An article in the (very) liberal magazine The Nation is much in a dither about a case soon to land in the collective lap of SCOTUS.
The author doesn’t care much for the Second Amendment, nor for cops, nor for gun owners (whom he calls “ammosexuals”). He bemoans the fact that some liberals are on the side of the challengers, who come from the gun owners’ civil rights side of the house.
2A stalwart Dave Workman suggests that the author shot holes in his own anti-gun arguments.
As a comedian used to say, very interesting. Classic case of facts and logic confounding personally held beliefs/hopes/dreams/wishes. However, the Prez once said something to the effect of “The facts can’t change our truth.” They’ll try to overcome, insisting that this case is “different”.
We have lived to see the birth of the Ministry of Truth.
In Russia they had/have a dissident’s joke.
Pravda, one of two state newspapers, means truth.
The other is Izvestia, which means news.
The joke: “There is no pravda in izvestia and no izvestia in pravda.”
Thanks for the laugh Mas. It must be painful to as stupid as this clown.
Elie Mystal doesn’t accept as law what the Supreme Court has already said the second amendment means. What does that say about him?
I have read one of three free articles.
This reading has given me no, zero, nada reason to subscribe for any reason apart from an intellectual masochism streak I don’t possess.
Elie Mystal’s statement that the decision could “blow a hole in what remaining gun regulations we have in our violent nation” needs a bit of qualification. As another brief for the case, “Brief of the States of Arizona, Missouri, and 21 other states,” notes, the elimination of a “good cause” requirement only affects eight states, six in the Northeast, California and Hawaii. The other 42 states don’t require “cause,” and 21 of them don’t even require a license.
Plus, as I’m quoted in the brief, “And every state that has adopted objective-issue has maintained it, establishing a national standard for public safety. (Footnote 4)”
Peculiar thinking in the Nation article and many of its comments in that they know for certain that people walking around with guns without licenses and permits will certainly lead to increased mayhem, but they studiously ignore the results in all the states which have gone to permitless carry.
“poised to blow a hole in what remaining gun regulations we have”. Yeah, right. Tell that to the people who know about just how very few and inconsequential our remaining gun regs are.
There are two, terrible species of Leftist that plague the world. One species is the Ideological Leftist (Sinistra Radicitus). The other is the left-wing exploiter (Sinistra Exploiter). Whenever one reads or listens to the words of a leftist, one should always start by trying to identify which particular species is leaving it’s tracks.
S. Radicitus is marked, as I have noted before, by an insane belief in the innate goodness of humanity. This shapes and colors their entire worldview. So much so that S. Radicitus will often lose touch with reality and enter a fantasy world of their own creation. In their fantasy world, they believe all kinds of crazy things such as (A) racism shapes every aspect of American life, (B) The White Race is inherently evil and sinful and must continually confess it’s sins if there is ever to be atonement, (C) The Police and Military are, simultaneously, instruments of racist policy and, yet, the only people who can be trusted with firearms, (D) there are hundreds of sexual orientations and an individual may switch between them, at will, like some sexual shape-shifter, and (E) man-made climate change is responsible for every unusual shift in the weather and will destroy the world within the next few years unless radical changes are made at once. There are many more available left-wing fantasies but the above provide some examples.
The great cities and major urban areas are breeding grounds for S. Radicitus. These regions are totally man-made and are isolated both from nature and, often, from the consequences of normal cause and effect. In this artificial environment, is it any wonder that fantasy trumps reality and that S. Radicitus prospers and multiplies?
Sinistra Exploiter is a related, but quite different, species. S. Exploiter is a parasitic species that lives off normal humanity. Unlike S. Radicitus, they very much live in the “Real” world. S. Radicitus does not really believe in the fantasy ideology that moves S. Radicitus. No doubt, they are secretly amused by it. However, they realize that such ideology is excellent camouflage. S. Exploiter uses left-wing ideology to cover up, and escape from the consequences, of its parasitic behavior. S. Exploiter has realized that, if they support the fantasies of S. Radicitus and if they control critical sections of the Government and the media, then they can rob, steal, embezzle and engage in all kinds of criminal behavior without ever suffering any consequences. They can feed and gorge themselves, like a vampire drinking the blood of his victims, on the work and wealth generated by the lower and middle classes. Their power and wealth can become almost limitless. As a parasite, this appeals greatly to S. Exploiter.
