It Was Done on Tobacco. It Can Be Done on Guns.

[Lakhota]

By Dennis A. Henigan

The American people can overcome the gun lobby, but only if we confront, and expose, three myths that have long dominated the gun debate and given the politicians a ready excuse for inaction.

First, we must not let the opponents of reform get away with the empty bromide that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Does any rational person really believe that the Sandy Hook killer could have murdered twenty-seven people in minutes with a knife or a baseball bat? Guns enable people to kill, more effectively and efficiently than any other widely available weapon.

Second, we must challenge the idea that no law can prevent violent people from getting guns. This canard is refuted by the experience of every other western industrialized nation. Their violent crime rates are comparable to ours. But their homicide rates are exponentially lower because their strong gun laws make it harder for violent individuals to get guns.

Third, we must not accept the notion that our Constitution condemns us to the continued slaughter of our children. It is true that the Supreme Court has expanded gun rights in recent years; it is equally true that the Court has insisted that the right allows for reasonable restrictions. In his opinion in the Heller Second Amendment case, Justice Scalia listed restrictions on "dangerous and unusual weapons" among the kinds of gun laws that are still "presumptively lawful." Assault weapons that fire scores of rounds without reloading surely are "dangerous and unusual."

The tobacco control movement overcame some equally powerful mythology to fundamentally alter American attitudes toward tobacco products. The tobacco industry's effort to sow confusion and uncertainty about the link between smoking and disease eventually was exposed as a fraud. The entrenched view that smoking was simply a bad habit that individuals can choose to break was destroyed by evidence that the tobacco companies knew that nicotine was powerfully addictive and engineered their cigarettes to ensure that people got hooked and stayed hooked. The assumption that smoking harms only the smoker was contradicted by the overwhelming evidence of the danger of second-hand smoke.

Once these myths were exposed, attitudes changed, policies changed and we started saving countless lives. Since youth smoking peaked in the mid-1990s, smoking rates have fallen by about three-fourths among 8th graders, two-thirds among 10th graders and half among 12th graders. A sea change has occurred on the tobacco issue.

Similarly fundamental change can come to the gun issue as well. The myths about gun control, however, still have a hold on too many of our political leaders and their constituents. We will hear them repeated again and again in the coming weeks of intense debate. Every time we hear them, we must respond and we must persuade.

There is too much at stake to be silent.

More: Dennis A. Henigan: It Was Done on Tobacco. It Can Be Done on Guns

 

[bigrebnc1775]

By Dennis A. Henigan

The American people can overcome the gun lobby, but only if we confront, and expose, three myths that have long dominated the gun debate and given the politicians a ready excuse for inaction.

First, we must not let the opponents of reform get away with the empty bromide that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Does any rational person really believe that the Sandy Hook killer could have murdered twenty-seven people in minutes with a knife or a baseball bat? Guns enable people to kill, more effectively and efficiently than any other widely available weapon.

Second, we must challenge the idea that no law can prevent violent people from getting guns. This canard is refuted by the experience of every other western industrialized nation. Their violent crime rates are comparable to ours. But their homicide rates are exponentially lower because their strong gun laws make it harder for violent individuals to get guns.

Third, we must not accept the notion that our Constitution condemns us to the continued slaughter of our children. It is true that the Supreme Court has expanded gun rights in recent years; it is equally true that the Court has insisted that the right allows for reasonable restrictions. In his opinion in the Heller Second Amendment case, Justice Scalia listed restrictions on "dangerous and unusual weapons" among the kinds of gun laws that are still "presumptively lawful." Assault weapons that fire scores of rounds without reloading surely are "dangerous and unusual."

The tobacco control movement overcame some equally powerful mythology to fundamentally alter American attitudes toward tobacco products. The tobacco industry's effort to sow confusion and uncertainty about the link between smoking and disease eventually was exposed as a fraud. The entrenched view that smoking was simply a bad habit that individuals can choose to break was destroyed by evidence that the tobacco companies knew that nicotine was powerfully addictive and engineered their cigarettes to ensure that people got hooked and stayed hooked. The assumption that smoking harms only the smoker was contradicted by the overwhelming evidence of the danger of second-hand smoke.

