Predictably, David Behling again trots out the liberal talking points about “gun control” with his column “When the victors pretend to be victims.” Behling is angry because the majority of elected representatives again didn’t see the world the way liberals feel it ought to be, and blames gun owners and the NRA.

Those gun owners, the NRA and other advocates have consistently turned back well-meaning but ineffective proposals to do away with those pesky Bill of Rights in our Constitution — substituting their own feelings for whatever they feel should be enacted for the rule of law. These proposals to disarm those who are least likely to commit crimes with firearms (legal and licensed gun owners) are, like most “progressive” proposals, devoid of rationale and reason.

Behling doesn’t like the NRAs position of “enforce the laws already on the books that are NOT being enforced.” Maybe that’s because of the dismal record of this administration in enforcing its own laws. In 2010, out of more than 15,700 fugitives and felons who tried to illegally purchase a firearm, the Obama Justice Department prosecuted only 44. Most thinking people would suggest enforcing existing laws before jumping to something that has had such a poor track record of working as the proposed laws.

Behling doesn’t like the prospect of armed guards in schools (both paid and volunteer ex-policemen and servicemen have been proposed), yet they have no qualms about armed TSA agents, federal sky marshals on planes or the myriad collection of federal agents that are questionably authorized to be armed. Does he really think that U.S. Department of Agriculture meat inspectors, National Weather Service personnel or the people who make government maps need to be armed — but the places where mass murders are committed do not?

Behling says “dark sarcasm is so unpleasant, isn’t it?” I would add a bit of sarcasm myself: If guns and their owners are so dangerous — have you ever seen a massacre at a shooting range? How does anyone who attends a gun show get out alive? How about this one: If gun registration actually works, why is Chicago the leader in murders when private concealed carry has been illegal for years?”

Behling doesn’t mention that nothing the progressives have proposed would have stopped the Newtown, Conn., shooting— the perp stole the guns. So much for making more laws to be ignored by those who ignore the law for a living. Behling accuses the NRA (notice that the anti-gun lobby creates straw men to attack, rather than addressing the fact that most people are against further government power to restrict freedoms?) of “using its power over gun regulation.” Nothing could be further from the truth — the NRA has no regulatory power. It has only the very same power as those who propose yet more regulation — its only power is to convince the legislators that what they are hearing from those who would restrict freedom is not only wrong, but an attempt to circumvent that pesky Bill of Rights thing — you know — the one dating all the way back to 1791.

If Behling and the “progressives” want to gut the Bill of Rights — let them be open about it. Introduce a bill in Congress to do away with the Second Amendment. All they have to do is get it through Congress and get 38 states to ratify it. Good luck with that, Mr. Behling — you’ll find that you are not in the mainstream. You don’t have the support you think you do.

 

James Hanson
Clarks Grove