Give the Devil his due

[sarisataka]

The NRA deserves the majority of the credit/blame for the crash and burn of gun control bills They played a poor hand masterfully and were handed many strategic and tactical advantages.

-immediate post-Newtown the NRA did the best thing they could have... nothing. (Honestly who would have accepted any statement of remorse or sympathy as sincere?)

-they used the time to keep a finger in the wind and develop a counter plan to knee jerk reactions- armed teachers.
-Like any good lie, it is 90% true. We see people carrying guns every day such as police and security officers. No one even sees the gun on the guy filling the ATM.
-many places do have armed guards without incidents.
-the tiny lie is the omission that schools are different from banks, power plants etc.
-the reaction was support from the usual places and outrage from all expected points. But the NRA could say “See we are trying”

-WLP took to the air to mobilize his core support by overemphasizing the extreme control proposals, overemphasizing his reasonableness and flat out misrepresenting reasonable proposals.

Help from gun control supporters gave the NRA an easy road:

-knee jerk reactions using the word 'ban' validated the last 4+ years of doom and gloom predictions of Obama' 'real' objective.

-Biden's committee made a grave error. He first spoke to LE representatives, which makes sense. Then every pro-GC group came up and last the NRA
-it gave the appearance the opinion of gun owners was irrelevant and the decisions were already made
-while there were no big surprises in what the pro-GC people said, the NRA had the advantage of seeing everyone else's cards before betting. They could answer and act on the offense
-had they gone first they would have had to put forth a position without knowing exactly what was on the table

-Bloomberg has money, but his interference is seen as a rich New England against rural America

-NY's hasty SAFE Act passing w/out debate and full of flaws showed that proposals were no being well planned but implemented 'while they have the chance'

-the group blame leveled at all gun owners while crowing how the majority of gun owners support increased BC diluted the message of support

-dispersion of effort. It would make sense to rally behind the Giffords and present a single unified voice in favor of GC

-the demands of all or nothing further polarized the matter


Lest I be accused of being an NRA shill (can anyone direct me as to where to collect the money) here is how to pass GC bills

-ain't happening this year
-write a strong UBC bill with penalties for straw purchase and transferring guns to criminals
-make a streamlined process for inter-family transfer
-give up the AWB. The loss of support is greater than the effect on crime
-include National Reciprocity
-set broad minimal qualification standards and allow the states to decide how to meet these standards
-allow states to set restrictions short of total prohibition
-increase penalties for those who deal without an FFL and dealers who violate BC requirements
-use the hunters Turn In Poachers model to encourage reporting of people selling guns without conducting UBC
-focus effort and money behind a single pro-GC group
-reach out to the 80+/-% of gun owners who support UBC to join the movement
-call out the NRA at every opportunity on their prior support of UBC
-if absolutely needed, put in a sunset clause. It will be much easier to renew the law by showing how it helped, than the ambiguity of the AWB in 2004

3 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	You are 100% on
	1 (33%)
	Somethings are good here
	1 (33%)
	More wrong than right
	1 (33%)
	You are full of poo
	0 (0%)
	Go get your money
	0 (0%)
	too much to read so other
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[DanTex]

1. Conceal carry reciprocity is the NRA forcing guns into places where the citizens don't want them.

It would be a hit to law enforcement in densely populated cities like New York. You don't want people walking around Times Square with guns.

The only actual solution is to vote out Republicans and also right-wing Democrats. And not just on gun control. The GOP is going to block everything. They've already decided that. Obamacare only got through because we had 60 senators and the house.

It's no use pretending that the Republicans might be reasonable if only we talk to them in a different tone of voice.

[sarisataka]

2. I agree with you about Repubs

They would oppose it if Obama said he could give a tax free year without harming the budget, just because it isn't their idea.

I think the only thing more important than opposing everything Obama is for is keeping their seats. I think on GC the answer is to go around the NRA and appeal direct to gun owners. I read many posts in other places of gun owners who are in favor of UBC but do not have enough trust to vocalize that support to their reps. They worry about the nose of the camel which is built in the NRA propaganda.

That is why I favor the Giffords. A pro-GC, pro-gun group without the baggage of the other GC groups

[sarisataka]

3. ?