Friday, January 6, 2012

Lighting candles and cursing the darkness. "Politically speaking, the 'gun control movement' is an elitist exercise in limp-dickery." How this explains the Gunwalker Conspiracy. "We had a plan."

Anatomy of a limp dick.
One year on from the Tuscon shooting, the Brady Bunch is getting together to mourn both the dead, and if they're honest, the death of their citizen disarmament political movement. ("D.C. Gun Victims Vigil Sunday; Anniversary of Tucson Shooting.") This will be an opportunity for them to both light a candle AND curse the darkness. As for myself, I think I'll give the Brady blood-dancing-'round-the-Maypole-in-January a pass and go to the Birmingham gun show instead. Have to raise a little money for the next hearing trip, don't you know? ;-)
Even Mike the Mouth's Bloomberg/Newsweek has been forced to admit as much in an article entitled "Gun Control: A Movement Without Followers."
In the year since the Tucson (Ariz.) massacre, in which a Glock-wielding gunman killed six people and wounded 13, the most famous victim, Gabrielle Giffords, has recovered admirably. The Arizona representative has co-authored a memoir and made appearances in the well of the House of Representatives and on national television. What Giffords and her fellow Democrats have not done is use the Tucson bloodshed to achieve tougher gun control laws.
The inaction, especially President Barack Obama’s passivity on the topic, demonstrates that gun control has expired as a national political issue. If Democrats can’t sell stiffer restrictions after a midday attack on a congresswoman, when can they?
My favorite Brady moan from this article is:
“It’s shameful, as we approach the anniversary of the Tucson tragedy, that the only bill Congress has acted on would make it easier to carry concealed guns across state lines,” says Dennis Henigan, who heads the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington.
Shameful? A concession to political realities, rather.
Giffords, Obama, and other Democrats can read polls showing diminished support for gun control. In late October, Gallup reported that a record-low 26 percent of Americans favor a ban on civilian possession of handguns, down from 60 percent when Gallup first asked the question in 1959. By a 60-35 margin, Gallup said, “Americans’ preference regarding gun laws is generally that the government enforce existing laws more strictly and not pass new laws.”
The Supreme Court, too, is doing its part to deter broader gun control. In landmark rulings in 2008 and 2010, the justices clarified that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep a handgun at home, striking down local bans in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Of course it doesn't help that the Obama administration's apparent clandestine operation to deliver on his promise to Sarah Brady that they were proceeding with citizen disarmament ploys "under the radar" just blew up in its face like a loaded cheap cigar.
But the realization that, politically speaking, the 'gun control movement' is an elitist exercise in limp-dickery is not new. I just finished (praise the Lord for giving me the strength to endure) a 2006 book by Kristin Goss, Assistant Professor of Public Policy Studies and Political Science at Duke University, entitled Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America. From the publisher's blurb:
More than any other advanced industrial democracy, the United States is besieged by Commanding majorities of Americans voice support for stricter controls on firearms. Yet they have never mounted a true national movement for gun control. Why? Disarmed unravels this paradox.
Based on historical archives, interviews, and original survey evidence, Kristin Goss suggests that the gun control campaign has been stymied by a combination of factors, including the inability to secure patronage resources, the difficulties in articulating a message that would resonate with supporters, and strategic decisions made in the name of effective policy. The power of the so-called gun lobby has played an important role in hobbling the gun-control campaign, but that is not the entire story. Instead of pursuing a strategy of incremental change on the local and state levels, gun control advocates have sought national policies. Some 40% of state gun control laws predate the 1970s, and the gun lobby has systematically weakened even these longstanding restrictions.
A compelling and engagingly written look at one of America's most divisive political issues, Disarmed illuminates the organizational, historical, and policy-related factors that constrain mass mobilization, and brings into sharp relief the agonizing dilemmas faced by advocates of gun control and other issues in the United States.
Right. Social scientist Goss attempts to give the gun control movement elitists a game plan for rising above their elitism (below?) to appeal to the common man (or, rather, woman, since Goss identifies them as the gun banner's natural audience) to create a mass movement for gun control. The book is by turns turgid, illogical and contradictory. The gun banners loved it, though, with dust jacket endorsements from Sarah Brady, Carolyn McCarthy and Robert Spitzer. There are, however, some raisins in the turd if you choose to pick them out from the brown stuff.
Note well the above phrase, "the inability to secure patronage resources." Among the most important of these, Goss explains, are governmental, bureaucratic "patronage resources," and chief among them, the ATF.
"By the late 90s, with a pro-control president in the White House, BATF was poised to become a quiet ally to gun control organizations. . . To avoid arousing the gun lobby, the agency justified its research projects in terms of "enforcement" of existing laws, which gun rights organizations were on record as supporting. . . One insider summarized the bureaucracy's strategy as follows: "We had a plan to move from enforcement to policy to politics without anybody noticing, and that's what we did."
The footnote to this quote indicates that it is based on a "personal interview with (a) former Treasury official, March, 2002."
And, here, gentle readers, is the genesis of the Gunwalker Conspiracy. Absent the political will for the kind of disarmament schemes the elitists sought -- in the face of the political blow back that embracing gun control cost the Democrats and RINOs -- blocked at almost every turn by these factors even with the willing assistance of the news media which could never quite persuade the American people that citizen disarmament was a good thing -- the gun grabbers inside the present administration, made up largely of people from the Clinton administration who remembered the 1994 landslide loss with palpable pain, recognized that whatever they were to accomplish had to be, in Obama's words to Sarah Brady, "under the radar." Ipse dixit.
And nine months after Obama took office, the clandestine gunwalking program was off to the races. It was their only hope of changing the political realities faced by the gun ban advocates. That it didn't succeed is not for lack of trying. Only now they have to face the music, and the judgment of a rightfully wrathful people.

