hypocrisy

Probably in its ultimate form, the dismissal of ideas ... consummated by simply declaring one as intellectually inferior. This can be extreme where one has significant knowledge of the topic in-question, and the other bases his argument on little more than limited first-hand experience and/or television.

Some have the capacity to learn that they, themselves, are hypocrites ... upon discovering that their opinion(s) were based on limited, or biased information. Unfortunately, many fall victim to those experienced in the art of deception ... to varying degrees of subtlety. This is most often achieved by way of statistical information. Many are unaware of the extent to which statistical information may be biased (ex. if a survey asked "do you believe it's ok to slaughter an 8mo-old fetus?", many people's answer would be quite different than "to save a woman's life, or had she been raped, should abortion be permitted?" ... to simply state a particular number of respondents are either for or against abortion would be entirely invalid).

People today are most influenced by television ... and to a lesser degree, movies. When was the last time you saw a tv show that depicted your average Joe averting tragedy with his own pistol? Or the story of how a youngster trains hard to win gold at the Olympics for the 25m Rapid-fire Pistol event? Contrast those with the last time you saw a criminal using a pistol in a despicable, if not cowardly fashion? Or the cop, with a deep-rooted sense of civic duty, reluctantly using his pistol to ... well ... do what must be done? And the news stories citing a pistol having been "brandished" ... leaving you to your imagination ... with no idea of the circumstances ... or to what extent said pistol was actually "brandished".

Then there are billionaires (yes, with a "b") funding movements aimed at nothing less than total civilian-owned firearm abolishment. Like PETA, these extremists put forth whatever statistical information suits them ... along with any news stories ... void of any extenuating circumstances ... that would make just about anyone want to ban laundry-detergent ... I mean, firearms.

Ask yourself these simple questions ...

Who would you trust more, the man who, on his own free time, being paid precisely $0, does his best to make sure your son or daughter is taught DNR Hunter's Safety such that it may save their life ... or a tv news anchor?

Who would you trust more, one billionaire and a few extremists who worship him ... or a few hundred thousand of your neighbors and co-workers? More importantly, would you prefer to take hundreds of thousands of votes away from your neighbors and co-workers and hand them over to one billionaire ... to apply to any election he desires?

Don't believe any such folks exist ... or are not after your average hunting guns? Ask a Brit or Austrailian why they are not legally permitted to own a Remington 870 pump shotgun. And if you think they actually are ... and I'm just making this up ... then you are in for a very big surprise someday. Remember the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban? Could you buy a new pistol magazine that held more than 10rd? Why not? Is a 15rd semi-automatic 9mm pistol an assault weapon? Just who, precisely, do you think is deciding what is, or is not an assault weapon. Once a law passes the majority of Congress, and is signed by the President ... which authorizes a list of assault weapons ... would any addition to that list also require such a passage by Congress and the President? Why is it that today, a Walther PPK can not be imported from Germany, but the same exact pistol, manufactured in the U.S. by S&W is just fine ... for now? Think it has to do with economics? Just how many people do you think actually purchase foreign-made pistols ... vs. cars, cameras, tv's ... hell ... you name it!

There are a very few, very well funded extremists trying very hard to convince a lot more people that we are all much better left to the protection of the police and military (look outside your window right now, you see them there, don't you?) ... than to allow law-abiding citizens the right to own and carry firearms ... all, supposedly, in the name of disarming criminals ... those who would ignore such laws, as is their nature (and the very definition of a criminal). I thought cocaine and heroin were illegal in the U.S.? That must mean that there are no criminals ... or at least an extremely low number of them ... who actually have any ... right?

Firearms have been around since the 1300's ... over 600 years ago. Some of the most effective firearms of today are virtually unchanged from their late 1800's and early 1900's designs. In other words, anyone with late 1800's manufacturing capabilities (i.e. Home Depot) can reproduce these in a matter of days ... if not hours.

During WWII, Britain actually had Germans landing on their shores ... without troops ... or their own firearms ... to defend themselves against certain death. Many U.S. citizens lent their own personal rifles to those Brits ... who, after they were no longer needed, proceeded to melt them down.

Over 3,000 people died in NYC in 2001 at the hands of a dozen terrorists. In New Orleans, not much later, cops were caught on tape ... looting. Some of their fellow officers were later caught ... on tape ... confiscating legally owned firearms from law-abiding citizens in their own homes.

No ... such tragedies would never strike you and yours ... it's simply not possible ... I know. To think otherwise is simply paranoia. But let's just pretend such a breakdown in civil services were to occur around your house ... cops looting ... rape gangs roaming your neighborhood with absolutely no fear ... and you're out of food and water for your wife and children. Flash your tie-dye t-shirt at 'em ... I'm sure they'll scatter like the roaches they are!

Just propaganda? Maybe. But what if it's the equivalent of one man pulling the fire alarm of both World Trade Center towers on the morning of September 11th, 2001 ... about 1/2 hour prior to the first jet? What if everything said here is 100% true ... and everything else to the contrary is analogous to a used-car salesman looking to rip you off ... for little more reason than to smile at himself in the mirror when he gets home ... that night?

Does watching more than a few episodes of Law and Order or CSI inherently make you an expert on all things firearms? Do you know the precise event which started the American Revolution? Do you know the intent of the authors of the 2nd Amendment? If the 2nd Amendment is obsolete, who's to say whether any of the others are or are not? If American Idol is the #1 tv program in the country, is whatever else, the majority of the U.S. population believes, best for the country?

For nearly a full year, every year, year after year, we tolerate 15yr-olds learning to handle 2,000 lbs, 70mph projectiles coming within inches of our own wives' minivans carrying our own children. And even then, insurance companies insure them ... charging them higher rates ... because they are expected to have more accidents than most anyone else. And what percentage of 15yr-olds are afforded this privilege? 90% ... 99% ... 99.9%? Those accidents are considered by everyone to be acceptable losses. Why? Because if they're not, eventually, no one will be able to drive a vehicle ... right? Every year, year after year, over 40,000 people die in car accidents (according the the CDC of the U.S. government).

Every year, year after year, a little over 700 people die in firearms-related accidents (according to the CDC of the U.S. government). How many hours of classroom and hands-on training do we afford our 15yr-olds ... across the country ... to help them become proficient enough with firearms? A right afforded to Americans ... second only to that of Free Speech.

And you're getting bent out of shape over a little wire-tapping? Ask yourself why ... and pay very close attention to your answer.