What makes these species so terrible is that they have a symbiotic relationship. The two species understand that, by cooperating, they can both obtain their goals. In military terms, they form an army. S. Exploiter provides leadership and the resources to fuel the movement. They also control, as noted above, sections of the Government and the media. This allows them to also provide propaganda and psychological warfare support. S. Radicitus provides the millions of foot soldiers necessary to cast votes, to keep S. Exploiter in power, and to take to the streets to protest, riot, loot, and burn.
By themselves, each species is weak. Without foot soldiers to take to the streets and cast votes, the middle-class would soon bring the predation of S. Exploiter under control. Without the leadership and resources provided by S. Exploiter, S. Radicitus would soon deteriorate into an unruly mob that would turn on, and fight, among themselves. The middle-class would soon have them under control too.
The synergy provided by their union, however, is terrible and almost impossible to control. This is made clear as America falls further and further “down the rabbit hole”.
Of course, nothing is forever. The good times that S. Exploiter and S. Radicitus currently enjoy shall, one day, come to an end. Even if the middle-class is never able to bring them under control, then their failure is still inevitable. Eventually, the increasing predation of S. Exploiter will sap the strength from the U.S. Economy and trigger an economic collapse.
When this happens, S. Exploiter (being a mobile and global species) will likely flee the U.S. to seek new feeding grounds elsewhere. S. Radicitus will then be subjected to a nasty dose of reality as their fantasy world comes crashing down around them. Unfortunately, the cleansing of these two invasive species will also cause enormous suffering to the American People, at large. Even so, in the long run, it may be worth it to bring these two terrible species to heel.
Getting back to the topic of this blog, the author of The Nation article, Elie Mystal, is clearly a member of S. Radicitus. You can tell by his every word that he holds a worldview based upon the false belief that humanity is innately good. He swallows the whole “fantasy” ideology of the modern Left. He clearly places the blame for violence upon the external, inanimate object (the firearm) rather than holding the human perpetrator at fault. He lives in a fantasy world in which firearms can be made to vanish off the face of the earth thereby giving rise to the left-wing utopia of peace and prosperity.
Notice how divorced this is from reality. Firearms have only existed for the last millennium or so. Prior to the invention of gunpowder, there were no firearms. According to his fantasy worldview, the world should have been an Eden of Peace back then. As we know from recorded history, the world, prior to the invention of firearms, was even more bloody and barbaric than after their invention. Look at the history of the Viking Raids or the conquests of Genghis Khan if you desire examples of the nature of a world without firearms. The world has become MORE PEACEFUL and MORE CIVILIZED since the invention of gunpowder and firearms!
The author’s false belief in the goodness of mankind leads him to deny any value to firearm ownership and, despite the Heller Decision, to deny that the Citizens of the United States have any constitutional rights regarding ownership.
Dave Workman makes a good effort to refute the worldview expressed by this leftist. However, I wonder why he bothered. What is to be gained when you debate with a madman who has lost touch with reality and who lives in a fantasy dream-world created by left-wing ideology and propaganda? They say that arguing with a fool makes you a fool too. What does it make you when you argue with a madman?
Nothing that Elie Mystal wrote is real or has any value. It is all divorced from reality. The only thing to note is that he is yet another foot-soldier (S. Radicitus) of the American Left.
Typo Correction. In the fourth paragraph, it should read “S. Exploiter does not really believe in the fantasy ideology that moves S. Radicitus.”
Sometimes, it is hard to keep all these leftists straight! 🙂
Having no exposure to people/views like that in everyday life, it almost feels like having an alien walk out of a spaceship and start spouting gibberish. Unfortunately, people with these beliefs in large cities are beginning to outnumber the rest of us. It is hard to fathom how you can hate the police, want to de-fund them, but take no responsibility for your own safety. You claim empathy with black & brown people but want to deny them the means to protect themselves & their families. Not to mention demanding that vaccinated people wear masks again but are ok with driving/flying infected illegal aliens all around the country. Madness.