13 comments:

Pat H. said...

I'm considering picking up the Kindle edition, but would like to know:

Do you think it illuminated any areas in which we've missed in reducing or abolishing law?

Would it be a good reference of the things the gun confiscation lobby will move to next?

Ashrak said...

At "home"?

Folks only have a right "in the home"?

So homeless people have no rights then?

Ridiculous.

"In the home" is the last bastion for those who lost the "militia" argument and the "doesn't apply to state and local government" argument.

Truly, it is as ridiculous as the "botched" argument attempted in GunWalker.

Either we can be required to gain permission slips to carry pencils and paper, and bibles, or we have a right to do so that trumps the ability of government to compel us to beg for permission slips. As Scalia wrote in Heller regarding the First Amendment - "The Second Amendment is no different."

So do we only have a right "in the home" to put a bible in our pocket and do so without telling, much less asking, government? How about out laptops? Do we need to go through government training in order to possess one of those too?

I know I'm preaching to the choir a bit here, but sheesh, even after Helle, even after McDonald, I remain, as an Illinoisan, totally and completely unable to exercise my inalienable right "to carry a firearm in case of confrontation for the purpose of self defense."

And I have to stomach a RINO party passing a "reciprocity" bill that ignores the reality that Illinois government its direct and intentional defiance of the federal Constitutional recognition and Supreme Court defined right to do so.

All while the NRA and its lackeys stick with the interest balancing approach tactic in their "attempts" to defend my right for me. Ironic, isn't it? The NRA convinces people to stand down their right to defend themselves, having the NRA do it for them instead.......just so long as folks send in those donations......

Apologies for the rant, I'm just pretty tired of being denied, endlessly, the most important right ever recognized. Gun Control may well be dead across this nation, but it is indeed alive and kicking here in Illinois. Heck, it has the judiciary paralyzed here to the point that a judge simply refuses to issue the decision that must be delivered. She is simply stalling the inevitable for no other reason than to avoid telling the truth. Kinda like Holder and Barry and the others refuse to tell the truth about GunWalker.

As most folks have, by great measure, the ability to exercise their Second Amendment recognized rights, I ask you all please, do not forget that we here in Illinois do not have any ability whatsoever to exercise that right. And if we can be treated this way - then so could you!

Gordy said...

I personally believe that the Lord allowed Agent Brian Terry to die in order to expose the evil men and women in the Obama regime. God does nothing in a corner (Acts 26:26); Obama and company do nothing out in the open. Eric Holder is not the slightest bit worried about his job, because Obama is the decision-maker, and who will take him down? This is why he has such contempt for the investigation. But his arrogance and hostility will come to a screeching halt when he finds himself standing before the Lord Jesus Christ on Judgment Day. There will be no shuck and jive then! Not before the Righteous Judge!

But despite the sewage and the evil oozing out in all directions, Obama will be re-elected.

rdf67 said...

"1935 will go down in History! For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient and the world will follow our lead to the future!"
[Adolf Hitler]
"2013 could go down in history if Obama gets re-elected."
rdf67

Ike said...

