[Fwd: Re: guns and nazis (was: White trash)]

Katha Pollitt kpollitt at thenation.com
Tue Nov 16 18:51:24 PST 1999


Jordan Hayes wrote:


> If you believe, like many do, that registration is the first step
> to confiscation (help me out here England, Canada, Australia, and
> Californians ...), the ducks are being lined up in that direction.
>
> Interestingly (but not surprisingly) it's had an opposite effect
> on the marketplace: gun sales have gone through the roof with each
> new law. Also interestingly, gun crime hasn't risen with it, but
> of course you knew that already.
>
> /jordan

According to the Wall Street Journal (last few weeks), gun sales ARE down in US. Hunting is down, too, as people become more urbanized, also rifle clubs and other gun related activities. People are more safety conscious -- don't want their kids playing at houses with guns, and being involved with guns is becoming more socially stigmatized, rather as smoking is. That's why Colt (I think it's them) is cutting back on mass-market handguns, and manufacturers are talking about trigger locks and features like that. The WSJ says half the guns in US -- 100 million -- are owned by ten million enthusiasts. So actually, there are many more gunless Americans than you might think. and, not that Jordan necessarily cares the VAST majority of Americans want stricter gun control laws.

There's been a lot in print recently about the connections between gun ownership and suicide. Stronger than the gun and murder connection as the murder rate falls. of course, you can say, as one lefty progun friend of mine does, well tough if someone kills themselves. But when you consider who impulsive suicide is, especially with kids, I think there's a lot to worry about. and socialists aren't supposed to be quite so callous. Are they?

katha



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list