Alan Korwin, the author of this article. Visit his website GunLaws.com.
Like original sin, there is an original myth in the gun-rights struggle: progressives make progress. It’s counterintuitive, even defying the name they’ve chosen, but progressives interfere with progress, the opposite of the name they use.
While they are busy deluding themselves into thinking they are the ones pushing gun safety and crime prevention forward, bringing “news” media with them, they are actually standing in the way of progress, and using media (the media is “used”?) to misinform the public and delay every advance in firearms science, gun policy and crime prevention.
If only they would shut up and get out of the way, or open their eyes and see how much harm they’re doing, injecting their fears and nonsensical notions into the very thing they want to achieve. Our rights would stand uninfringed, criminals would be deterred, children would get education and society would benefit.
In this series of articles, I am unraveling their deceit and one by one, exposing the myths you hear so often so you can see them for what they are—fabrications borne out of hoplophobic fear and irrational terror that drives people who have joined the political left where such folks congregate.
THE BIG-BAD-GUN-LOBBY MYTH
Wayne LaPierre, exec. vice president of the National Rifle Association. (Photo: Fox Business)
Hillary keeps saying it, the “news” media hammers it, too many democrats apparently believe it like the gospel (though a lot don’t seem to believe in that): “We’ve got to defeat the big bad powerful evil gun lobby, namely the NRA.”
First of all, though the NRA has a lobbying arm of course, and it is influential thank God or we would have real problems in this country, the NRA is a membership-driven civil-rights organization, defending the most quintessential civil right we have, for longer than any other civil-rights group in America.
And the NRA is the largest gun-safety group in the world, teaching countless millions of people the fundamentals of gun use and gun safety, from youngsters to seniors, hunters, competitors, the military, security forces, private guards, instructors… the gun safety rules everyone uses are based upon wisdom that originated in large measure with the National Rifle Association. Its enemies fail to note that. We do not want to lose that.
Johnny-come-lately gun groups that put safety in their names, that are indeed primarily gun-lobbying groups, have nothing to do with gun safety, teach no gun safety, are focused almost entirely on disarming the public and limiting gun rights Americans have had for centuries. That we could lose.
But where the myth really kicks in is that the gun lobby is not so much one vilified civil-rights group based in Fairfax, Virginia, but the 100 million gun owners across this great land who resent and resist the actions of hard-core lobbyists who would attempt to eradicate our liberty and destroy the Bill of Rights.
We the people, we are the gun lobby, scores of millions of us, and we are who stands ready and fights against the forces aligned against our freedom to keep and bear arms, and don’t ever forget that. While the NRA takes the heat and suffers the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, 95 million of us who haven’t joined, tag, we’re it.
THE GUN-BUY BACK MYTH
A man examining a weapon at a gun buyback event at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in December 2012. (Photo: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
In a frantic attempt to eliminate firearms from the public, led by no-nothing “mom’s against gun sanity” and pandering politicians whose understanding of firearms hovers down around their shoe size, so-called gun-buy-back programs have been invented to “take guns off the streets.” Guns of course are not on “the streets,” they are in people’s drawers and closets, in gangbangers’ wastebands, or safely locked away in gun safes and stored in home hiding places for ready use when needed. Such facts are lost on reporters who run stories promoting the buy backs.
Money for buy backs come from charities, governments, anti-gun-rights politicians, and too often, out-of-state political-agenda groups. These often constitute straw-purchase arrangements—guns get bought by people who will not own them, using other people’s money—strictly illegal. It is overlooked by authorities, because it’s done with supposedly good intentions (but still illegal). And they aren’t even buy backs, they are buy ups, because you can’t buy back something you never owned in the first place.
The purchases are rarely made for cash. Donated cash is provided to cooperating storeowners, where it is a windfall, and plastic shopping cards are provided in return. In exchange for a gun, a person, no questions asked, gets a $100 gift card. Ask yourself what self-respecting criminal would trade a gat worth hundreds for a bag full of groceries? The program’s goal is mythical, a product of utopian dreaming.
What really happens is this. Savvy individuals gather every piece of inoperable junk gun they can find and trade these in for the gift cards. Real buyers and collectors line the streets leading up to the official site and offer hard cash for anyone foolishly driving up with real guns worth real money. Police know this. They themselves cherry pick the offerings and keep them (theft, but they don’t call it that) before the goods get to the smelter (who’s to know?). An occasional gangbanger will unload a crime gun, no questions asked.