Note also they expect the police they have defunded to enforce the gun bans they want to pass.
Cognitive dissonance.
Kinda like the “ammosexual” term.
If there is such a thing as an ammosexual, could there also be ammophobes as well? Maybe if we present this as an alternative lifestyle/sexual preference…? Anything else seems to be ok. Maybe we have our next victimized minority group…ammosexuals.
BLASPHEMY!!!!!!! Elie Mystal needs to repent and correct his wrongthink. I prescribe saying 40 “Hail Jerrys” (That would be Hail Jerry Greenfield, the Communist, who along with Ben Cohen, started the Communist/Capitalist ice cream company, “Ben & Jerry’s.”)
Elie Mystal commits the unpardonable sin of saying good things about guns. This can never be allowed. Preaching must be consistent, and only ever condemn guns and their ownership. Guns are evil and all who wield them are evil. Policemen are simply a necessary evil. Their guns should be taken away, and they should only be able to carry billy clubs made out of soft rubber. . . . . I mean plastic.
Reading the filth that digitally flows from Elie Mystal’s word processor could cause some of our subjects to be deceived and join the enemies of Karl Marx, the Guide to Utopia, the Freer of the Oppressed. Elie’s blasphemy must be deleted from our midst!! Guns are bad, guns are bad, guns are bad. So let it be written, so let it be done. Elie Mystal, may you nevermore praise a pistol!!
I wonder how many cartons of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is stored on the left side of Nancy Pelosi’s expensive refrigerator? Ben & Jerry should introduce new flavors of ice cream, maybe named Communist Red Cherry, Ho Chi Minh Mint, Lenin Lemon Frosty, Marxist Maraschino Cherry, or Stalin Strawberry Delight. Those scumbags better eat lots of ice cream now because they will be going to a very hot place later.
A quote in the referenced article says it all.
“ If it really is a right to keep and bear arms, citizens don’t need a reason to exercise it. ”
Off-topic but here is a little more info on the recent Alaskan Bear Attack incident:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/e2-80-98this-guy-was-lucky-e2-80-99-coast-guardsman-based-on-cape-cod-helps-rescue-bear-attack-victim-in-alaska/ar-AAMtLFN
This story seems to confirm that the handgun used was a revolver of some sort. Unfortunately, still no information on caliber, make and model. It also sounds like the six (6) rounds, in the firearm, were the only ammo that this guy possessed. Why anyone would go into the Alaskan bush with only six (6) rounds of ammo is beyond me. I would have been “loaded for bear” myself! 🙂
Anyway, it sounds like the handgun saved this man’s life by scaring off the bear during the initial attack. Then the man had further good luck by having a Coast Guard helicopter chance by and see his distress signals.
Maybe he was armed with a “Rabbit’s Foot” in addition to a revolver! 🙂
Here is another story with a little more of the details:
http://www.nomenugget.com/news/coast-guard-rescues-man-after-being-pounced-stalked-grizzly
Sounds like the initial attack occurred while the man was riding an ATV. It looks like the bear trashed the ATV and the trailer he was pulling. Trashed them and rolled them into the stream where they sank.
This may provide an explanation for the limited ammo supply. The man said that his cell phone sank with his ATV and trailer. Maybe his spare ammo went into the water too?
In that event, unless he had some spare speedloaders or speedstrips on his person, the only ammo WOULD be the loaded rounds in the revolver.
If so, this is another good example of why one should always carry spare ammo (speedloaders, magazines, etc.) on your person. Having spare ammo in a vehicle or trailer that is out of reach is no good!
