*Please... Cut the Crap

It's "Gun Control" - No More Euphemism, Tell the Truth

One of the biggest reasons progressives have been on the sidelines for about a generation is that, sometimes, the loudest of us really suck at politics.  One reason is because many of the loudest on our side don’t listen to anyone but ourselves. They make assumptions and accept them, then proudly formulate "solutions" to problems, without any investigation into the extent of that problem, or even the details of that problem. 

As an example, let’s look at the term “gun control.”

I've had discussions with a certain progressive who is very spirited and very energetic, and who means well, about her desire to change the "gun control" discussion to a discussion of "responsible gun ownership." For weeks, she's given me reasons why I should be joining her crusade, and she won't accept my objections to doing so.

The main objection I have is my natural aversion to the overuse of euphemism in politics. It's dishonest. Frank Luntz is considered a "genius" because he's teaching intelligent people how to say things to attract right wing morons. That's not what progressives do. We should be attracting the reasonable people who don't buy that BS. Do we really believe that political moderates are too stupid to realize that "responsible gun ownership" is a euphemism for "gun control"? Think about this; how do we get "responsible gun ownership" without gun control? 

My second objection is that there really is no problem with gun control, except that many progressives have opted out of the discussion. They assume most are against gun control, and they leave the discussion to the far extremes of the political spectrum. 

Enough! It's Past Time for Common Sense Gun Control Laws

When do we get tired of these stories and do something about this problem? 

Sandy Hook was a turning point, at least for me. A small elementary school, filled with 600 young children, sat down to a day of learning about letters, numbers, reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, they ended up learning  life lesson that none of us should ever have to see, unless we have to go to war. Twenty of their fellow classmates - mostly precious, innocent kindergartners - were gunned down by a guy who had snapped. 

Now, the official story is, he got the guns from his mother, so the official gunloon line is, there's nothing we could have done. But the problem with that little theory is, if he hadn't gotten them from his mother, he could have gotten them somewhere else, because guns are easily, readily available to anyone who wants one. We can't say there is nothing we could have done, because this country has never done anything we should do to control guns, and make sure they don't fall into the hands of people who shouldn't have them. 

The fact of the matter is, we as a nation would rather protect a metal instrument of destruction, than protect our children. There is a small, loud group of people in this country who look upon guns as magical instruments of self-protection, never once considering that the number one thing they must protect themselves against is... guns.