My "No-Bullshit" Guide to the Gun Control Debate: Please Add to It!
Hi all,
Here goes a tough topic: gun control/gun rights in America. I'm a libertarian who is largely undecided (perhaps somewhat more on the side of the 2nd Am., recognizing the logistical challenges with mass gun collection in America), but I really want to pool resources. What are the best articles/interviews, for and against gun control, that you've been able to find?
Personal Favorites
Favorites in terms of quality and depth, not neccessarily content):
Charles C.W. Cooke, National Review
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/423183/rant-second-amendment-repeal?target=topic&tid=
Cooke begins by going through Jeffersonian thought, a little bit of Heller interpretation, and some immense sassiness, but delves into the immense logistical and political challenges of 2nd Am repeal.
As anybody with a passing understanding of America’s constitutional system knows, repealing the Second Amendment won’t in and of itself lead to the end of gun ownership in America. Rather, it will merely free up the federal government to regulate the area, should it wish to do so. Next, you’ll need to craft the laws that bring about change — think of them as modern Volstead Acts — and you’ll need to get them past the opposition. And, if the federal government doesn’t immediately go the whole hog, you’ll need to replicate your efforts in the states, too, 45 of which have their own constitutional protections. Maybe New Jersey and California will go quietly. Maybe.
Kevin Williamson, National Review
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436570/orlando-shooting-gun-policy-aftermath?target=topic&tid=2160
A second issue touching background checks: Often, the FBI is not able to process a gun buyer’s application within the three days required by law. If the FBI cannot give an answer, the sale can go forward under what is known as a “default proceed,” the gun buyer’s version of “innocent until proven guilty.” In tens of thousands of cases each year, the FBI discovers, after the fact, that the sale should not have proceeded.
I like the degree to which Williamson is amenable to both sides, willing to examine the flaws with each. Definitely one of the most valuable pieces I've read that has informed my opinion.
The police, the prosecutors, the jailers, and the parole-and-probation authorities all must answer for the fact that such a large share of our murders are committed by people already well known to law enforcement.
Jon Stokes, Medium
https://medium.com/@jonst0kes/why-i-need-an-ar-15-832e05ae801c#.g1aaoe2ko
Interesting perspective to read about. As a non-gun-owner, I was quite ignorant to many of the nuances presented here. Although not fully convinced either way, I'm glad to be more informed.
This is all part of the reason why I, a civilian, “need” a military-grade combat weapon. I don’t want to shoot and miss; I don’t want the gun to jam because it’s dirty or cold; and I don’t want to hit my target and then have it run off into the woods and die lost and wounded because I didn’t “bring enough gun”. Like my grandpa with his “military-grade” lever action rifle, I want a modern firearm that’s popular (which means parts and training are cheaply and widely available), ergonomic, rugged, accurate, and reliably effective, so that none of the aforementioned bad things happen to me when I’m shooting.
If the AR-15 were a weapon that’s suitable only for indiscriminate, spray-n-pray mass slaughter, then it wouldn’t be so popular with police.
There is no conceivable circumstance in which a police officer — not even a SWAT team member — would need to mow down hordes of people. Yet the AR-15 is the “patrol rifle” of choice for modern police departments from Mayberry to Manhattan. And when you understand why police need the AR-15, then you’ll understand yet another reason why I need one.
Please feel free to contribute your own experiences, articles, interviews, or other references in the comments. This is such a divisive issue in American politics and I personally want to be far more informed on the complexity of it before fully forming an opinion. Excited to see what our community generates!
Here is the anti gun control master post from tumblr
http://nweclipse.tumblr.com/post/126189383313/gun-control-master-post
It goes through and demonstrates that gun control doesn't really do much to prevent violence, regardless of if they're developed or developing.
Oh thank you so much! This was super interesting and chocked full of solid article links/statistics. I appreciate it!
My pleasure.
I also collected a bunch of statistics for different countries:
https://steemit.com/guns/@starrychloe/gun-control-and-gun-ownership-has-no-effect-on-homicide-rates-either-way-six-charts-that-plot-freedom-and-homicide-rates-versus
I have yet to see a single piece of evidence which would indicate that gun control would have a statistically significant impact on homicide rates. Even the most popular example of Australia saw no reduction in total homicide rates after a complete ban. Why are we even talking about gun control where there is zero evidence it accomplishes anything? I don't care about guns, I just care about people wasting my time and taxpayer dollars. This is a political issue, not a logical one. Everything else is noise.
