The Fake Arguments Against Guns

I was watching Morning Joe today while getting for work and I could do nothing but shake my head at the ignorance being spouted by every single person on the panel. Joe Scarborough, Andrea Mitchell, Mika Brzezinski, Donnie Deutsch, Richard Wolffe and Mike Barnicle put on a virtual clinic. They could have called it, “How To Purposely Misinform Television Viewers.”

Morning Joe represents only a sliver of the nonsense being spouted about guns from everybody to television commentators to Hollywood stars. Rather than quoting Goebbels regarding lying, which will do nothing but get people all self righteous about being “compared to a Nazi” I will instead quote George Constanza:

“It’s not a lie, if you believe it.”

From Morning Joe to Piers Morgan, Hollywood celebrities and preening politicians, the distortions, smears, half-truths and outright lies people have been telling since the tragedy at Sandy Hook has been nothing short of astonishing. One would expect such tactics in the bowels of places such as Thing Progress and Media Matters (though such stupidity is expected and not at all surprising coming from Hollywood liberals) but when people who believe themselves to be journalists and “news” people start taking sides in such a debate, then somebody has to step in and say, “Stop.”

What’s worse is not only are they not content to lie about their position, they are happy to smear those who disagree with them as “extremists” or worse yet, be told that by not agreeing to their terms on gun control measures that you “want more dead children.” Want. As though we’re sitting around twisting our mustaches cackling gleefully awaiting the next mass shooting at a school. It’s a another form of the “Racist!” accusation. I It has nothing to do with debating an issue. It is all about you shutting your mouth if you do no agree with their position.

Joe Scarborough has routinely taken the route of calling anybody that doesn’t support a ban on AR-15′s an “extremist” or a “survivalist” that only wants those guns because we’re preparing for the coming war with our own government. He justifies this by using anecdotal examples of his “hunter friends” who say people have absolutely no reason to hunt with an AR-15. Of course, this does not jive with the facts as many people use AR-15′s to hunt. It’s usually for smaller game such as squirrels and beaver in large part because the .223 caliber according to some, is not powerful enough to kill deer.

I have witnessed on Twitter, Toure and Richard Wolffe on ‘Morning Joe’ both make statements that claim it is easier to get a gun in this country than it is to get a car. Hogwash. First of all, any adult over the age of 18 can purchase a car. You don’t even need to have a license to purchase a vehicle. You are not required to undergo a criminal background check to purchase a car.

“Nobody wants to take your guns” is another common refrain. “That is not going to happen.” Except it has happened. Following Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans began confiscating legally owned firearms in violation of the 2nd and 5th amendments. Since the Heller decision was not yet decided, the city of New Orleans argued in their case (which was brought by the NRA, thankfully) that such confiscations were perfectly legal because Americans did not have a constitutional right to own a gun. Of course, they seemed to have forgotten about that pesky 5th amendment in their gun grab as well. Do not tell me something won’t happen when we already have examples of it happening.

Finally, one of the weakest arguments people bring up is the “need” argument. “Why do you need a gun like that?” “Nobody needs an AR-15 with a thirty round clip.” (Note to Joe Scarborough, stop saying, “High magazine clips.” You sound stupid). Let’s get this straight:

Constitutional rights are not predicated on need.

I cannot stand pornography. People think it is harmless but it has destroyed families and ruined lives. There are people involved in the making of these films who are basically slaves. Nobody needs to watch pornography. Nobody needs to own it. Yet people do. The first amendment protects that right.

Nobody needs to be safe and secure in their homes from police searches if they have not done anything wrong, but they are. The 4th amendment protects that right.

Nazis do not need to march in Skokie, Illinois to spout their hate and ignorance, but they do because the first amendment protects their right to do so.

Therefore, I don’t have to provide to Joe Scarborough, Piers Morgan, Toure or anybody else justification for why I want to own a gun, whether it is a S&W .22 handgun or a Bushmaster AR-15.

If they don’t want one, they don’t have to own one. But if they or anybody else wants to provide justification for banning them, it’s high time they started using some intellectually honest reasons for wanting to do so.