The Credible Hulk vs NRA Puppets

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to guns and ammo, we have decided to no longer be solutions oriented?

Can you imagine if after 9/11, we said..."Welp..these lawless people are going to attack us no matter what we did and I want to continue to do what I want so we shouldn't make any changes."

Or after a plane crashed into a field killing everyone on board, we said, "Nothing we can do here. Planes are just going to crash so need to investigate and figure out how we don't let this happen again."

Or "Adults and minors are going to drive drunk and there's nothing we can do about these people and there's no need to make any changes to laws to stop this"

Ironically, there have been A LOT of regulations on alcohol to help save lives and minimize deaths caused by the combination of alcohol and cars:

• Make it more difficult for minors to get it
• Make it more difficult for for drunk people to get more of it
• Make it more difficult for repeated drunk driver offenders to even turn their car on
• Even innovations in car safety (air bags for example) to make cars safer 
• Education components help too...lots of efforts and funding for education and awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and alcohol consumption in general.

All of these things have helped to reduce alcohol related accidents and deaths over the years. It helps when the industry is on board as well. Ever notice how pretty much ALL alcoholic beverage companies promote being safe, social drinking and strongly discourage their consumers from drinking and driving?

Why has the gun debate limited our ability to find any solutions?

Why has the guns and ammo industry done very little to improve safety of their products and educate the consumers who purchase them? 

They only participation they have is to promote fear and propoganda of losing our guns and encouraging us to buy more.

I've been having lots of lively debates about this the last few days and everytime, I am met with, "It's only lawless people who commit violent gun crimes. Changing gun laws won't do a damn thing because criminals are going to be criminals no matter what we do. Changing gun laws will only punish me and limit my ability to buy guns and ammo. And by the way, you are an idiot if you think any of this will work and I just hope you never are in a situation to have to use a gun to defend yourself b/c your single shot BB gun won't work"

Leaving the last sentence alone for the moment because it is so typical to get personal on controversial issues like these...I've "gone there" myself from time to time. But seriously...if you follow the logic of this argument, it leads to this: "Gun laws won't stop criminals. Gun laws only punish me and prohibit me from buying the guns and ammo I want so therefore, my desire for guns and ammo is more important than making any changes that could make it harder for guns to get into the hands of criminals. In conclusion, it's more important for me to have guns than it is to do anything different that may save lives. I won't even consider any changes to existing policy because it will mean I can't get my guns."

Once again...fear driven consumption trumps common sense. The Gun Lobby has to be one of the most effective lobby's on the planet.

 

 

Even when I provide facts and statistics showing how smart alcohol regulations and eduction drastically reduced alcohol related deaths over the years, "It doesn't matter. Your 'statistics' won't work for guns. It doesn't change the real world situation". (Yes, they really put statistics in quotation marks and then proceed to tell me they are slanted.)  

Huh?? For anyone who knows me, I try my best to put the complete story out there and that is why I use facts and data. Sigh...I realize data is hard for some people when they've dug their heals in and refuse to consider another viewpoint. And when the data and stats lead to smart regulations with real, effective results, people just can't handle it and that is when they get personal. Lame.

I choose to research as much as possible and the first place I start is with the opposing point of view. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" thing...Ugg! I hate to even say that because treating each other as enemies is why nothing productive gets done in our government. The Godfather just seems to have the best quotes though! 

Don't get me wrong...I can take the heat. I'm not afraid to "Go to the mattresses." Hehe! Like I said, I like to engage with people...especially when they feel differently than I do on issues. The thrill of the chase I suppose...I do secretely hope I can get them to see my side and I hope for an engaging, solutions oriented dialogue. Sometimes I get just that and it is refreshing and rewarding.

But most of the time, I am just confronted with belligerent, angry puppets. If they feel so passionately about their viewpoint, I can totally respect that but what I don't understand is the eager and enthusiastic willingness to remain completely misinformed and often ignorantly regurgitating talking points when you have no idea if they are true or not. To add insult to injury, when someone gives them the data and stats contradicting what they believe to be true, they continue to cling to their puppet master strings. Double Lame.

A friend of mine sent me this Credible Hulk image and told me that it reminded her of me so I'm just going to embrace it even if I piss people off. I'm thankful for the time I spend researching and educating myself on issues that are important to me and I'm proud to be grounded in how I feel about what I've learned :-)