Why the NRA wins. (4)

[rrneck]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

If conservatives were left to run the country you’d have, well, what we’ve got. They’re just not very good at it. From human rights, economic parity, environmental protection, and international relations if you study what they do and then do exactly the opposite you’ll get it right. But they do one thing very well. They follow orders and fight. That’s right up their alley. That’s why they’re big on the military and guns. Guns have become their sacred totem. They rally around them like moths to a flame and the NRA makes money hand over fist cheerleading for their cause.

For liberals guns have become an anti-totem because they symbolize everything liberals would rightfully like to avoid. Guns are made to kill people, and killing people is wrong every time no matter the reason. If we want to survive as a species we have to learn to get along with each other and share the resources available to us.

Unfortunately, the more we embrace liberal ideology, the further we are drawn from the actual problem itself. Liberal public policy attempts to nurture a way to a solution by progressively micro-managing the economic, social, and cultural chain of custody related to firearms. They are efforts to create a support network that grows from impractical to absurd the more passionately one embraces nurturing as way to deal with violence after the assault has begun.

Mutual support and cooperation between citizens is how successful civilizations thrive. The chaos of violence, whether it happens between individuals or entire countries, is uncivilized, which is to say the network of cooperative nurturing has failed and does not exist. The absence of civilization and a means to deal with it lies beyond the ken most of liberal ideology. We simply don’t know what to do when the fight starts. Unfortunately, conservatives sit around and wait for that eventuality.

In the pantheon of human affairs liberal ideology works best almost all of the time. But there is one instance where the conservatives have us beat hands down. And when we venture out of the ivory tower of ideological theory into the real world, we will meet real live people that know that no matter how hard we may try, humans aren’t perfect and sometimes we fall to fighting. And the NRA sees the potential in that ghoulish market and exploits it to the fullest. And that’s why they win

[SecularMotion]

1. Are you done now?

[rrneck]

2. Maybe.

At least I posted it in the right place. You got a better theory?

[clffrdjk]

4. What the heck are you complaining about?

[friendly_iconoclast]

5. You prohibitionists should examine *why* you're not doing well

A good first step would be to quit underestimating the intelligence
of your opponents (read thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1172136130

for examples of said underestimation - "don't listen to what the lips say,
watch what the hands do."...

[NYC_SKP]

8. In the most perverse way, a shooting incident or incidents, especially at a school....

Has a profound effect on people.

My reaction is one of sadness with the divisive level of communication among different camps.

Others' reactions seem, sometimes, to be disturbingly, shall I say, opportunistic or animated.

I can't say more than this about that.

In the end, as most of us paying attention understand, we are seeing a demonstrable drop in violent gun crime and even fewer mass shootings (but for the tricky changes in definition and data collection), and more legislation passed that favors a second amendment than laws that do not.

[Eleanors38]

3. Gun bans are liberal pet-reactionary impulses...

Most often "reactionary policy" aptly describes conservative thought, but the anti-gun outlook serves as a well of reaction in some liberal circles. Since the late 60s, when the outlook gained some credence, it has remained remarkably unchanged.
The emphasis is on bans, many of which have, as you say, an incremental in character. The ban de jour is always "a good beginning," a thunderous telegraph of ultimate intent to any opposition. The proudly studious ignorance of firearms in general & the object to be banned in particular. The lazy reliance on mass MSM editorial and "news" to conjure some poorly-conceived "movement." The suspect studies and sloppy psychological tagging. The top-down federal ban approach. The vivid culture war smear and hate directed "officially" at the fat, dumb, white male NRA, but unofficially at tens of millions of gun-owners. And the refusal to see the political damage to would-be efforts at change, the image of liberalism, the Party's prospects and to the prohibitionists' own viability.

That unchanging element. If that doesn't sum up reaction, I don't know what does.

[friendly_iconoclast]

6. Also, culture warriors are loathe to change direction...

...and generally don't react well when their wishes are stymied. So when they
don't get what they wan't, they will not act in ways that a normal adult will
when they see that things aren't working as planned, i.e. attempt to compromise.

The moral crusader/culture warrior will instead double down and intensify
the portrayals of their enemies as depraved and/or stupid. We've seen it here at DU with guns
and also in the MSM with antidrug 'advocates':

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/patrick-kennedy-on-marijuana-destroys-the-brain-and-expedites-psychosis/2013/01/08/795a20ae-59e3-11e2-88d0-c4cf65c3ad15_blog.html

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/01/sheriffs_cheer_pot_shot_say_dea_chief_ripped_obama_remarks

[MO_Moderate]

7. The NRA "wins"

because some people mistakenly believe they are why most Americans support the 2nd Amendment.

[spin]

9. Interesting series and a worthwhile read. Thanks. (n/t)

[ManiacJoe]

10. Excellent essay!

It is good to see that some people understand the world we live in.

You should post more of these essays.

[Eleanors38]

11. These essays should be in GD. Excellent summary of the arguments,

and beneficial for DUers who are not as involved with gun issues.

[rrneck]

12. Thanks. I considered an x-post

but they really don't belong there. Anything about guns needs to be really big news or at least really unusual to find it's way to GD. It's hard enough to host that group without me pushing the envelope.

[NYC_SKP]

13. Kicking. nt