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By now, apparently even the New York Times has deigned to pick up what Nate Silver's been saying about our national gun conversation, which is that the gun nuts have shouted down the conversation completely. I saw it in Language Log.
It's way past time to do the opposite. Let's talk about gun control, a lot, and not just against it. Make sure the word itself loses the stigma it has unwarrantedly got.
I would say that "gun control" belongs in the same category as "traffic control" but there are seriously people out there who don't believe that speed, roads, or automobile design ought to be regulated either. Let's out-talk them, too.
Damn straight we need gun control in this country. Nbody needs an arsenal. Most of the puffery about hunting is bullshit. Of course hunters can have a couple guns. That's not hard to secure.
You know what else we need? Disincentives for gun manufacturers. Hold them goddamned well responsible for the results of their irresponsible behavior, just like we do car manufacturers. Incentives, even, for them to shift production to something that is more conducive to life and the quality of life. While we're at it, taser control. We're having an unacceptable number of people killed by police using tasers.
Just say the words "gun control," along with some statement about how much you think we need, in some public place this week.
It's way past time to do the opposite. Let's talk about gun control, a lot, and not just against it. Make sure the word itself loses the stigma it has unwarrantedly got.
I would say that "gun control" belongs in the same category as "traffic control" but there are seriously people out there who don't believe that speed, roads, or automobile design ought to be regulated either. Let's out-talk them, too.
Damn straight we need gun control in this country. Nbody needs an arsenal. Most of the puffery about hunting is bullshit. Of course hunters can have a couple guns. That's not hard to secure.
You know what else we need? Disincentives for gun manufacturers. Hold them goddamned well responsible for the results of their irresponsible behavior, just like we do car manufacturers. Incentives, even, for them to shift production to something that is more conducive to life and the quality of life. While we're at it, taser control. We're having an unacceptable number of people killed by police using tasers.
Just say the words "gun control," along with some statement about how much you think we need, in some public place this week.
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As you say, control doesn't mean banning and removing, it means controlling so that use of guns is sensible.
Recently a man was arrested for smuggling guns into the UK and selling them illegally. He was buying them in the US, perfectly openly and legally. But who needs to buy 10 handguns at a time? And having bought one batch, how could he get away with going back and repeatedly buying more? How is this sensible?
Better control would not only make it harder for guns to be misused in the US but also help prevent them getting into countries where they are illegal.