Thursday

12 October 2017

— low flying gray clouds against a higher overcast of silver.

Good Morning All,

Not everyone was too tickled pink by my gun-control natter with the 3 October Day Book. Four responses, two saying I was too conservative and did not go far enough to argue against the gun madness in America. Two saying I was too liberal, and that more gun laws were not required, and that it was a shame 300 million law-abiding American citizens had to have their rights threatened because of a few nutcases.

I was tempted to say that if the writer could find even 300 law-abiding citizens in America, I would personally buy him or her a set of matching AK-47s.

One other person was of the opinion the train had long since left the station as far as gun-control in America is concerned, since there are already so many of them around. 

I went surfing on the Net a bit and found some interesting statistics from the BBC:

1. Guns account for 64% of the homicides in America. (In England and Wales, it is 4.5%.)

2. The BBC estimates there are 89 guns for every 100 residents in America. (Yemen is next with 54; Canada has 30.)

3. Handguns account for about two thirds of the murders in the US, rifles about a quarter.

4. Assault rifles go for about $1,500, roughly the price of a MacBook; handguns $200.00.

5. According to a Gallup poll, 75% of Americans oppose banning handguns. (In 1959, 60% said there should be a ban.)

6. 22% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans favor allowing "concealed carry" in more places.

7. 25% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans believe teachers and officials should be allowed to carry guns while in school. (God, I would have loved that! “All right, any of you that don’t have today’s homework, line up over there under the flag.")

8. Since 2012, the National Rifle Association has spent between $3 and $4 million annually on lobbying.

Given all those cheery statistics, I found myself slipping into an old habit. At school, when some controversial topic came up (such as—surprisingly enough--the relative importance of honesty in one’s daily relationships), I would create a batch of survey questions, ask my students to answer them anonymously, and then—usually during a last period of the day when we are all dragging a bit—I’d put the results up on the board and sit back to watch the feathers fly.

I have, alas, done a fourteen—mostly yes/no—question survey on the 2nd Amendment and Gun Control. Whether you are an American citizen or not, I am hoping that as many as ten of you may have the time to send me your responses. I’ll include myself, and of course not name anyone else.  If I get ten, I’ll print the results in a few days. If not, the heck with it! 

Go Well and Stay Well,

Bheka

P.S. Two Holly snaps:

 

                           A Survey of the 2nd Amendment and Gun Control

Here is the 2^nd Amendment: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

1. Of the three, which comes closest to identifying your politics?

            A. Conservative      B. Moderate  C. Liberal

2. What is your age?

            A. Under 40              B. 40 to 60     C. Over 60.

3. In the 2^nd Amendment, what do you believe the phrase the people to mean?

            A. A state’s citizens collectively  B. Each individual citizen  C. Both A&B

4. Do you believe an individual citizen has the right to own a deer rifle?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

5. Do you believe an individual has the right to own a fowling piece, a shotgun?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

6. Do you believe an individual has the right to keep a handgun in the house?   A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

7. Do you believe ordinary citizens (not bank guards and such) have the right to carry concealed weapons?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

8. Do you believe an individual has the right to own semi-automatic firearms?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

9. Do you believe kits for making semi-automatic weapons fully automatic should be legally allowed?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

10. Do you believe the occasional mass murders are the price we have to pay to insure the 2^nd Amendment rights of 300 million law-abiding American citizens?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

11. Given the every increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots in America, already—according to many historians—near a critical breaking point, do you worry there will be armed rebellion in our life time, or in our children’s life time? 

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

12. As a guess, which group do you think has the most guns?

            A. Working class                 B. Middle Class       C. Upper class

13. The NRA likes to argue that gun deaths would decline if there were better mental health care available in America. Do you feel the average NRA member would support funding for better mental health care in America?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided

14. It is estimated that there are 89 firearms for every 100 people in America. Given that, do you believe stricter gun-control laws will reduce the number of gun deaths in America?

            A. Yes                        B. No              C. Undecided