[Vision2020] A 2nd amendment argument against the NRA plan

[Paul Rumelhart]

I had no idea the old assault weapons ban was so, well, silly.  Banning guns because they look tough?  Banning guns that are used in 2% of firearm-related crimes?

The biggest thing for me is the hype that these spree shooting events get.  A very small number of deaths compared to many other causes of death that are more prevalent and probably a better investment in terms of resources to boot.  So the anti-gun crowd will get some equally useless set of regulations, and our children will be no safer.  And someone exercising their Second Amendment rights will get demonized a little bit more.

Paul




________________________________
 From: Gary Crabtree <jampot at roadrunner.com>
To: Joe Campbell <philosopher.joe at gmail.com>; Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com> 
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2012 1:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] A 2nd amendment argument against the NRA plan
 

An interesting and informative article on the topic de 
jour from a different perspective:
 
http://kontradictions.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/why-not-renew-the-assault-weapons-ban-well-ill-tell-you/

Many thanks to the off-list participant who sent 
this to me. It sums up the problem (or lack there of) far better then I ever 
could.
 
g

From: Joe Campbell 
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2012 12:56 PM
To: Moscow Vision 2020 
Subject: [Vision2020] A 2nd amendment argument against the NRA 
plan
We've noted some specific criticisms of the NRA plan, raised by 
Saundra, Sunil, and others. Here is a general argument against the NRA plan 
which rests on some but not all of the specific criticisms. By the "NRA plan," I 
mean the plan to deal with our gun violence problem by putting armed forces in 
our schools (and presumably other public venues).

Since it is the NRA 
plan, if it is a good plan, it should preserve and be consistent with our 2nd 
amendment rights. Those rights are based on the need for protection of either of 
two forms: (a) protection against tyrannical governments as well as (b) the 
protection of your life, your interests, and the lives and interests of your 
family and friends. Thus, the NRA plan is justified by appeal to the 2nd 
amendment to the extent that it is based on and secures these type-a and type-b 
protections. Will the NRA better protect us from the threat of tyrannical 
governments or the threats of mass murderers, spree shooters, and other 
lunatics?

It is far from clear that the NRA plan will protect us from 
mass murderers and spree shooters and there is good reason to think that it will 
cause more harm. The fact is that these folks are SUICIDAL as well as homicidal. 
Until it can be shown that the NRA plan will protect us from harm rather than 
lead us to more harm it should not be taken seriously.

What about the 
need for semi-automatic weapons in order to form militias against a tyrannical 
government? Given this, we need a plan that won't put restrictions on 
semi-automatic weapons. Yet I don't see how putting armed government forces in 
every school in the country is going to increase the possibility of forming a 
militia to overtake a tyrannical government. It strikes me that forming a police 
state within the school system is exactly the wrong thing to do if your concern 
is that your government is taking away your freedom and is on the verge of 
becoming a tyranny.

Best, Joe

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