Need Help Countering Some Rethug Memes in a Friend's Email

[bobd]

I received the following email from a friend (yes he is a friend and a genuinely nice guy). It was his response to my wife's asking him if he was voting for any of the Dems in the March Ohio primary. Here's his letter:

I don't want to burst your bubble but:

George Bush is the incumbent president. He is doing the job.
George Bush has most money in his coffers.
There is a war going on. People usually don't like switching leaders in a war.

So unless he does something stupider than he has done up to this time. He will win. You are fighting an uphill battle. But keep up the good work.

I am going to go over to the Maumee Valley Gun Show now. I like to exercise my 2nd admendment rights.

The Democrats label people like me as close-minded, paranoid, NRA dupped, Neanderthals. That is too bad. I just believe that the second amendment is very important and it is right after the first amendment for a good reason: it allows people to exercise their first admendment rights. This is not an uncommon belief.

I just do not understand the Democrats and gun control. Why do they have to be so anti-gun? If they would just be a bit more 2nd admendment friendly I could gladly be a Democrat.

I'd like to counter the main memes in his response:

1. That Bush is "doing the job" (i.e., economically) Does anyone have a handly document or link to a site that demonstrates that the economy is not all it's cracked up to be?

2. That Bushler deserves full support due to the war. This one's actually pretty easy but any suggestions are welcome.

3. The gun control issue. Notice that he seem far more concerned with his holy right of acquiring fire power than he does speech, assembly, and all the other "minor" rights that the Patriot Act removes. Does anyone have a link to a site that provides a point-by-point Patriot Act rights removal overview?

Again any assistance would be appreciated.

Bob D.

[Turbineguy]

1. I think the gun issue is not so much the 2nd Amendment

but the sheer number of people getting shot.

[trumad]

2. According to Bush

Mission Accomplished so the War is over.... And bring up LBJ just in case....

Also...It's the Economy Stupid.....

[wryter2000]

3. Your friend isn't exactly wrong

He didn't say we shouldn't switch presidents during a war. He said most people don't like to. That isn't really wrong. "Bush is doing the job" is kind of vague. If he'd said Bush was doing a good job, I'd have a lot more trouble with his statement.

If you want to debate the Second Amendment stuff, you could point to US v. Miller, in which the SCOTUS ruled that the Second Amendment applied to state militias.

But, my reading of your friend is that he is a nice guy. I'd try to reassure him that Democrats and progressives don't want to take everyone's guns away. One of my most liberal friends hunts pheasants regularly. And you could tell him that Howard Dean has a good rating from the NRA. :evilgrin:

[Dr Fate]

4. Ask him how the Patriot Act is strengthening gun privacy...

...seems to me that Ashcroftian practices like monitoring e-mails and credit card purchases is just one or two steps away from the govt. knowing who owns guns & who does'nt...

Seems to me like Ashcroft got us closer to "registering guns", than the DEMS ever did!!!

[MJP]

5. Here's a link showing state of economy

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/todayseconomy/americaecon.cfm

[MJP]

6. Will War Aid Bush's Re-election

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/hill4.html

[MJP]

7. Patriot Act

http://www.amnestyusa.org/waronterror/patriotact/

[ComerPerro]

8. I never understood

why so many people are more concerned with their 2nd Amendment rights than their 1st Amendment rights.