Once these myths were exposed, attitudes changed, policies changed and we started saving countless lives. Since youth smoking peaked in the mid-1990s, smoking rates have fallen by about three-fourths among 8th graders, two-thirds among 10th graders and half among 12th graders. A sea change has occurred on the tobacco issue.

Similarly fundamental change can come to the gun issue as well. The myths about gun control, however, still have a hold on too many of our political leaders and their constituents. We will hear them repeated again and again in the coming weeks of intense debate. Every time we hear them, we must respond and we must persuade.

There is too much at stake to be silent.

More: Dennis A. Henigan: It Was Done on Tobacco. It Can Be Done on Guns

There isn't a Constitution right to Tobacco
There is one for firearms

 

[Lakhota]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Still standing on that pile of dead children, heh?

I saw a story on the news last night where the town wanted the reporters to leave. So what did they do? Made a story about it, of course. They're pushing product, you see. And they are willing to stand on people, even dead ones to air their news. ad nauseam.

That's what you're doing here. You are using a pile of slain dead children to sell your ideas. It's vile, hypocritical and down right low.

 

[Lakhota]

America has a strong (socialist) standing army. There is no longer need for "militia" as stated in the Second Amendment.

 

[TakeAStepBack]

Then get the constitution amended and STFU.

Good luck.

 

[syrenn]

Still standing on that pile of dead children, heh?

I saw a story on the news last night where the town wanted the reporters to leave. So what did they do? Made a story about it, of course. They're pushing product, you see. And they are willing to stand on people, even dead ones to air their news. ad nauseam.

That's what you're doing here. You are using a pile of slain dead children to sell your ideas. It's vile, hypocritical and down right low.

i would not expect anything less from lakhota. It and others are preforming to expectations.

 

[Desperado]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

When it comes to the Constitution there is no such thing as "Compromise" and "Consensus".

 

[LogikAndReazon]

bows and arrows should be baneed . ghost dances and mad dog20/20 too . let's regulate civil unrest

 

[Lakhota]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

When it comes to the Constitution there is no such thing as "Compromise" and "Consensus".

Sure there is. Even the original Constitution was built on compromise and consensus.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

You cannot compromise with people you have nothing in common with. You cannot compromise when two party's have different goals.

Let's give it a try.
If the citizen must lose some if not all of their rights to a firearm the government must also be disarmed including obama's secret service guards.

 

[Lakhota]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

You cannot compromise with people you have nothing in common with. You cannot compromise when two party's have different goals.

Let's give it a try.
If the citizen must lose some if not all of their rights to a firearm the government must also be disarmed including obama's secret service guards.

Are you on mental medication...?

 

[bigrebnc1775]

America has a strong (socialist) standing army. There is no longer need for "militia" as stated in the Second Amendment.

The second amendment is needed more today than any other time in American history. Why should we allow that right to be taken away?

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

You cannot compromise with people you have nothing in common with. You cannot compromise when two party's have different goals.

Let's give it a try.
If the citizen must lose some if not all of their rights to a firearm the government must also be disarmed including obama's secret service guards.

Are you on mental medication...?

So much for compromise.

 

[Big Black Dog]

Looks like Lakhota is making an ash of himself. Again.

 

[Lakhota]

America has a strong (socialist) standing army. There is no longer need for "militia" as stated in the Second Amendment.

The second amendment is needed more today than any other time in American history. Why should we allow that right to be taken away?

You hardcore NRA wingnuts are the Second Amendment's worst enemy. Remember, we can still smoke...

 

[tinydancer]

 

[tinydancer]

Good to see you agree with these experts Lakhota

 

[Avatar4321]

Hardcore NRA wingnuts need to be thinking about two words: "Compromise" and "Consensus"...

No. we just have to remember 2nd amendment.

 

[Avatar4321]

America has a strong (socialist) standing army. There is no longer need for "militia" as stated in the Second Amendment.

The second amendment is needed more today than any other time in American history. Why should we allow that right to be taken away?

You hardcore NRA wingnuts are the Second Amendment's worst enemy. Remember, we can still smoke...

I don't belong to the NRA. But if you think anyone who understand the Second Amendment is going to go along with your nonsense, you have another thing coming to you.