I'm not sure that even I would consider an orange t-shirt with a green sweatshirt - but all my t-shirts have a Hawaiian flavor so there's a mix-up anyhow - and so do the rest of my shirts. People gotta get over the "instrument of death" crap and see the "Instrument of Life" side - it's self-defense after all - choose Life!
Good article with commentary. I think a lot of people, especially on the left, think all violence is morally equal, whereas many gun owners recognize the difference between violence for personal gain vs in defense of self and others. Sadly, many of those unable to differentiate are most likely to be on the receiving end of violence.
"But if 22 percent of Ohio households own guns, that means 78 percent do not. Shouldn't we non-gun owners be doing things to make ourselves safer, considering our friends and neighbors might be packing?"
Here he's actually making the argument that he might need a firearm to protect himself from an armed "friend or neighbor." So combined with the inability to tell predatory from protective violence, there's the closely held feeling that anyone, even friends and neighbors, might snap and start shooting.
Still, good for him for educating himself, and even more for telling others.
True, but I doubt that many of the "22%" who answered positively on the survey are the typical career criminal. I can just see that exchange: "Excuse me, Mr. Hoodlum, but do you or another member of your household own any firearms?"
I still think the argument that the media, in film, television, and children's cartoons, has done a tremendous amount to give people the idea that a gun has exactly two roles is a very valid one.
Role one: in the hands of some extremely improbable action star. Since everyone with a basic ability to differentiate between reality and fantasy understands how fantasy they are, we have...
Role two: In some more realistic drama, an Average Person snaps during a Moment of Rage, kills someone, and Their Life Is Ruined.
With no other life experience with guns save this picture ("in fantasy guns will make you badass, but in reality you'll shoot your mother"), it's no wonder so many people have such bizarre perspectives.
I have a big problem with people spouting statistics about how many households have a firearm. I grew up in Ohio and I am pretty certain that 22% is a bogus number. Please consider what your own response would be to some random caller asking if you owned any firearms, and if so how many. The other option to acquire this data would be through a census, but again how many people would be honest?
"But Hoover counters, "There's just no verified statistics out there that people are any safer because they're carrying guns"..."
Well, that may be so, but I can also guarantee that there aren't any statistics that prove the opposite.
I'm not out on a limb here by also stating that even without statistics, which are far too easily manipulated, there is an argument to be made with logic about the situation that the leftists simply will not engage in. The reason is that they know they've no argument that can withstand the scrutiny.
Statistics are nothing to be basing any kind of argument on and are a damned thin method of asserting the position. Anyone with a passing knowledge of A) the scientific method, and B) double-blind testing, knows why this is. Whores and charlatans use statistics and nothing else as basis for their presumptions.
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Title: Gay Rights
Excerpt: Includes the right to self defense. The Way Of The Gun A Gay Liberal Explores Ohio Gun Culture By Taking Matters - And Weapons - Into His Own Hands By Brian Thornton In a nondescript business complex off Interstate 77...
Blog name: Something... and Half of Something
Excellent article, and I very much appreciated your commentary.
Thank you Kevin.
Note:
All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost;
references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>
JS-Kit/Echo comments for article at http://smallestminority.blogspot.com/2007/06/ignorance-fear.html (13 comments)
Tentative mapping of comments to original article, corrections solicited.
I'm not sure that even I would consider an orange t-shirt with a green sweatshirt - but all my t-shirts have a Hawaiian flavor so there's a mix-up anyhow - and so do the rest of my shirts. People gotta get over the "instrument of death" crap and see the "Instrument of Life" side - it's self-defense after all - choose Life!
Good article with commentary. I think a lot of people, especially on the left, think all violence is morally equal, whereas many gun owners recognize the difference between violence for personal gain vs in defense of self and others. Sadly, many of those unable to differentiate are most likely to be on the receiving end of violence.
MauserMedic:
Yes, that's the description of people who cannot differentiate between violent and predatory, and violent but protective.
"But if 22 percent of Ohio households own guns, that means 78 percent do not. Shouldn't we non-gun owners be doing things to make ourselves safer, considering our friends and neighbors might be packing?"
Here he's actually making the argument that he might need a firearm to protect himself from an armed "friend or neighbor." So combined with the inability to tell predatory from protective violence, there's the closely held feeling that anyone, even friends and neighbors, might snap and start shooting.
Still, good for him for educating himself, and even more for telling others.
Dan:
True, but I doubt that many of the "22%" who answered positively on the survey are the typical career criminal. I can just see that exchange: "Excuse me, Mr. Hoodlum, but do you or another member of your household own any firearms?"
I still think the argument that the media, in film, television, and children's cartoons, has done a tremendous amount to give people the idea that a gun has exactly two roles is a very valid one.
Role one: in the hands of some extremely improbable action star. Since everyone with a basic ability to differentiate between reality and fantasy understands how fantasy they are, we have...
Role two: In some more realistic drama, an Average Person snaps during a Moment of Rage, kills someone, and Their Life Is Ruined.
With no other life experience with guns save this picture ("in fantasy guns will make you badass, but in reality you'll shoot your mother"), it's no wonder so many people have such bizarre perspectives.
... whose husband was killed by a gun almost 35 years ago ...
This drives me batty. It's killed with a gun. He was killed by a person.
Anyway, very interesting article, and nice commentary.
I have a big problem with people spouting statistics about how many households have a firearm. I grew up in Ohio and I am pretty certain that 22% is a bogus number. Please consider what your own response would be to some random caller asking if you owned any firearms, and if so how many. The other option to acquire this data would be through a census, but again how many people would be honest?
Guys, this is a great article.
The writer was honest with himself and brought up a ton of viewpoints on the issues. It's the most sensible GFW article I've ever seen.
How about a few more Bravos and a little less sour grapes?
I liked this little bit:
"But Hoover counters, "There's just no verified statistics out there that people are any safer because they're carrying guns"..."
Well, that may be so, but I can also guarantee that there aren't any statistics that prove the opposite.
I'm not out on a limb here by also stating that even without statistics, which are far too easily manipulated, there is an argument to be made with logic about the situation that the leftists simply will not engage in. The reason is that they know they've no argument that can withstand the scrutiny.
Statistics are nothing to be basing any kind of argument on and are a damned thin method of asserting the position. Anyone with a passing knowledge of A) the scientific method, and B) double-blind testing, knows why this is. Whores and charlatans use statistics and nothing else as basis for their presumptions.
Great article, Kevin. Thanks.
Trackback message
Title: Gay Rights
Excerpt: Includes the right to self defense. The Way Of The Gun A Gay Liberal Explores Ohio Gun Culture By Taking Matters - And Weapons - Into His Own Hands By Brian Thornton In a nondescript business complex off Interstate 77...
Blog name: Something... and Half of Something
Excellent article, and I very much appreciated your commentary.
Thank you Kevin.
Note: All avatars and any images or other media embedded in comments were hosted on the JS-Kit website and have been lost; references to haloscan comments have been partially automatically remapped, but accuracy is not guaranteed and corrections are solicited.
If you notice any problems with this page or wish to have your home page link updated, please contact John Hardin <jhardin@impsec.org>