The gun industry has won, and not just on a legislative level. They have won on a cultural level

[phantom power]

...of course, mass shooters are not the weather. They are people, almost all men, making choices. They are effective because they have access to high grade weaponry that makes taking multiple lives in rapid succession not just possible, but easy. There are obvious steps that could be taken to prevent these crimes, but few can muster the energy anymore to bring those obvious steps up.

The gun industry has won, and not just on a legislative level. They have won on a cultural level, inducing a learned helplessness in the media and the public by making it clear that any attempt to even start a conversation about gun control will be swiftly shut down by a right-wing temper tantrum that is as irrational as it is loud. Even the mildest suggestion to make it ever so slightly harder for a murderous madman to get a gun is immediately regarded as nothing more than the jackboots kicking down your door to steal your gun, which is both your penis and your mother’s milk, leaving you alone and bereft in the world with nothing left to live for. Why are liberals trying to steal your soul? Is nothing sacred?!

Yes, the reaction is crazy, but that’s why it’s so effective. You can’t argue with crazy. Eventually, you give up even trying.

The gun industry’s strategy of refusing to even discuss this and throwing a wall of crazy at anyone who tries has, in a lot of ways, really set the tone for how conservatives deal with an increasing number of issues. They can’t win the arguments on the merits, so they will win the argument by exhausting the opposition by refusing to talk about anything but gibberish. The tactic works, so of course it’s exploding in every direction on the right.

Climate change? It’s a hoax created by tree huggers out to steal your car! End of discussion.

Reproductive rights? The Republicans have drafted a strategy where there are so many defunding efforts aimed at Planned Parenthood and so many ridiculous new restrictions on abortion that it feels pointless for journalists to even cover the story anymore. Another day, another attacks on women’s rights.

http://www.salon.com/2016/02/26/the_gun_industry_won_republicans_defeated_the_anti_gun_crowd_by_shouting_them_down_with_temper_tantrums_and_sheer_nonsense/

[TheUndecider]

1. I grew up in Montana

Got a 22 single shot rifle at 10, shout gun at 13, .306 at 14 etc, let's just say a grew up steeped in gun culture. I understand to many owning guns just a part of life, what I don't get is automatic assault rifles, armour piercing bullets, and to a lesser degree handguns - all solely have the purpose of killing humans. I don't get why gun owners afraid to register weapons, have background check, be subject to gun safety type license test etc. Even the mildest and sanest control measures are seen as "They're coming for guns, fascism"
NRA extremely entrenched in politics and setting policy/lack thereof

[phantom power]

2. The animosity towards registration and regulation stems from Fantasy B.

Fantasy A is the one where the gun owner saves the day with their gun like an action hero.

Fantasy B is where they go full-Wolverines and fight off the jack-booted thugs that have taken over the government.

So, the theory goes that if they were ever forced to register their weapons, and/or demonstrate training and competency on some regular basis (like a DMV for guns), then the evil jack-booted thugs would know who had all those guns and where they were, so they'd bust down their doors one night and confiscate them all.

[flamin lib]

3. What works is voting initiatives. When it is possible to bypass the bought and paid for legislature

the people who vote pass commonsense gun legislation.

As one who, on occasion, engages the Gungeoneers (to no avail) I recognize the head up the ass attitude of gun lovers. What we need to remember is that only a third of household have guns and only about 5% of them are slobbering Gungeoneers and necroguniacs. It boils down to solidarity vs NRA money.

[Neon Gods]

4. No, the gun industry has not won.

They've won almost all the recent battles for the last 35 years but they are losing the war. They will eventually lose because mass shootings are only going to increase and the majority of Americans, who don't own a gun and have no desire to, are going to reach a breaking point and demand strong gun laws in such numbers that most in Congress won't be able to refuse. I'm seing it already, people, pundits, and editorials are noticing and fighting back.

The smartest thing the NRA could do is begin to support modest changes, but they won't. Too bad because the harder they resist the more drastic the eventual gun laws will be.