"By the late 90s, with a pro-control president in the White House, BATF was poised to become a quiet ally to gun control organizations. . . To avoid arousing the gun lobby, the agency justified its research projects in terms of "enforcement" of existing laws, which gun rights organizations were on record as supporting. . . One insider summarized the bureaucracy's strategy as follows: "We had a plan to move from enforcement to policy to politics without anybody noticing, and that's what we did."

"personal interview with (a) former Treasury official, March, 2002."

Mike, this is huge. It not only provides the genesis of the Gunwalker Conspiracy, but possibly explains the reason for stupid letter rulings from Firearms Technology, continued false statistics from eTrace (even after being warned by the Congressional Research Service), progressively more restrictive rulings on imports, recently calling legitimate dealers "Criminal Friendly FFL", etc. In other words, rather than fair enforcement of existing laws, ATF has been deliberately directed and staffed as a taxpayer funded anti-gun organization to impose additional gun control wherever and however they can. This deserves a LOT more research!

Longbow said...

Quote from the piece: One insider summarized the bureaucracy's strategy as follows: "We had a plan to move from enforcement to policy to politics without anybody noticing, and that's what we did."

The mask is now officially off. The Gun Control movement was NEVER about safety or reducing violence. It always has been about disarming the population. It always has been about subverting the Constitution.

The Gun Control Act, the Federal Firearms Act and the National Firearms Act MUST BE repealed. If they are not, the subversives will continually have legalistic ammunition with which to attack our Constitutional guarantees.

Sean D Sorrentino said...

I read that God-awful stupid book a few months ago. Another blogger sent it to me.

I've even met Dr. Goss.
http://fds.duke.edu/db/Sanford/kristin.goss

She could be held up as a confirmation of all the stereotypes of the gun banners.

She is part of the State gun ban group here in NC. They tried to hold a party to watch the Virginia Tech massacre "documentary" with the Brady SpokesTarget, and after weeks of buildup only managed to pull about 30-50 people. It was sad.

The biggest thing I got from her book was a clear view of how out of touch she and the rest of the gun banners are. I guess it never occurred to her that if there was a large constituency for gun banning, they wouldn't have trouble finding people to join their little group.

Why am I so surprised, though. They are "administrative control" artists, so of course they propose the top down solution to every problem, including the "problem" of not having anything that even looks like a gun ban movement.

everybodysdad said...

I really believe we should couch gun control in terms of race. Gun Control always has a disparate impact on the poor and minorities. Any gun control always adds marginal costs to keeping and bearing arms that the poor cannot afford, but they need self protection the most. Besides could be fun to watch the leftys sputter over that one.

Anonymous said...

"I know I'm preaching to the choir a bit here, but sheesh, even after Helle, even after McDonald, I remain, as an Illinoisan, totally and completely unable to exercise my inalienable right "to carry a firearm in case of confrontation for the purpose of self defense." "

"All while the NRA and its lackeys stick with the interest balancing approach tactic in their "attempts" to defend my right for me. Ironic, isn't it? The NRA convinces people to stand down their right to defend themselves, having the NRA do it for them instead.......just so long as folks send in those donations......"

1. You have the same "tail wagging the dog" situation that New York City imposes on the rest of New York state. As long as the cretins in "da hood" own and are owned by the same half-wit Chicago pols that have stolen your rights you have three choices, change it, put up with it, or move out of the state.

2. As long as you and your fellow citizens in Illinois blame your problems on the NRA the problems will persist and you will be part of the cause. The NRA doesn't control Illinois! You and your neighbors do, or should!

3. It's your state! Man up! Fix it, shut up, or move!

SWIFT said...

I'm shocked, shocked I tell ya that Kristin Goss did not cite the work of former Emory University professor Michael Bellesiles. He was, after all, the darling of the left before he resigned in disgrace.

Dedicated_Dad said...

Ashrak:

While I DO sympathize with your situation - I live "behind enemy lines" myself - but I feel obligated to point out to you something I figured out on my own some time ago...

There are roads which - if followed long and far enough - lead OUT of the state of Ill-Annoy and - eventually - into other states with less onerous laws!

HTH...

Semper Fi, 0321 said...

Gunny G,
I didn't know that f*ck was French, I learned it in the USMC and always thought is was proper English. Thanks for the language lesson.
:-)

Anonymous said...

Actually, "f*ck", "sh*t", and most of our other "bad" or "4 letter" words are carried over from the Anglo-Saxon. But after 1066 the native language was looked down upon by speakers of Norman French. Kinda ironic that the phrase "pardon my french" is about 180 degrees out of sync with how it happened.