I guess that his “Rabbit’s Foot” must have been in his pocket and was not lost when the rest of his property sank beneath the waves! 🙂
Always found a rider in an open ATV to be a tempting target for a belligerent animal. Or for bees. Also, a reflective mirror (or another very bright light?) is your best bet on hailing help from a government (National Guard, Coast Guard, etc.) helicopter. Iffy, but maybe possible, according to a friend of mine in the Arizona National Guard. I personally would not employ a laser. Just standing with both hands upraised is supposed to be a distress signal to aircraft that indicates a need to be picked up, according to “The Ultimate Survival Guide” by John “Lofty” Wiseman. Waving arms together back and forth means “don’t land here!” The convenience of speed strip pouches or cartridge loops on a revolver belt really make them virtual necessities. You obviously need to report shooting certain animals, even in self-defense, and to deliver government-specified parts.
Maybe this guy followed the FBI statistics which shows that only 2.7 rounds of ammunition are fired in the average defensive shooting so six cartridges is more than twice the ammo needed for most deadly encounters. Instead of a rabbit’s foot for luck, I would recommend a large color photograph of Janet Reno which would scare off nearly anything especially bears, as those creatures try to avoid contact with Sasquatch whenever possible.
2.7 rounds per bad person is decades old, based largely on tweaked NYPD stats, and has been discredited. The NYPD releases its Firearms Discharge Reports yearly, generally about 4 years after the fact. They can be found online. As can the FBI Uniform Crime Report, but that has to be downloaded as a PDF and it’s inches thick. Best found in a library.
Last time I checked (got a NYPD report here somewhere), the average number of rounds per good person per bad person shooting ranged from 3.5 to 4.7 over severeal years. If in an actual gunfight (rounds going both ways) the range ran 6.? to 8.? per good person per bad person.
The averages provide a clue as to why magazines over 10 round capacity are a good idea.
WR Moore – “2.7 rounds per bad person is decades old…”
Yes, the 2.7 rounds per police shooting per officer dates back to the years when the NYPD still used .38 Special revolvers as their standard carry firearm. When they switched to the semi-automatic 9mm pistol, the round count increased. Not necessarily because bad guy’s are more dangerous now. Rather, it was (IMHO) more related to the tendency to “spray and pray” with semi-automatic fire.
Nevertheless, one should be careful about relying upon police statistics too much. There is really a tendency to say, if the military does it this way or the police do it this way, then that is the way that a civilian, acting in self-defense, should do it too. In my opinion, this is WRONG THINK.
A soldier should expect to be largely involved in firefights with a determined (and heavily armed) opponent. Naturally, he needs as much firepower as he can get.
A police officer will (mostly) be shooting in defense of himself or others. However, he also has a duty to append the criminals. So, in about 10% of his shootings, he will also end up being involved in a firefight with a determined opponent. This is also another factor that will push the average round count higher for police shootings.
A civilian, however, (unlike the soldier or policeman) has no duty to destroy or append his opponent. His only duty is to stay alive. Usually, the best way to do this is to break contact and retreat. A civilian carries a handgun as a tool to help him do this. It is not a tool to destroy the enemy.
It is hard to imagine a case whereby a private citizen needs to “hang in a firefight” like a soldier or policeman may be forced to do.
Therefore, the tools and tactics of a soldier, or a policeman, do not necessarily translate to a civilian with a handgun carry permit.
It is hard to come up with statistics for civilian shootings. My best guess is that 99.9% of the incidents are solved with less than 3 rounds. Many are solved by just pulling the gun without even having to fire a shot at all.
So, I guess my point is that the current fad toward super high capacity magazines plus carrying backup guns and half a dozen spare magazines is really overkill for mere civilian self-defense. A DEA agent may need such firepower but a civilian is merely weighing himself down with unnecessary equipment with such foolishness.
I know that others may disagree with this view and take comfort in being “loaded for bear” every time they step out the front door. If being armed to the teeth gives them comfort, then “more power to them”. It is not my method.
Another typo correction for my comment above. Clearly, I meant to write “apprehend” rather than “append”. Blasted spell-checker tripped me up again!
TN_MAN,
Of course, I agree with you as usual. I’m just trying to think of a situation where a civilian could be in a sustained fight with goblins. I hear about farmers in Africa having to defend their farms from marauders, and they can’t rely on the police. I’m sure they need lots of firepower to defeat the gangs who are trying to rob them. That kind of thing probably won’t happen in the USA unless there is a situation Without the Rule of Law. Maybe some remote areas of the US have to sustain the fight until the police arrive in 30–60 minutes.
