The National Rifle Association just blasted reporters with the results of a recent survey of its members, touting a popular sentiment to deny guns to the mentally ill. Now, if you ask me, all members of NRA must be mentally ill. But as a friend of mine argued, “That’s not fair to mentally ill people.”
Among other issues, the NRA found members don’t want the government to take away all their guns:
Key Findings:
91% of NRA members support laws keeping firearms away from the mentally ill.
92% of NRA members oppose gun confiscation via mandatory buy-back laws.
89% oppose banning semi-automatic firearms, often mistakenly called “assault rifles”.
93% oppose a law requiring gun owners to register with the federal government.
92% oppose a new federal law banning the sale of firearms between private citizens.
The only reason to ask that question—do you think the government should seize all guns?—and promote their reply is if NRA members believe that an actual, potentially real, not-a-parody-of-itself-but-totally-genuine policy is on the horizon to do that. But if they believe in that outlandish scenario, if they actually think that’s part of the debate about gun control in America right now, they aren’t just mentally ill. They’re totally fucking nuts.
The full results of their batshit crazy poll are here.
Well, this is just about the dumbest reporting I’ve seen on the Mercury, ever. You beat Paul Constant, congratulations. I think Dominic Holden missed how political polling works: the NRA were sending out a survey to all of their members so they could work with politicos to draft legislation that matches the desires of their members. The NRA is concerned about gun confiscation because senior members of the Obama administration (Biden, Holden, et al) have made public statements that gun owners find alarming, and they regularly meet with advocacy groups that call for the prohibition of all privately owned firearms. The “Mandatory buy-back” is also called the Australian Model, it’s certainly what some advocates and politicos are looking for.
Also, the NRA does not represent many gun owners, if I were a unbiased journalist(obviously Dominic is not this) I would check in with the Gun Owners of America (GOA), they are an actual advocacy group. The NRA is just a front for the Republicans, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, especially when the endorsed Romney instead of Obama, even though it’s clear that Obama does not have (and never has) a strong desire to enact gun legislation.
With such incendiary hatred and bigotry against other American citizens, are any of you really surprised that more than half of this country is stocking up for a civil war? Are you surprised that the vitriol you promote is sent back equally in return?
How about this: Knock this stupid name calling off. It just makes people mad, it’s divisive, and it does nothing to expedite a dialog about *actual* reforms – instead this create barriers. So, thank Dominic Holden for enabling the unnecessary violence against innocent people by building roadblocks about meaningful reforms. No reason to understand why people own guns, just call them all “totally fucking nuts” and laugh it up, wonder why nothing gets done.
Did you read the whole poll though? The headline taken with the summary is misleading.
From question 18, 72.5% of the NRA members in that poll agree with the notion that Obama’s ultimate goal is the confiscation of many types of currently legal guns. The way the summary is written, it makes it look like 92% of NRA members think Obama is coming for their guns.
Just because a person is opposed to something does not automatically mean they think it will actually happen. I am opposed to every newspaper article requiring government approval prior to publishing, but I also don’t think that is going to happen either.
TINY ASS HAMBURGERS TINY ASS CHEESEBURGERS
There is no such thing as a “Little big burger.” Double-speak is government tyranny.
Damn you Sam Adams!
@ Fidelity Axiom, you seem intelligent. Why in the world would you this to be unbiased and not self serving sensationalism?
@The Showstopper – Ha! Fools you sucka. I ain’t that smart, I spent more time watching internet porn than on a college campus. Thanks Al Gore! I’m so dumb I don’t even understand your question…seriously, what do you mean? Could you rephrase?
I’ve been drinking since noon too, so I can see where you’re coming from, I just ain’t get’n it.