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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Are we tilting at windmills re: national gun laws? [View all]benEzra
(12,148 posts)63. To use nuance, you have to *understand* the issue, which many in the DC/NY bubble apparently do not.
Some back-of-the-envelope facts to inform said nuance:
-- The vast majority of gun owners are nonhunters (>80%).
-- The primary reason for gun ownership is defensive purposes; target shooting is in second place, with hunting a distant third.
-- Approximately twice as many Americans own "assault weapons" as hunt.
-- Approximately 3.5 to 4 times as many Americans own "high capacity magazines" as hunt.
-- The label "assault weapons" denotes the most popular centerfire rifles in U.S. homes, and the most popular target rifles in both sanctioned centerfire target competition and recreational target shooting.
-- Many states have *zero* rifle homicides in any given year, and the vast majority of states are in the single digits.
Murder, by State, Types of Weapons, 2015
[font face="courier new"]Total murders...................... 13,455
Handguns............................ 6,447 (47.9%)
Firearms (type unknown)............. 2,648 (19.7%)
Clubs, rope, fire, etc.............. 1,671 (12.4%)
Knives and other cutting weapons.... 1,544 (11.5%)
Hands, fists, feet.................... 624 (4.6%)
Shotguns.............................. 269 (2.0%)
Rifles................................ 252 (1.9%) [/font]
-- The overwhelming majority of gun homicide is committed by a very small cohort with violent criminal records, most of whom are already legally prohibited from ownership.
--------------------------------
Given the above, can you see how demanding a ban on the most popular rifles in U.S. homes, or threatening owners of common magazines with jail time for peaceably possessing same, is *not* in fact a "nuanced" position? Or how the DNC leadership's obsession with legislating rifle stock shape comes across as both ludicrous and authoritarian?
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We are now. Unless every single brown person in America goes out and buys some guns next week.
TygrBright
Nov 2016
#1
JHFC does EVERYthing have to be about race?, but since you brought it up, yes
jack_krass
Dec 2016
#74
depends on whether one thinks we need more true believers or more evangelists.
geek tragedy
Nov 2016
#10
Interesting that you bring up evangelism, given that "gun control" appears to be a religion for many
pablo_marmol
Dec 2016
#113
Here's a fact from the FBI: 13,500 murders annually, all rifles *combined* account for 270.
benEzra
Nov 2016
#46
Legal gun owners have been threatened here at DU, linked to at this OP:
friendly_iconoclast
Dec 2016
#68
That's in today's world. I come from a long line of Democrats who worked in the ...
spin
Dec 2016
#82
To use nuance, you have to *understand* the issue, which many in the DC/NY bubble apparently do not.
benEzra
Nov 2016
#63
"But as long as it's a wedge issue we're really never going to make headway on that."
NCTraveler
Nov 2016
#20
The PLCAA doesn't block suits for criminal straw purchases, smuggling, or defective guns.
benEzra
Nov 2016
#30
"(G)un shops were selling thousands of guns at a time to individuals" Cite, please
friendly_iconoclast
Dec 2016
#87
No cite or links after a week? It's obvious that claim is bullshit...
friendly_iconoclast
Dec 2016
#95
I think it did play a part in this defeat, and I tried to talk earlier to DU about that.
Yo_Mama
Nov 2016
#27
Yes. The truth is, Americans simply dont want government telling them what to do.
Warren DeMontague
Nov 2016
#28
Americans don't like being told what to do, but they do like the government telling others what to
geek tragedy
Nov 2016
#36
Certainly, and I wouldn't argue that we need to do away with things like building safety or the EPA.
Warren DeMontague
Nov 2016
#50
Democrats cease to become players in national politics, that's what happens
friendly_iconoclast
Dec 2016
#88
Well, more than 2.5 million more people voted for Hill than the Don, but apparently....
Hekate
Dec 2016
#67
"You"? You are holding me responsible for the mass insanity of this nation? Do you personally want
Hekate
Dec 2016
#78
This is *exactly* the type of misunderstanding that is so harmful to Dems on this issue.
benEzra
Dec 2016
#83
I don't get it then - what does an "assault weapons ban" do if it is not taking away someone's guns?
jmg257
Dec 2016
#85
Yep, there is. There is also a temporary forum for discussing things that hurt Dems last month...
benEzra
Dec 2016
#84
Democrats for the last few decades have been strong on gun control and week on a social safety net
killbotfactory
Dec 2016
#92
This is **precisely** what liberal criminologists James Wright, Peter Rossi
pablo_marmol
Dec 2016
#93
The only constant is change, so I disagree that we should view this as an unsolvable issue or...
CBHagman
Dec 2016
#97
Actually, all surveys but the non-anonymous GSS have shown steady ownership or recent increase.
benEzra
Dec 2016
#100
Hillary's position on gun control was politically naive outside of CA, NY and IL
HoneyBadger
Dec 2016
#116
Kicking for the benefit of members who believe that gun restriction is a political winner.
pablo_marmol
Dec 2016
#119
Gun restrictionists have become the secular "Bible thumpers" of the Democratic Party:
friendly_iconoclast
Dec 2016
#120
Hurts the party's efforts to win elections, it's a wedge issue that the pukes distort & capitalize
FreeStateDemocrat
Dec 2016
#123