just concerned citizens?
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/01/12/1439811/gun-advocates-warn-that-new-safety-measures-could-forment-the-next-american-revolution/?mobile=wp So we've already been subject to this train of argument here on T_P: that any increased firearms regulations will trigger a civil war. Setting aside talk of treason/rebellion, and further setting aside talk of drasically unbalanced firefights, where gun-owners with loaded guns and full backpacks take on the 101st Airborne and various bomber divisons, let's talk emotional blackmail.
I have three sons, one of whom is fourteen, and has thus made many transitions, from infancy to toddlerhood, from toddler to child, from child to tween and from tween to teenager. Each phase has had wonderful moments, like speaking first words, learning to walk or ride a bike, first day of school and so on. But there've also been days, even weeks of conflict -- which is as it should be; it's his job to push boundaries as it's mine to enforce them.
One of the things my son has been good at since he learned to talk -- as was I -- is emotional blackmail. There are two basic kinds:
1) I'll be really really good if you give me this thing that I want
2) I'll make your life hell if you take away this thing that I have, or if you try to discipline me.
I've been involved in many discussions about America's problems with guns over the past weeks, and what consistently strikes me as problematic is the way gun rights advocates come at the conversation. In my opinion, there's a huge sense of entitlement on the part of the gun rights crowd here, but little display of a sense of responsibility.
I'm not suggestion that the NRA is responsible for Sandy Hook or Aurora, or Columbine. Those acts were the responsibility of the damaged individuals who did them. But we could be discussing how to help people be more responsible, and thus help to keep weapons out of the hands of people like those who did those acts.
Instead, we get threatened. If we enact policies like closing the gunshow background check loophole, we should expect violence from the guns rights crowd. If we enact a policy of tracking gun purchases, we should expect armed insurrection.
Now, fourteen years of experience as a parent and more as an adult tell me that I shouldn't acquiesce to that threat from my fourteen year old.
So why should we accept it here?
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