William Quincy Belle: Obama, Gun Control, and the NRA

Republicans, Conservatives, and especially the NRA look at guns as a constitutional freedom. I've heard them say that Democrats and politically correct libtards want to take away guns and leave Americans defenceless.

Total freedom, with no controls, no regulations, and no oversight, is anarchy. In the following video, Obama talks about the unintended consequences of current gun legislation, or lack thereof: He can put a suspected terrorist on a No-fly list, but he can't stop said suspect from buying a gun. Think about that. If you're a gun advocate, is that what you want? So much for national security!

Published on Jun 2, 2016 by PBS NewsHour
YouTube: Obama to gun owners — I’m not looking to disarm you
Wednesday night, the NewsHour hosted President Obama for a wide-ranging interview with Gwen Ifill, followed by a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana. After the broadcast, Obama answered a few bonus questions for the audience, including one query regarding the contentious issue of gun control and Second Amendment rights.

The current situation is good enough?

Snopes - May 22/2018
Which Has Killed More People in 2018: School Shootings or Military Service?
True: But there are other issues to consider in tallying the numbers.

Politifact - May 21/2018
Have more students been killed in schools than soldiers in combat zones?
True: But there are other issues to consider in tallying the numbers.

Who's for gun control?

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research - Mar 19/2019
Gun Laws and Public Safety
Nearly 7 in 10 Americans support stricter gun laws in the United States, but many question whether tighter regulations can reduce some forms of gun violence. Few people think various public spaces are safer these days than they were 20 years ago.

Sixty-seven percent of Americans think the country's gun laws should be stricter, while 22 percent say they should remain as is, and 10 percent would like to see gun laws relaxed.

Final Word
In my 2012 article "Guns: as American as apple pie", I ask the question: Dear America: Are you f**kin' crazy?

I tell the story of a man, Todd Candy, standing in the checkout line of Wal-Mart while buying milk, accidentally discharges his gun. It turns out he's properly licensed and permitted to carry a handgun, but I ask this question which had nothing to do with his 2nd amendment rights: I'm not talking about gun rights at all!

Here's my question:

Is Wal-Mart so dangerous, I'm foolishly taking my life in my hands when I shop there unarmed, unprepared to return deadly fire in order to defend myself?

Todd Candy is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. What danger does he want to protect himself against? Does he know something I don't? Either I'm crazy, or he's crazy. Personally, I don't think I should shop at Wal-Mart anymore. Note: I'm not questioning his right to have a gun or carry a gun. I'm asking why he feels it's necessary to do so. What danger in society, in his everyday life does he perceive that I apparently do not?

The Right, unduly influenced by the NRA, has taken a stance that there should be no gun controls whatsoever, and absolutely everyone should be free to buy anything they want. And the next time somebody goes nuts and shoots up a place, they will offer their "thoughts and prayers". Guns don't kill people; people kill people. Or is it crazy people kill people? I have to note that an unarmed person can't shoot me.

In today's political climate, security seems to be the number one topic of conversation. It seems to be of paramount importance to everybody. But note what President Obama said in the above video: He can put a suspected terrorist on a No-fly list, but he can't prevent said suspect from buying a gun. Excuse me, but that completely contradicts anybody's need for security. I'd say that's absolutely crazy.

Is there a middle ground? I believe so. All of us are required to take driving lessons and pass a test in order to get a license to drive a car. Anyone is required to attend university, go to medical school, do an internship, and pass exams before being allowed to perform brain surgery. Why would buying a gun, owning it, and using it, be allowed in our society with no oversight?

References

my blog: Guns: as American as apple pie - Sep 12/2012
Dear America, I have to ask you. It may be a little indelicate. It may actually make you a tad miffed with me but somehow I just have to say it. I've heard tell that honesty is the best policy so with that in mind I hope you will be forgiving and take it in the amicable manner with which it is meant; just one friend to another. Here goes.

Are you f**kin' crazy?

my blog: Just because you can doesn't mean you should - Jun 16/2014
Target. Chipotle. You have enough firepower to stop a charging bull elephant at a thousand yards. What exactly are you expecting? Will an argument erupt over the last remaining pair of men's black socks in size 8-13? Will somebody jump the line-up for the next available table for four by the window overlooking the garden? Even if you have the right to carry a gun, why do you feel compelled to do so?

Members of Open Carry Texas made themselves visible in a number of public outlets - Target, Wal-Mart, Chipotle's Family Restaurants - proudly displaying their armement. This was 2nd amendment rights at their finest. One problem: How does anyone tell the difference between Open Carry Texas and a crazed maniac about to commit the next mass shooting? It may be someone's right to have a gun, but is it a good idea to walk around waving it in everybody's face?

Politico - Jan 14/2015
The Myth Behind Defensive Gun Ownership
In the early hours of Nov. 2, 2013, in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, a pounding at the door startled Theodore Wafer from his slumber. Unable to find his cell phone to call the police, he grabbed the shotgun he kept loaded in his closet. Wafer opened the door and, spotting a dark figure behind the screen, fired a single blast at the supposed intruder. The shot killed a 19-year-old girl who was knocking to ask for help after a car accident.
...
What do these and so many other cases have in common? They are the byproduct of a tragic myth: that millions of gun owners successfully use their firearms to defend themselves and their families from criminals. Despite having nearly no academic support in public health literature, this myth is the single largest motivation behind gun ownership. It traces its origin to a two-decade-old series of surveys that, despite being thoroughly repudiated at the time, persists in influencing personal safety decisions and public policy throughout the United States.

Time - Sep 16/2013
Ready, Fire, Aim: The Science Behind Police Shooting Bystanders
According to a 2008 RAND Corporation study evaluating the New York Police Department’s firearm training, between 1998 and 2006, the average hit rate during gunfights was just 18 percent.
...
The data show what any police officer who has ever been involved in a shooting can tell you–firing accurately in a stressful situation is extremely hard.