It’s fear that’s driving opposition to gun control
Proponents of gun control are baffled that horrific massacres such as the one in Aurora, Colorado, do not lead to stricter gun control. They have their causation backward.
The more terrifyingly criminal the world looks, the more ineffective law enforcement seems, the more Americans demand the right to deadly weapons with which to defend themselves. It is local TV programming directors, not the National Rifle Association, who are tirelessly persuading Americans that they need to strap a gun to their legs before heading to the mall.
And what will change those attitudes is not more atrocity stories, but instead the reassuring truth: The United States is safe and getting safer, safer than ever before in its history.
The police can protect you, and will, and do. And a gun in the house is not a guarantee of personal security — it is instead a standing invitation to family tragedy.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2
We don’t need gun control, we need nut control. We need to drop this Szasz BS and give patients with disorders like schizophrenia and manic depression with psychotic symptoms the respect the courts give patients and families with Alzheimer’s and senility. It’s not informed (lack of) consent to medical treatment if you think your doctor is a CIA agent who is trying to poison you because the aliens told him to do it.
The courts let you take the money out of Mom’s hands if she starts giving it away to scamsters who call her on the phone. An Alzheimer’s patient doesn’t need a full-on psych consult every time he refuses to take his meds at the Alzheimer’s home. But a paranoid schizophrenic who thinks the local Burger King is hiding a mind-control array that keeps him up all night? He just has to keep his mouth shut about the mind control array for 72 hours, and they have to let him back out on the street to see if the det cord and C4 he ordered has arrived at his house.
Sekhmet on July 24, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Which also counters Frum’s point. Bloomberg is encouraging cops not to do their jobs – emphasizing the reality that each citizen is ultimately responsible for their own safety.
As Mark Steyn said this week – the 9/11 hijackers operated in one of the most federally regulated environments in America; an airplane is a perfect bubble of liberal and federal regulation and management but when the threat shows up Big Government isn’t up their with you.
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Fools like Frum write idiotic pandering articles like this one for one purpose only — to generate lots of website traffic via discussions between useful idiots and those that understand the individual responsibility to protect family and community from criminals and government.
FerrousOxide on July 24, 2012 at 9:58 AM
There may be fewer households with guns now, but there are more people legally carrying guns than ever before in my lifetime. Most studies show a strong correlation between these concealed carry laws and the drop in crime in the we’ve had since the 90s. Most areas of the US have seen drops in crime, but the areas that passed laws allowing guns to be carried saw their crime rates drop faster.
I used one to scare off a would-be rapist when my car broke down. Frum would rather that the attacker had had his way with me. He can go to hell.
juliesa on July 24, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Yup – blows up Frums argument.
The close proximity of police prevented Holmes from killing more people but it didn’t stop him. If someone in that theater had been armed then even fewer (and perhaps no one) would have died.
The core of the second amendment is the simple acknowledgement of the reality each individual is responsible for their on security. Having police is necessary and helpful but not sufficient.
Just ask all those celebrities (who almost universally support gun control laws) who hire armed body guards.
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 9:59 AM
What pure crap. When I was growing up, I didn’t know too many people that didn’t have a gun in the house and I’m really having trouble thinking of any ‘family tragedies’.
However, I could see someone like Frum getting severely injured trying to put on a pair of socks.
BigWyo on July 24, 2012 at 10:00 AM
The so called mental health reforms from 40 or 50 years ago wasn’t so much reform as it was wholesale dismantling of mental health institutions. Some people clearly need to be institutionalized for their and our own good.
NotCoach on July 24, 2012 at 10:00 AM
It’s fear that’s driving opposition to gun control
Yes, fear that a 2nd Obama term will result in more loss of 2nd amendment rights. Frum is such an idiot. His musings are written for the kind readers that he wishes actually existed.
GeorgiaBuckeye on July 24, 2012 at 10:04 AM
I think he cut his lip on somebody’s pants crease.
swinia sutki on July 24, 2012 at 10:05 AM
I’m not sure of that, but you make a good point, unfortunately, and a strong case for being armed.
LEOs are going to secure the immediate area, but that’s likely going to be the extent of it. The non-specialists aren’t going to rush into an unknown.
The Colorado theater is a good example:
The shooter ended it. Not the police. You’re just along for his ride.
rogerb on July 24, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Bishop??
(Kidding of course)
Lost in Jersey on July 24, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Wow, at least for the headline, Frum got it right! Since Obama took office, ammunition is the new gold. Who does Frum think we fear? I didn’t used to be afraid of my government, but now I am.
Christian Conservative on July 24, 2012 at 10:15 AM
The information I had – which could be incorrect – was that there were some police on hand for crowd control for the midnight showings.
I don’t doubt the account you linked but a LEO won’t intercede if there is someone gunning down citizens and will wait for specialists? Is this a standard policy?
There was a shooting in my state several years ago at a mall and several off duty police officers who were packing interceded.
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 10:21 AM
I see Frum is still the same jackass he’s always been.
single stack on July 24, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Okay, I’m not surprised Frum didn’t generate enough hits in the QOTD that it’s now been recycled in Headlines. Here’s my hit-comment for the Headlines recycle:
Dusty on July 24, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Yep. “Wait for backup” is SOP, and confronting an active shooter is SWAT’s job.
