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Anti-gun Bias Drives Cars-n-Guns Rant

Friday, November 15, 2013

A Bloomberg news article several weeks ago pushed one of the ideas present among the 23 "gun violence reduction executive actions" President Obama issued earlier this year.

The executive action called for "the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies." For several decades, anti-gun activists have hoped to subject the manufacture of firearms to the regulatory authority of the BATFE or Consumer Products Safety Commission, with the intent that those agencies would impose "safety"-related manufacturing requirements that no firearm manufacturer could meet, without the resulting firearm costing more than consumers would be capable of paying.

The Bloomberg article argued that deaths due to motor vehicle accidents had decreased over the years, and that because there are almost as many deaths involving firearms as ones due to vehicle accidents, firearms should possess fingerprint scanners to prevent their use by unauthorized individuals.

Noting that the NRA does not support mandating that such gadgetry be incorporated into firearms, the article added, "Eventually, public demands to protect human life will overcome the gun lobby's interest in maximizing gun sales and promoting right-wing ideology."

We could respond by saying "yawn," because the notion that NRA exists to sell guns, rather than to promote and protect the rights of its members is about as tired and worn-out a canard as can be found in the debate over the Second Amendment. And we assume that the nearly-as-tired bit about "right-wing ideology" was included because left-wingers were the article's target audience.

Two other things about the article are more objectionable, however. First is its pretense that firearms have no individual or societal value. Surely, the author of the article would agree that being able to drive motor vehicles is a good thing for individuals and for the country generally, and that the 30,000-plus deaths due to motor vehicle accidents are a regrettable price that we pay in this country, for the benefits that motor vehicle use provide. But there is no similar recognition of the fact that firearms are used to defend against criminals, and that the widespread ownership of firearms deters criminal enterprise generally.

Second, the article compares motor vehicle accidents to firearm-related accidents, murders and suicides. The problems with that are obvious enough: motor vehicle accident deaths outnumber firearm accident deaths by more than 50 to one, and the vast majority of murders and suicides are deliberate acts that gun "technology" could not possibly prevent.

Coincidentally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced this week that in 2012, motor vehicle accident deaths increased to 33,561, a 3.3 percent increase over 2011. That makes the Bloomberg article's headline--"Why Guns Will Soon Top Cars on List of Killers"--even more foolish that it otherwise would have been.

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Guide To The Interstate Transportation Of Firearms

Gun Laws  

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Guide To The Interstate Transportation Of Firearms

CAUTION: Federal and state firearms laws are subject to frequent change. This summary is not to be considered as legal advice or a restatement of law.

Here We Go Again: Anti-gun States Simultaneously Sue Law-Abiding Gunmaker

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Friday, December 13, 2024

Here We Go Again: Anti-gun States Simultaneously Sue Law-Abiding Gunmaker

Last week, the anti-gun attorneys general of Minnesota and New Jersey filed nearly simultaneous lawsuits against firearm maker Glock, essentially claiming the company was violating the laws of those states by making guns that are too easy to illegally ...

Concealed Carry Permit, Gun Sale Numbers Stay Strong in 2024

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Monday, December 16, 2024

Concealed Carry Permit, Gun Sale Numbers Stay Strong in 2024

The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) has released the latest in its series of annual reports on trends in concealed carry permits in America.

Michigan: Final Push to Limit Gun Rights as Session Clock Runs Down

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Michigan: Final Push to Limit Gun Rights as Session Clock Runs Down

With only a few days left in the session, anti-gun legislators are doing everything they can to pass additional legislation restricting the Second Amendment rights of Michigan citizens. The legislation below could be taken up ...

Michigan: Anti-Gun Legislation Passed in the Middle of the Night Heads To Governor’s Desk

Friday, December 20, 2024

Michigan: Anti-Gun Legislation Passed in the Middle of the Night Heads To Governor’s Desk

With the sun setting on the 2023-2024 legislative session, yesterday the Michigan Senate held a marathon session lasting over 24 hours. While citizens were sleeping, anti-gun lawmakers were able to pass two pieces of legislation, ...

Maine: Prepare for Progressives to Attack Your Hunting Rights

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Maine: Prepare for Progressives to Attack Your Hunting Rights

While 2024 may be winding down now, the 2025 legislative session is about to heat up, and radical anti-gun progressive politicians are already planning new ways to strip you of your fundamental rights.  

Gun Control Activists Cite “Loopholes” in CEO’s Murder, Ignore Facts and Law

News  

Monday, December 16, 2024

Gun Control Activists Cite “Loopholes” in CEO’s Murder, Ignore Facts and Law

Predictably, gun control activists are citing the cold-blooded Manhattan murder of health insurance executive Brian Thompson to call for more gun control, particularly in the hot-button areas of “ghost guns” and “3D printed firearms.” 

NYC Subway More Dangerous Than the Gridiron?

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Monday, December 16, 2024

NYC Subway More Dangerous Than the Gridiron?

Violent crime in New York City has been a growing concern over the last few years.  

Michigan: Take Action Against Anti-Gun Legislation TODAY!

Friday, December 13, 2024

Michigan: Take Action Against Anti-Gun Legislation TODAY!

With lame duck session in full swing, Michigan Democrats are doing everything they can to pass additional anti-gun legislation. Last night, the Senate passed, among other things, legislation that would restrict home-built firearms and ban ...

Canada Announces New Gun Bans, More Gun Control on the Horizon

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Monday, December 9, 2024

Canada Announces New Gun Bans, More Gun Control on the Horizon

On December 5, at a late afternoon press conference in Ottawa, Canada’s federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced that 324 additional makes and variants of rifles would be added to the 2020 list of ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.