. A terrorist could purchase all sorts of weaponry from these shows," says Mr Riley. "For us, it's a great opportunity now to educate Americans about how easy it is to get guns because the ones buying the guns could be terrorists."
Though the gun control debate is likely to stay in the background for the months to come, problems surrounding gun ownership, of course, will continue. In Virginia recently, a three-year-old boy shot and killed himself while playing with a gun his father bought for protection against terrorists.
Such risks, gun control advocates say, outweigh any benefits - which they consider small - of carrying a weapon as a defence against terrorists.
IMO the lesson is, when put into a real application, gun control fails.
Don't forget the obligatory lie.
And that's an act of treason.
Those who have advocated, or authored, 'gun control' measures of any sort are traitors who should be indicted on treason charges and bound over for trial.
And those who are convicted should be swiftly put to death.
Those of you who believe that 'gun control activists' are merely a misguided but loyal opposition with whom we have a 'disagreement' over 'policy' are deceived and defeated before you ever leave the gate.
These people are damnable traitors, plain and simple, whose goal is to destroy our Constitution and our way of life.
But they can't do it without your acquiescence.
All this implies short ranges. Therefore in terms of protection I would consider a shotgun ( an awsome bit of firepower to face) for the home and your 1911 for your carry weapon (more than enough knock down power). I would not consider a rifle as a good defensive weapon.
What? Allow Americans to attach bayonets to their post-ban, hi-cap rifles? You can't be serious. Don't you realize how dangerous those sharp knives can be? And forget about folding stocks, flash supressors and pistol grips.....they are to great a threat to our safety and security.
It's 2004, and Bush already said he'd sign the extension legislation...
When I was taking a class by Masaad Ayoob, he pointed out that having a gun, and getting trained in its use, implies that we think there's a significant chance of needing it someday. This would imply the possibility that the other guy has a gun too. Thus it logically follows that maybe having a vest among the gear in your gun cabinet might be a good idea
Actually, you do not need to undergo a background check, or do paperwork, to buy a gun from a private individual who is not engaged in the business of regularly dealing in firearms.
So if I want to sell a shotgun that I don't need anymore to a friend or family member or a stranger, I can just do it. So, you CAN but a gun from a dealer at a gun show -- if he's a T-SHIRT dealer, or some such, who does not regularly or frequently but/sell guns. The lie was in the implication that you could do it with a FIREARMS dealer
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