At its worst, little old widows ignorantly turn over their husbands’ collections for fractions of their true values, and officials take advantage of them. Crime is unaffected. The whole thing is a feel-good do-nothing scam. Newspapers promote the result as if the world has been saved. Shame on them.
Next in the series: The Gun Registration Myth—that’s a big and very dangerous one with a lot of moving parts, and more if I can fit some in. Send me your favorite, I’ll consider it.
###
About the author: Alan Korwin’s website GunLaws.com features plain-English books on your state and federal gun laws, and more common sense like you just read. Write to him or see his work on his site, where you can get any of his 14 books, and DVDs, that help keep you safe. Try After You Shoot to help lower your risk after a self-defense shooting, or get Your First Gun for your gunless friends.
“When you hear about countries like The UK or Australia or any other supposedly Liberty based nation restricting the people’s ability to own firearms by banning them you are hearing the admission of their government’s Totalitarianism agenda.” P. J. Klipangle
America was founded with guns and since the first shots fired in the quest for freedom. America has had a love affair with guns. The gun is deeply at the soul of this country. Without the gun America will become a easy target for foreign powers, terrorist, criminals, the list goes on. Professional politicians such as we have now campaigning for office. Will lie cheat and tell you anything to get the job. That is right the job, that’s all it is to them. They have schooled them selves to win no matter what. So if they feel the people are anti gun they suddenly are anti gun.
IF the people were anti two slot toasters, they would go on T V against two slot toasters. If we want to save America and take it back these professional politicians have to go. Vote them out or better never vote them in impeach them, fire them, or just throw them out with the waste products. We know who they are. Believe me they will fear 100 million armed Americans at their doors.
Maynerd , Good Red White and Blue attitude, but sadly wrong. They may have feared 100 million armed patriots about eight years ago but not anymore. Not since We, the Sheeple, allowed them to closely monitor, record, and file for future use everything we say, do, or buy on the internet and in public, everywhere we go, everything we have, everybody we associate with, and where we live. etc. etc.
Then, by using the agenda based gun laws, especially the 68GCA that made it a permanent prohibition/punishment for an ex convict to possess a firearm, even though they are back in society as a law abiding citizen, it’s a no brainer for them to make enough pervasive and all encompassing agenda laws and legislation to target focus everybody likely to still have a firearm and begin mass confiscations on a daily routine, as they are already doing in places like California where unannounced ‘visits’ without warrants or Constitutional due process in literal ‘home invasion’ format take place to ‘check’ to make sure former criminally convicted persons, (soon to be all of those necessary to neutralize any anti-G dissent or physical resistance).
THATS how they will…no ARE already preventing 100 million armed and marching patriots from trying to take back their country…when it’s too late.
And that’s why they really are Not that afraid of us.
My father was in the occupation forces after WWII. He went around to each village, got the gun list from the mayor, and collected every firearm in town.
He always warned me how easy it was, and that’s why there was never any organized resistance in Germany on either side of the country.
Registration is and never will be the answer.
And it didn’t stop there. They also had secret Jewish strike forces who then hunted down any and all remnants of the Nazi SS and their affiliates who didn’t surrender or were still hiding out in the occupied territories waiting for the Catholic church’s ‘underground railroad’ to help them escape to Argentina, and usually executed them ‘forthwith’.
It’ll be much easier today for the likes of DHS and other government alphabet search and destroy agencies due to the people’s smiley face total acceptance of anti-4th/A universal surveillance and tracking technology soon to totally remove all citizen privacy and security. Even if you bury your shit, they’ll find it if they suspect you have it.
If we don’t want this. We simply have to start holding elected representatives severely accountable for any vilolations of our rights while mounting a very proactive effort to repeal and reverse ALL gun laws until they are ALL gone! Otherwise…well, you don’t even want to think about that.
