Writing at Cincinnati.com Monday, a pair of Republican congressmen explain the problems with Capitol Hill gun control efforts, from not reading legislation to passing measures that will not prevent crimes, raising the most important question of all: Do devout anti-gunners even care?
Judging from a couple of reader reactions to a gun control story in the Morning Call, a newspaper founded in 1883 in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, probably not. Indeed, it is instructional to read such comments in an effort to get inside the mind of an ardent gun prohibitionist.
In their joint Op-Ed, Congressmen Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) come out swinging, telling readers, “Congress is notorious for passing legislation without reading it, but the urge to rush legislation reached a new level in Washington this month. Some members of Congress have announced support for gun control bills that haven’t even been written yet!”
They take a hard shot at the push for so-called “universal background checks,” acknowledging what gun rights activists already know: “Every attacker in all of the recent mass public shootings passed a background check and purchased his firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer.”
And then Massie and Jordan go for the political jugular.
“There’s not a single mass public shooting that would have been prevented by universal background checks,” they write. “The other dirty little secret about universal background checks is that the only way to enforce them is to have a universal gun registry, which is a step toward future gun confiscation.”
But that’s just for openers. Jordan and Massie shift their crosshairs to the other solution du jour, “red flag” laws. They call the proposed federal mandate to pass state-level “red flag” law “unserious” and assert that it will cause more problems than it will solve.”
“The federal government,” they insist, “should not be in the business of using taxpayer money to bribe states to adopt unconstitutional laws. In fact, 17 states have already passed red flag laws, and there’s no evidence that these laws have reduced the frequency of mass public shootings.”
To the gun control crowd, that’s blasphemy. There is a strong impression among many anti-gunners that the solution to firearms misuse is to treat guns like cars.
One reader at the Morning Call wrote, “We need to treat gun use and ownership as we do car use and ownership. Just as all car sales require car registration, all gun sales should require registration.
Just as one needs a license to legally use a car, one should have a license to use a gun. Driving a car without a license is met with a penalty — so should using a gun without a license.”
Another added, “If you have to pass a written test and a driving test to drive a car, why can’t we make gun purchasers pass a written test with a psychological component, in addition to taking a shooting test at an approved range?”
Second Amendment activists look at such remarks and reflexively observe that people who write such things evidently skipped civics class in high school the day the teacher discussed rights versus privileges.
Congressmen Jordan and Massie sum it up: “Universal background checks, red flag laws, and the so-called assault weapons ban all have two things in common: they won’t stop mass public shootings and they will infringe on constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
“There’s not a single mass public shooting that would have been prevented by universal background checks.” Reps. Jim Jordan and Thomas Massie
“By keeping civilians from providing for their own protection,” they add, “and by causing those who need mental health care not to seek it, these laws will only make the current situation worse.
“If these proposals become law they will inevitably fail to produce the intended results and there will be a push for even more gun bans,” Massie and Jordan caution. “It’s time to slow down and look at the facts before rushing new laws to the president’s desk.”
Sign up for K-Var’s weekly newsletter and discounts here.
I used to say that there was no worries about President Trump signing bad gun legislature, but, after a flat out ban on Bump Stocks, and his flipping on Red Flag Laws and Background Checks, I don’t say that anymore. I don’t care if YOU don’t think there’s anything wrong with these anti gun measures, but, “I” DO!
“We need to treat gun use and ownership as we do car use and ownership…” As gun owners, perhaps we should start to argue that we need to treat car use and ownership as the anti-gun group want to treat guns. My recommendations are (1) no new car, except for emergency vehicles, should go over 85 mph – the highest speed limit in the US. (2) All new cars be equipped with a breathalyzer – which would shut down the car every two hours and would restart only after a new sample is submitted. (3) Owner of any car that is currently on the road capable of speeds in excess of 100 mph will have to pay for an annual permit to have it and if caught exceeding any speed limit would have their vehicle confiscated. There are other laws that could be added but these are just a start (as the anti-gun group wants to add to gun laws).
Jimm – not a bad rebuttal to the cars versus gun harpies!
What they always intentionally “miss” (pun intended) is that in spite of all of the rules and regulations regarding cars and legally using them, thousands of cars are stolen annually, driven by people without licenses (or insurance), driven by drunks or drug impaired people. Well, I could go on but anyone with a functioning brain can easily figure out their comparison collapses when reality kicks in.
Concerning the comparison between vehicles, cars and trucks and firearms, a couple of interesting points seem always missed by the proponents of licensing and registration. Regarding a vehicle, car or truck, operated on private property, neither registration, inspection or driver’s license is required. Possibly a minor, but interesting point, which invariably goes unmentioned. How come I wonder. Additionally, re law, if existing laws were properly enforced, many of the criminals who roam our society would be in prison.
Gun grabbers could care less. The liberal commie Democrats could care less about mass shootings. The more the merrier for the Democrats. Gun control is just a ruse for the democrats. They want gun control alright. They want to control all the guns. Take out the word control. and substitute “CONFISCATION.” this is exactly what they want. Democrats don’t believe in the Constitution. Democrats are too cowardly to face the truth, and address real issues. Which is why they never debate.They want an all one size fit’s all remedy for guns. The only ones the Democrats want to carry guns is Law Enforcement and they want an exemption for politicians The current crop of Democratic Morons running for the coveted prize of Chief Commissar of the U.S. wants an America patented after Socialist Europe, and an American Government patented after Communist China.
Congressmen Jim Jordan (R-OH).
Get him the hell out of Congress. He’s nothing but a “Big Joke” and a total Jerk.