About SpellCheck, if the “wrong” word spells a legitimate word (“append” instead of “apprehend”), the SpellCheck won’t flag it. So, we humanoids still have to spell check the old-fangled way.
Actually, the 2.7 stat belongs to the era when the average included negligent discharges, putting down severely injured animals, officer suicides and other strange events involving firearms discharges. When the reports were limited to intentional lawful discharge of a firearm-revolver in point of fact- to prevent death or serious bodily injury the round count immediately soared. IIRC, to around 4.7. Also, since that time, the FDR has grown in complexity so we have more stats (like separating out the actual gunfights and how many participants there were) than we had in, say 1970. You are entitled to your opinion, not to your own facts.
Spray and pray wasn’t unknown in the revolver era, it’s not exclusively due to large capacity magazines.
While you’re essentially correct in your view of the differing duties of the LEO/military and the private citizen, we’re drifting from the thread and I won’t continue. I will caution that your personal opinion of what’s going to/supposed to happen may at some time conflict with reality.
@ WR Moore – “Also, since that time, the FDR has grown in complexity so we have more stats (like separating out the actual gunfights and how many participants there were) than we had in, say 1970.”
You are certainly correct in the above statement. For the record, I am very familiar with the reports published by the NYPD. I have a complete set of the reports, in PDF format, from 1971 to 2019 on my computer at this very moment.
The data format and methodology used in these reports has been updated several times over the decades. In fact, the most recent ones are not even called “Firearm Discharge Reports” anymore. The official term now is “Use of Force Reports”. You can (literally) see Political Correctness invade these reports over the years if you study them over time.
I suppose it is subjective as to what caused the increase in the statistic for number of rounds fired. Being an engineer and knowledgeable about “number crunching”, I actually pulled the average number, from each year (between 1971 and 2014) into a spreadsheet. The result is interesting. Keep in mind that the NYPD switched from revolvers to the 9mm pistol in 1993. This would not have occurred overnight so there would have been an interim period of a couple of years for the switchover. Here are the averages for this switch:
Revolver Period – 1971 to 1992: Average Rounds fired = 2.63 (very close to the 2.7 rounds/officer figure listed above. The count bounces around a lot per year. The low year (1984) was 1.45 rounds. The high year (1992) was 3.92. Wonder if some officers were already carrying semi-auto’s by 1992?
Interim Period – 1993 to 1994: Average Rounds fired = 3.64
Semi-Auto Period – 1995 to 2014: Average Rounds fired = 4.01. The numbers again bounce around. The low year (2009) was 2.8. The high year (2007) was 5.3 rounds per officer.
Overall, I stand by my statement that the switch-over to semi-auto’s was a factor in driving up the average round count. I will grant that changes in report methodology may have also been a factor that affected the statistics. Nevertheless, I don’t believe that I am making up my own facts as you seem to imply.
Just one more little tidbit and then I’ll stop beating the dead horse.
I just received the September 2021 print edition of Guns & Ammo magazine. On page 25 of this edition, there is an interesting article, by Jeremy Stafford. entitled “Realistic Reloads”.
I would like to recommend this article to all readers of this blog. The points that Mr. Stafford makes, in this article, dovetail nicely with the points that I made above.
Waahh Waahh Waahh. DisPICKabow widdow thing wants its Mama. What a load of infantile self-centred emotional raving. And this guy writes for this rag’s legal and cuonts section? must be a lawyer by training that washed out or coundnt pass the Bar Exam. If his concentration of false “facts” in this short piece is typical of this guy’s thinking, that would be about right.
He claims that “in Heller the Supreme Court GAVE us the right to bear arms”. No, not quite….. they recognised that we already HAVE that right, and commanded goummit to stop taking it away from us.
cute how every time he mentins Black and brown he does it just ike that.Black and brown. Racist any, pal?
Ah well, good job SCOTUS will never read HIS words……. no wonder I’ve never had anyone I know recommend getting this rag. Guess I must know the right folks, then, hey?
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