All too often do I hear liberals saying; “are you going to stop a tank with your guns?” My short answer is always “YES, mine and the other 100 million others”. We are seeing the fruits of the “progressive” agenda in the form of domestic terrorism and violence where good citizens are taught to feel safe unarmed, wind up as fish in a barrel for attackers. They even go as far to say “well how would your one gun have helped or you would have shot an innocent” I allways point out that it is thier hypothetical DREAMING that came to that conclusion and is factually baseless. Our civil rights have been under attack for many many years, we have to stand together and push back against these liars, hypocrites, thieves, and social progressives, because their end goal is our power as citizens confiscated and us wilfully ignorant of the dangers we are surrounded by. Fight back dont support gun control fools in any way.
Chris you are so right, I mean that you are so correct that I don’t know if you know how correct you are!
Some time ago I got into a discussion with a friend of mine regarding firearms. What I found surprised me, and I would bet it may surprise you too!
Historically the biggest threat to our safety is not from criminals, it is from our government. I also know that NO patriotic citizen would ever be concerned that their government, THEIR government, could EVER be a threat to them – although it has happened regularly in the last three centuries. Statistically speaking governments have killed far more people than all the criminals combined. Our second amendment was NOT written so that we would have arms to hunt to put food on our table, or even to defend ourselves and our families from criminals. Our second amendment was written to defend us from our own government! I’ve heard people say, “Oh my gosh, a bunch of citizens even armed with semi-auto rifles similar to the armed forces would be NO MATCH WHATSOEVER for the tools of destruction that our modern armed forces have!”
To answer that I would like to ask that they simply look at the numbers.
The sheer numbers paint a far different picture! Just check out the numbers of people with hunting licenses in this country, the United States of America, and compare it to the number of people in the armed services of countries around the world.
Hunting licenses issued here in the United States 15,000,000 (approx.)
http://www.humanetrends.org/ht/number-of-hunting-licenses-issued-in-the-us/
And compare it to the number of people in the standing army.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_military_and_paramilitary_personnel
You’ll quickly realize that the number of licensed hunters in this country is greater than the number of soldiers in the standing armies of (listed in order of size):
People’s Republic of China
United States of America
India
North Korea
Russian Federation
South Korea
Turkey
Pakistan
Iran
Egypt
Vietnam
Burma
Thailand
France
Brazil
Syria
Indonesia
Italy
Taiwan
Colombia
Iraq
Mexico
Saudi Arabia
Japan
Eritrea
ALL COMBINED‼!
And that’s not even considering all of the people such as myself that do not currently have a hunting license, but own firearms and know which end of a firearm the bullet come out of!
There is no way that any army could take this country without disarming the citizens first! The first step to disarming the public is to get a record of everyone that owns a firearm (firearm registration).
DO NOT ALLOW FIREARM REGISTRATION! Invariably it leads to firearm confiscation!
Mr. Smith
Hmm…stop a ‘tank’ (or any AFV) with a personal firearm…typically even the grunts don’t try that, at least face-to-face. Now, take a pot shot at the tank commander sticking his head out of the turret hatch? Sure, done all the time…just ask the SURVIVING veterans of any Soviet motor-rifle division that served in Afghanistan. Resistance groups all over the world have successfully driven away opponents who were far better armed, supplied, and trained that they…it’s called ‘asymmetric’, or guerilla warfare.
I’m more concerned about maintaining the ability to defend mine own home from a hopped-up psychopath, bent on scaring up drug money, than out-of-control LEOs or the military, unlawfully turned against the American populace. If the latter comes to being, we’ll have far bigger issues that some ‘debate’ (which there ought not to be) about ‘gun rights’.
What part of “Shall NOT be infringed” is unclear? There’s a reason that the writers of the Second Amendment put it there (originally “Article the Fourth”, of all things, when originally submitted to the Congress). They understood that those that wanted to deny the ability of citizens to be armed and have reasonable means to resist tyranny wouldn’t do it in one fell swoop, but that like the analogy of the camel wanting to put his nose in the tent to get relief from a sandstorm, so the process would be gradual. Not bad for a bunch of “dead white guyz”, don’t you think?
That is one great article that everyone should read & then slowly re-read so as to absorb it completely. May I also suggest that you send it to all your friends, e-mail buds & any lefties that you still are in contact with.
The single most important thing is that, out of the 100 million estimated gun owners in our country, only about 5 million are NRA members. You other 95 million should be ashamed of yourselves. Get off your dead butts & join the only organization that keeps the crazy gun grabbing leftists away from your Constitutional rights before it is too late. It’s not that expensive. Even old SS recipients like me can afford it.