There isn't really evidence. I collected lots of statistics from different countries and there's no real relationship.
https://steemit.com/guns/@starrychloe/gun-control-and-gun-ownership-has-no-effect-on-homicide-rates-either-way-six-charts-that-plot-freedom-and-homicide-rates-versus
With the open border and drug gangs importing weapons anyway, any further legal limitations on gun rights will only put law abiding citizens at a disadvantage to the criminals. It's best to keep the argument simple so everyone can understand it.
Hmmm that's not really exactly what I'm going after--I think most folks on here probably have a decent sense of the basics pros/cons, but I'm interested in high quality articles that delve more deeply into these issues. Things that go beyond the surface. Ideally it would be cool to generate a large thread with go-to resources for understanding all sides to the issue.
Ok. That image is for people that need a quick counterpoint to the massive wave of anti-gun sentiment the media is pushing right now.
Good luck with your research.
Thank you for posting something with actual depth, unlike the multitude of Facebook posts with literally zero substance.
Upvoted for your interest not in the debate itself but the best articles to cover both sides.
So instead I am going to say there is not just one reason for my extreme bias toward advocating for guns to be available to anyone. However, there are some very real and valuable pieces of information that give you an idea of why I will likely never change my stance:
https://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/DBG.CHAP1.HTM
The above article is about Democide and is very worth the read. In a few words it talks about how countries with very few (effective) checks and balances are far more likely to go to war and also to murder their own "subjects". It talks about this being so because the elites of those countries are willing to murder their own countrymen and allies. So they use their ample resources as a show of force to steer the society into following their propaganda.
In light of this, I will show you a foundational social psych study that shows pretty well what % of people will follow immoral orders:
http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article35.htm
Important quote to take away from this article: "Results-- Some teachers refused to continue with the shocks early on, despite urging from the experimenter. This is the type of response Milgram expected as the norm. But Milgram was shocked to find those who questioned authority were in the minority. Sixty-five percent (65%) of the teachers were willing to progress to the maximum voltage level. "
Just an interesting point to add---this study was done in part to assess how German soldiers could be led to follow such orders as those required to perform the duties required of them during the holocaust.
Here is a quote from wikipedia about it as a matter of fact:
"The experiments began in July 1961, in the basement of Linsly-Chittenden Hall at Yale University,[3] three months after the start of the trial of German Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem. Milgram devised his psychological study to answer the popular question at that particular time: "Could it be that Eichmann and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices?"[4] The experiments have been repeated many times in the following years with consistent results within differing societies, although not with the same percentages around the globe.[5]"
Once you understand human nature within the frame of history, it becomes very difficult to advocate for the disempowerment (at any level) of one another...
Precisely a whole country full of people just following orders is the most dangerous thing imaginable. my philosophy on gun control Is their is no person period that has the right to take away your right to defend yourself.
Used to be indifferent about guns and having them. Recently after having my first child my viewpoint is firm now.
Even though I live in a nice area I always sleep with my pistol in a quick release safe under my bed. (that only myself of wife know the combo to)
I refuse to let myself or my family be victims and will do everything in my power to protect them.
Help me buy a gun with steem up vote my post please. https://steemit.com/politics/@jetjockey/can-you-buy-a-gun-with-steem
U.S. Gun crimes are overblown. If you don't travel to CHICAGO, ATLANTA, DETROIT, or BALTIMORE you effectively eliminate any odds of being even 5 miles from a shooting. I live in a county with the HIGHEST PER CAPITA issuance of concealed carry permits and work in public safety - guess what - we have nearly 0% gun crime. 0 - zero. If you take suicides and gangs out of the numbers guns are safer than your bathtub. Rifles kill less than 300 people a year - ACCIDENTS mostly, and pistols are literally all dirt bags and gang bangers. Firearms are inanimate objects. Laws cannot guarantee your safety. They banned drugs and yet they are everywhere. The anti-gun mindset is rooted in illogical ideals based on false realities. It will never win and never work.
I will give up my guns with the statists give up theirs. Never happen. Guns allow the 4th branch of government - the people. If the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches turn against the will of the People - then it is the people who will challenge them. To those who say, "You could never take on the government!"