Gun control is not a cultural battle

[billh58]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/13/opinion/webster-newtown-shooting/index.html

While the vast majority of youth murdered in the U.S. are gunned down in the street, school shootings that are rare in other countries occur far too frequently in America.

The U.S. does not have unusually high rates of crime, violent behavior or mental illness compared with other high-income countries; but our rate of homicide with firearms is nearly 20 times higher. Lax gun laws that allow dangerous people easy access to guns plays an important role in this disparity.

- Snip -

However, 15 states plus the District of Columbia, accounting for roughly 44% of the U.S. population, strengthened their gun laws in 2013. Eight of these states, including Colorado, Delaware and Illinois, made fairly substantial changes by enacting background-check requirements for all handgun sales. Maryland adopted a licensing system for handgun purchasers and stronger regulation of gun dealers. California, Connecticut and Maryland expanded firearm prohibitions for high-risk individuals

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But widespread gun trafficking from states with weak gun laws to states with stronger laws underscores the need for better federal laws. Congress will likely act only when more gun owners who support policies to keep guns from dangerous people become engaged on the issue.

The right-wing gun lobby, and its supporters, have repeated the lie that "Democrats are coming for your guns" long enough and loud enough that the facts are being buried by a faux "cultural battle" (which doesn't exist except in the minds of Second Amendment extremists). To quote from the article: "When you hear something enough times, you begin to think it's true. And that's exactly the intent of the NRA and other groups."

Support a gun control organization of your choice today in any way that you can. Our children's futures depend on your actions to put an end to the madness of the American gun culture and its right-wing promoters-for-profit.

[Laelth]

1. Hmm ...

In essence, I think the "gun control" issue is a cultural battle (although I realize a lot of people on the left don't want the issue framed in that way).

More here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4929259

-Laelth

[billh58]

2. You may not believe that

the NRA is the problem, but then again if you wish to help them promote the "cultural" side of the American gun "culture" go right ahead. You may want to take this support of guns and their "culture" to the RKBA Group however, as your views about the "left not wanting the issue framed that way" are not supportive of gun control as stated by the SOP.

[Laelth]

3. I think gun control is a losing issue for the Democratic Party.

My post explains why I feel that way. I want to see Democrats win. That is my goal. Gun control advocates hurt our chances of winning. That's my point. Personally, I favor reasonable gun control, but this issue is killing us at the polls.

Take that for what you will.

-Laelth

[billh58]

4. Please read the SOP

for this safe-haven Group, and take your pro-gun views to the RKBA Group. Your NRA "talking point" about support for gun control costing Democrats elections is pure and utter bullshit.

[Scuba]

5. Disagree. Those opposing gun control aren't voting Dem anyway, and few are inspired ...

... to vote Republican over the issue who are not already doing so.

On the other hand, our Party's failure to stand up to the gun lobby has disenchanted a whole bunch of Democrats.

[billh58]

7. Welcome back.

It took you a whole week to troll this Group? You're slipping Bubba.

For Bill Clinton's real views on the need for gun control, see this link:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Bill_Clinton_Gun_Control.htm

[billh58]

8. The whole NRA Culture War construct

is nothing more than the right-wing gun lobby ramping up its base in the same fashion that Newt and his buddies did with the faux Liberal/Conservative cultural divide during the Raygun years.

Here is the NRA's darling Sarah Palin spouting NRA garbage at the 2013 NRA Convention:

"This is not a battle about gun rights," Porter said, calling it "a culture war."

- Snip -

Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says recent mass shootings have prompted leaders in Washington, D.C., to exploit tragedy in order to limit the freedoms of law-abiding people.

She said while she and others were saddened and angered by December's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, the emotions that have resulted from it won't make anybody safer and won't "protect the good guys' rights."

The former governor of Alaska asked those at the convention to "keep the faith" and "stand up and fight for our freedoms."

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/05/nra-convention-2013-sarah-palin-and-culture-war-88356.html

The right-wing NRA and its apologists would love to create a "culture war" (where none exists) in order to walk around with guns strapped to their hips ala the Bundy Brigade. Their ideas about culture wars always include God, gays, and guns, with some extra vitriol for "Freedom-hating" Liberals.