I will sell back my guns at the following price. if any one is interested, contact me:
1 Glock 20 -$200,000
1 Ruger P89: $150,000
1 CZ SP-01 Tactical: $250,000
1 Nighthawk 45 ACP – $600,000
1 Colt Godcup 45 ACP – $450,000
1 GSG 22 – $50,000
Thank should then give me enough money to re-buy all the above plus just about every pistol and rifle I would ever want.
Nice commentary, but two other points about the \”gun lobby\” myth:The lobby for gun sellers/manufacturers is the National Shooting Sports Foundation, NOT the NRA. Calling the NRA the gun lobby is factually wrong from a definitional basis alone.The other point is that \”guns\” can\’t have lobbyists, because they are inanimate, and can\’t vote. The lobbies at issue are better referred to as Citizens Who Want Guns Lobby, or Gun Owner\’s Civil Rights Lobby.
Well Said and absolutely true . These bogus names and terms have always bugged me . These are just the tip of the iceberg in promoting the BIG LIE of
” Liberal Gun Speak ” by The Propaganda Arm of the Democrat /Progressive / Socialist Party ( AKA The MSM or Mail Stream Media ) .
The most bogus terms of all are “progressive” and “liberal”. There is no Progress or Liberty in their agenda. They are actually Repressives and/or Regressives. Repressives have a psychotic fear of the common people that drives them to demand control every word, thought or deed of “their subjects”. Regressives have been indoctrinated from early childhood to desire everything to be someone else’s fault. If everything they do, say or think has been determined for them by their mythical “betters” then regardless of the outcome it isn’t their fault. Don’t let them choose their own false labels, call them what they are.
Nice commentary, but two other points about the “gun lobby” myth:
The lobby for gun sellers/manufacturers is the National Shooting Sports Foundation, NOT the NRA. Calling the NRA the gun lobby is factually wrong from a definitional basis alone.
The other point is that “guns” can’t have lobbyists, because they are inanimate, and can’t vote. The lobbies at issue are better referred to as Citizens Who Want Guns Lobby, or Gun Owner’s Civil Rights Lobby.
One of the main objectives of our forefathers in their very wise writing of the 2nd Amendment is, of course, PREVENTION OF TYRANNY. Dimocrats want total control over our lives…..the 2nd Amendment prevents their takeover of our Rights. The 2nd Amendment will stand until removed by the STATES. Attempted takeovers and attacks have been avoided and thwarted in the past because Americans own firearms. Many firearms! The dims will never be able to wrestle total control from the People, until they can get rid of the Second Amendment in the Constitution by ratification of the States. Doesn’t look like that will happen any time soon, or ever for that matter.
Even the total eradication of the 2nd Amendment would do nothing(!) to change the inherent, God-given “Right” (of self-defense) that the Constitution protects (NOT grants! only legally protects!). With or without a Second Amendment, my gun ownership will – not might, could, or may… but WILL – continue. Anyone who doesn’t like that… may cheerfully engage in an act of autoeroticism.
Well said. These so called, “buy backs,” also encourage gun theft, as most of these purchases are, “no questions asked.”
Extremely well written article! I as well as other well educated and responsible gun owners appreciate your insight and description of some of the major myths we are faced with. It is so unfortunate that a well articulated individual such as yourself can speak to the country as a whole. Presidential candidates get a grand stage and do not even fully understand the situation in a whole or the details that make it up. Thank you for being a voice of reason backed by fact stated intelligibly in a time or cloudy inaccurate misinformation. Tks again Harley
Due to autocorrect I need to fix 2 words above. Corrections will be in all capital letters.
1st………………It should have said “It is so unfortunate that a well articulated individual such as yourself CAN’T speak to the country as a whole.”
2nd………………It should have said”Thank you for being a voice of reason backed by fact stated intelligibly in a time OF cloudy inaccurate misinformation. ”
Thanks again Harley
These shills lack any common sense, understanding, knowledge or gratitude of living in America.
Evidently easily lead by fools doing the upstream bidding of Globalist-elites for the necessity of disarming American’s for the final chapter of a OneWorld order- as prophesied in the “end-times”. Having “been given strong delusion to believe in lies” – the god of this world is alive and well- “wide(today) is the way leading to destruction” ~!