The first thing cops are taught is that going home at the end of the shift is the most important thing they’ll do all day. They are trained from the start to put themselves and their fellow officers first-ALWAYS.
single stack on July 24, 2012 at 10:30 AM
I’d just like to point out here that Willy McDole is the WET DREAM candidate of David Frum. In fact, the people who represent the current GOP leadership the best in media are people like David Frum and David Brooks – both of whom are Willard fans.
And conservative slaves will go to the polls in droves this November to cast a vote for that shi*.
Not me … Not me.
HondaV65 on July 24, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Ok, tell that to this girl who shot and killed an intruder because the cops couldn’t get there in time.
Oh, and tell that to the dead and wounded in Aurora. Did the police protect them? No. No, they did not.
Remember, when seconds count the cops are only minutes away.
dczombie on July 24, 2012 at 10:34 AM
I guess the scenario in my own city was an exception rather than the rule (an off duty police officer engaged and pinned down a shooter, SWAT actually took out the shooter when they showed up, but the off duty officer is credited with saving lives).
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Nope, nope, and nope.
Police exist to police society as a whole, expecting to rely on them for personal protection in a given situation is like Waiting for Godot. Godot isn’t showing up when it matters (before the end of the play), and it’s therefore a bit crazy.
Difficultas_Est_Imperium on July 24, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Can you elaborate on that and/or provide a source for that info?
Dusty on July 24, 2012 at 10:38 AM
And we’re the ones who are afraid?
Esthier on July 24, 2012 at 10:39 AM
I wonder where Frum got his statistics on the numbers of homes that have guns but do not report them. He apparently assumed that everyone reports accurately when the data was too good to check.
WhatNot on July 24, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Homicides in Chicago: 1990-2010
1990: 851
1991: 927
1992: 943
1993: 931
1994: 929
1995: 827
1996: 789
1997: 759
1998: 704
1999: 641
2000: 628
2001: 666
2002: 647
2003: 598
2004: 448
2005: 449
2006: 467
2007: 442
2008: 510
2009: 458
2010: 449
2011: 440
He is right.
Sincerely,
Reality (with its liberal bias)
PS: Almost all of that is gang on gang violence.
lester on July 24, 2012 at 10:46 AM
If, as you argue, violent crime is declining (and I agree that it is), why the need for gun control?
Is the idea that because one lunatic does something, we should take away law abiding people’s rights?
Is that logic to you? If a male pedophile is a boy scout leader and molests some of the scouts – do we get rid of boy scouts? If a foster parent abuses her foster child – do we get rid of the foster parent system? If an abortion provider murders born children, do we outlaw abortion? If someone commits murder with a knife, do we outlaw knives?
Do you see why your argument lacks logic? Perhaps if violent crime and gun deaths were on the rise, there would be some argument for more gun control. But with such crime declining – where is the argument?
Monkeytoe on July 24, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Only when the anti-gun nuts can prove we don’t need pepper spray, a baseball bat, a kitchen knife, a fire extinguisher (as self defense) a home alarm system or 911 service will the argument for no guns be valid. A gun is just a more useful tool than the other options, to be used on an as-needed basis.
Protection after you’re dead doesn’t mean squat.
tomg51 on July 24, 2012 at 11:02 AM
If this is true, where is the need to get rid of a constitutional right?
And, by the way, how did Frum ever claim to be conservative? does he have any non-leftist positions? Another great boon given to conservatives by George W. Bush – this guy is out there claiming to be a conservative while spouting nothing but liberal cliches.
Monkeytoe on July 24, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Yes indeed:
Well put. You don’t even have to count those little girls, do you?
rogerb on July 24, 2012 at 11:04 AM
Why do you want citizens to be raped and killed?
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 11:09 AM
Methinks that gun control laws are not the cause of the improvement to the homicide rate you cite. There are far more factors to consider.
BTW, homicides are not always committed by a gun, so the homicide rate could be a significant decrease in stabbings as well could it not? In fact, if you take just the gunshot homicides for the past 5 years, you’ll see this …
Lost in Jersey on July 24, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Its actually paranoia.
The left is terrified of the armed Right even though its the libs who’re the ones shooting.
Speakup on July 24, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Reality doesn’t have a liberal bias. You are a poster child for Jonah Goldberg’s Tryanny of Cliches.
You cite that the number of homicides in Chicago is going down – which is true but it’s not an argument for or against anything as you’ve stated it.
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 11:13 AM
Those cannot be facts. They don’t have a liberal bias.
/sarc
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 11:15 AM
No Frum, its good sense. It is a core principle.
Bmore on July 24, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Math is hard. Chicago Police Department’s 2009 Annual Report
Lester’s “Almost all” = Significantly less than half.
Well done, lester. Absolutely hilarious.
Obama 2012!!!/!
rogerb on July 24, 2012 at 11:30 AM
I trust that one will make it’s way into your troll quote archive.
Lost in Jersey on July 24, 2012 at 11:37 AM
Bravo sir.
gwelf on July 24, 2012 at 11:40 AM
This is bullcrap. It’s like saying it’s fear that makes us buckle up that seat belt when you get in your car.
slickwillie2001 on July 24, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Go F yourself Frum.
cicerone on July 24, 2012 at 11:55 AM
I guess Frum and moe-lester don’t know that gun control in Canada hasn’t stopped mass shootings here, one in Toronto just last week, just like it hasn’t worked in Chicago.
And, pretty obviously, maybe the violent crime rate has fallen because a record number of Americans are armed? Not unlike the incredulous NYT‘s headlines about crime dropping despite record number of incarcerations.
andycanuck on July 24, 2012 at 4:17 PM
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2