Dear
Dhara
yes and no.
1. guns don't solve the mental illness issue or cure criminal illness.
2. but guns do deter or stop crimes in process, such as in the LA riots
where shops that let rioters know they were armed weren't attacked,
and the trained guard who killed a shooter in church before he could shoot any more people.
Jeanne Assam: The Forgotten Woman Who Stopped a Church Shooting-Truth!
And
3. we need to stop arguing about the political beliefs, recognize those differences,
and shape public policy to address BOTH concerns instead of "either / or"
it's ALL the above: addressing mental illness and medically proven diagnosis and cure.
a system of referring people to get help before crimes or dangers go too far.
safe standardized training and enforcement of laws for people who are going to use arms for that,
similar to police and military, so there is proper screening - one benefit being that all people
in govt could better be held to agreed standards if the public can agree on these standards.
It is important we agree on Constitutional standards
so we can hold govt consistently to the same.
see
ethics-commission.net for the minimum principles I would teach all citizens
to enforce in order to hold govt accountable to the same and correct any grievances.
Otherwise politicians take this KNOWN conflict, and abuse it for political points.
Instead of solving the problem, by seeking solutions that satisfy both the rightwing
and leftwing way of looking at the gun issues, the parties keep PLAYING ON THE FEAR.
You may blame rightwing party members for using this issue as false security to appease their fear.
The SAME can be said of leftwing party members using their party to run policies through govt
to appease their fears.
Fear is on both sides. So if we solved the problems, then no more political games or points
can be made from the fear on either side, especially not the fear that the other party is dominating the show.
I do not have a problem with the Second Amendment. I think some people should not have guns. Those who show a propensity for violence toward spouses and children, for example.
I don't feel a lot of fear coming from the left about guns. It's the right that appears threatened constantly even when 75% of all gun owners are conservative. The right to own a firearm is in no way threatened.
The problem isn't even party politics, IMO. It's the misuse of media. Us versus them mentality.
We're all in the same boat as American citizens. Government isn't the problem. People are the problem. People who only care about "their side" of an argument.
Just my opinion, not worth much but it's all I have.
Dear
Dhara and
BULLDOG I think you both are trying and able to see both sides.
What you seem to dismiss is underestimating the real effect of these fears on govt and public relations.
A.
Dhara you say you don't see a lot of fear coming from the left about guns.
But every time there is an incident, the rhetoric moves toward gun control.
Obama made statements, the politicians on the left use this for soliciting votes and campaign dollars.
Just like the rightwing uses abortion and the prolife issue to get votes and dollars without doing anything real.
The left pimps this fear of gun violence just as much.
How can you dismiss the fears that are exploited and hyped on both sides?
I think you DO see how this issue is blown up in the media for political gain.
What I don't think you see is how both the left and right do this,
same with the abortion issue. They don't solve it, they just pimp it for political hype to sway the masses.
B.
BULLDOG I am also guessing that you are trying to make the distinction
between the real principle in practice and the way the issue is blown out of proportion in the media,
"playing on fears".
I think your approach of addressing both levels is needed and can be very effective
since you actually exercise your gun rights responsibly, and don't see it as any big deal to you.
However, trying to tell people their fears aren't real or have substance only pours fuel on that fire.
That is their worst fear, that people will play down and trust govt, so much, that they give up rights
until it's too late. So you play RIGHT INTO those fears the more you try to play them down as overboard.
I don't think that part of your approach is effective, but has the very opposite effect you intend.
I think you can be a valuable ally to both sides, but emphasizing the reality of both sides,
and pushing solutions that satisfy BOTH -- ie NOT downplaying either side but backing them both up fully.
You have the ability to do this, since you see both sides.
Instead of appearing to take sides and downplaying one,
I am confident you would succeed in your message by supporting both sides equally in working this out,
treating both views as equally valid and important to address. Otherwise it just multiplies fear on both sides.
I can see what you are both trying to say
so thanks for that:
Dhara and
BULLDOG