I Wrote This Back In April Of 2010
Dec. 23rd, 2019 04:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nebrisDear Progressives,
You know that whole 'insanity is the keep doing the same thing and expect different results' paradigm? Well, now that y'all got your ass kicked again on Gun Control, how about trying a new tack?
First, let's have a little context. The 1994 Assault Gun Ban was a toothless charade that lost Al Gore his home state which then allowed the GOP to steal the election. [yes, they stole it] And if you think that a Gore White House would have been just as bad as the Bush White House, I recommend you go commit suicide right now so the rest of us can get on with serious work.
Anyway, for better or worse, we Americans love our guns and we ain't giving them up. Period. For those who hate guns...you simply get to deal with that.
Now, a 'new tack'. For those who truly want to start ending gun related homicides, how about we focus on ending The War on Drugs? Roughly half the gun deaths in this country are Drug War related and gun control would have near zero effect upon those. For the Zero Guns crowd, keep Prohibition in mind; that only made matters worse.
The War on Drugs is a National Disaster of Absolute Proportions. It has turned our Inner Cities into War Zones. It has turned us into the largest jailer on the planet. It has gutted the 4th Amendment. It has militarized and corrupted our law enforcement. It has started and funded a civil war on our southern border that has killed over 50,000 people. It has ruined the lives of millions of Americans who did little more than get a bit buzzed. And not only has it 'not' stopped drug abuse, the drugs are stronger and more readily available to the point where we cannot even keep them out of our prisons.
Fighting to end The War on Drugs restores Civil Rights, not denies them. It is a much easier social goal to sell. And it would save lives in ways that Gun Control cannot as this is a multifaceted Social Justice Issue effecting Race, Poverty and Gangs.
So please, instead of doubling down on this futile battle, refocus upon ending The War on Drugs. It won't be easy. There are Vested Interests here that will make the NRA look like amateurs and they will fight to defend their turf. But if you truly honestly believe in 'ending gun violence' this is the best place to start.
And you would also have the support of many of us who have fought you over Gun Rights. Given what happened to Al Gore – and this country – the 2000 Election, such a shift could profoundly change our political landscape in many other ways, as well.
Please, think seriously about this...
You know that whole 'insanity is the keep doing the same thing and expect different results' paradigm? Well, now that y'all got your ass kicked again on Gun Control, how about trying a new tack?
First, let's have a little context. The 1994 Assault Gun Ban was a toothless charade that lost Al Gore his home state which then allowed the GOP to steal the election. [yes, they stole it] And if you think that a Gore White House would have been just as bad as the Bush White House, I recommend you go commit suicide right now so the rest of us can get on with serious work.
Anyway, for better or worse, we Americans love our guns and we ain't giving them up. Period. For those who hate guns...you simply get to deal with that.
Now, a 'new tack'. For those who truly want to start ending gun related homicides, how about we focus on ending The War on Drugs? Roughly half the gun deaths in this country are Drug War related and gun control would have near zero effect upon those. For the Zero Guns crowd, keep Prohibition in mind; that only made matters worse.
The War on Drugs is a National Disaster of Absolute Proportions. It has turned our Inner Cities into War Zones. It has turned us into the largest jailer on the planet. It has gutted the 4th Amendment. It has militarized and corrupted our law enforcement. It has started and funded a civil war on our southern border that has killed over 50,000 people. It has ruined the lives of millions of Americans who did little more than get a bit buzzed. And not only has it 'not' stopped drug abuse, the drugs are stronger and more readily available to the point where we cannot even keep them out of our prisons.
Fighting to end The War on Drugs restores Civil Rights, not denies them. It is a much easier social goal to sell. And it would save lives in ways that Gun Control cannot as this is a multifaceted Social Justice Issue effecting Race, Poverty and Gangs.
So please, instead of doubling down on this futile battle, refocus upon ending The War on Drugs. It won't be easy. There are Vested Interests here that will make the NRA look like amateurs and they will fight to defend their turf. But if you truly honestly believe in 'ending gun violence' this is the best place to start.
And you would also have the support of many of us who have fought you over Gun Rights. Given what happened to Al Gore – and this country – the 2000 Election, such a shift could profoundly change our political landscape in many other ways, as well.
Please, think seriously about this...