Comments on: Cop Killers And Political Opportunism

By: EJ

EJ — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:53:42 +0000

i would also poitn out that the increase in gun sales also correlates with the fiancial meltdowns and panic that occured over the fall – events that increase those who subscribe to doomsday scenarios. I’m sure electric generators and bottled water sales also probably spiked.

But as you said, so what if people bought more guns? And to some extent there probably was some legitmate worry that certain types of firearms have a chance of becoming illegal in the future. Is that concern completely unfounded?

By: Polimom

Polimom — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:06:43 +0000

Doug,

I probably shouldn’t jump into what looks to be a private argument, but your response compels mine. You said:

“And so what if gun sales have skyrocketed ? Is there something wrong with people who want to own guns ?”

I strongly support the 2nd Amendment, and at the most superficial level, the answer is an emphatic “NO! — There’s nothing wrong with people who want to bear arms!”. Nothing wrong, that is, as long as the people buying them are sane.

There is, however, something extremely scary about people who are buying guns frantically because they believe every nutty conspiracy they hear.

People who have paranoia fantasies aren’t able to distinguish hyperbole a la Glenn Beck (as an example) — and there are, in fact, some extremely crazy individuals out there who are deliberately inciting and provoking (like Hal Turner).

Our society contains within it a disturbing number of psychologically unstable people like this Richard Poplawski. The problem isn’t the guns. It’s the madness of some of the people acquiring them — a madness that laps up incitement and hyperbole like a drug.

It’s not just like yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater. It’s like yelling fire in a crowd that already thinks it smells smoke.

By: Doug Mataconis

Doug Mataconis — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:10:37 +0000

Justin,

And yet it now seems that gun rights had very little to do with what happened in Pittsburgh, no ?

And so what if gun sales have skyrocketed ? Is there something wrong with people who want to own guns ?

By: Justin Gardner

Justin Gardner — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:35:37 +0000

Doug, usually I don’t use the “context” argument, but you’re leaving out a big piece of that post, which was a 6 minute, sinister video that Hannity put together last year before the election about Obama’s “real” stance on gun control.

And whether you want to admit it or not, gun sales did skyrocket. If you don’t think there’s a causal relationship between the right wing’s efforts to convince gun owners that Obama would take their firearms away from them and those sales, well, I urge you to seriously reconsider.

Also, how is it extreme to suggest that it’s not responsible behavior for the media to be pushing scary memes that aren’t supported by the facts?

One last note, why didn’t you post the fact that I called out Kos too in a post that very same day?