All the Dudley Do Right groups that want our guns have armed guards hired to protect them, from who-the gangbangers- not the average law abiding citizen. When they take (NOT) our guns, who will protect my family, my neighbors , their children? When LE finally shows up, it will be to late for a sorry about that. I (WE) have a right to protect ourselves from foreign and domestic violence. It is not a maybe, its a given right by the 2nd Amendment that shall not be trampled on. Don’t tread on me, or I will have to defend myself!
It is NOT given by the second amendment. It is a GOD GIVEN RIGHT to self defense and is LEGALLY protected by the second amendment.
The black homicide rate is seven times the non-black homicide rate. The black homicide rate without guns is three times the non-black homicide rate with guns. We could save more than 5,000 black lives every year if we could get the black homicide rate down to the non-black homicide rate. Too many blacks have never earned self-respect and cannot tolerate disrespect. Most homicides are a reaction to disrespect during arguments. Affirmative action and diversity training have not helped. The black prison population is higher mostly because blacks commit more crimes. The people that really suffer are the decent hard working blacks. Democrat policies that buy votes by mitigating deprivation without reducing poverty are the cause. Poverty is the inability to create value.
I completely agree with your statement.
I also would add that most politicians who are call for gun confiscation are covering up for the failed policy on the “War on Drugs.” Part of the fear that people have to “Big Black Guns” come from the militarization of the police and the complete mess we have made every country south of us. As we train, send aid (AKA arms, military vehicles, ect), as a country, we are importing our bad habits (drugs) and try to legislate morality through “tough on crime law.” A real comprehensive look at US domestic policy across the board would show that gun violence is correlation of the real problems, not the causation of them.
I know that what you say is true but it still boggles my mind. The idea of killing someone because they called you some “dirty” name? Totally insane. There is absolutely nothing anyone can call me that would induce me to shoot them. Insulting my wife, my mother, my little sister…Can’t be done. But attack me or mine physically and you’re dead.
Be a porcupine, harmless unless attacked. Then drive the point home.
They want US to be come “Sheep” so. They the wolf can round US all up and make US do what they want US to do by Fear…. BS be Sheep dog chase the wolf away! Stand up be counted protect all the dumb sheep from those who want to control YOU!
Progressives/liberals will never be confused by the facts.
Im in no way religious, but this column desires an
AAAAAAAAAAAMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need to accelerate the evolution of the anti-gun lobby until it achieves the status of the Temperance Movement. Their issues need to be “put to bed” so our nation can move ahead and work on more important issues.
When America was still being settelled, every man woman and most juveniles could handle and effectively use a gun. The origional American social Sin was Americans allowing themselves to be disarmed when in te proximity to polite society and reley on various levels of LE for their protection. Towns grew and its inhabitants had no requirement to hunt for substance and the reliance on a gun for survival faded.
As our Social Utopia comes crashing down bit by bit every day, citizens slowly realize only they can protect themselves. There is absolutely nothing the anti gun groups can do to protect you from a criminal. Their war on guns (even if they confiscate every gun fromlaw abiding citizens) will fail to stop criminal usage, just look at tge war on drugs. All the gun grabbers will do is create a new smuggling business in guns and render citizens more vulnerable. I find it more then a coincidence that the same politicians that want to confiscate our guns want to strip LE, legalize pot, give free needles to addicts, reduce sentencing guidelines, provide early release to all types of felons and even at the prestdential level give clemency or pardons to people convicted of having illegal machine guns and hundreds of pounds of drugs. Yes, go fact check that!
There should be another Sin formally recognized: Thou shall not act as sheep before the slaughter, for those without a spine will crawl before all others.
Well said Will.
The laws against ownership of a machine gun are totally unconstitutional. The so called war on drugs is also unconstitutional. You don’t have a specified right to use drugs but it’s still none of the federal government’s business. Plus it is even more destructive than the prohibition of alcohol was. If there was no war on drugs there would be no drug lords, no drug smugglers, no gangs trying to control their portion of the drug market. Sure some people would misuse them, so what? Punish the people who hurt others and leave the rest to their own choices.
Yes I am a libertarian. Government stay the heck out of my life!
By the way, The draft is slavery. Under the 13th amendment it is involuntary servitude and is unconstitutional. Military servitude is only constitutional if it’s voluntary.