Which States Take Gun Laws Seriously?
by Spocko
The above video is designed to tell people which states are better for criminals who want to get guns.
It is designed to be funny. It’s a Funny or Die video, so you can vote on it.
Part of comedy is timing. One of the challenges when talking about guns in America is timing.
Right after a major shooting emotions are high. It’s not usually the time to be funny.
Some people think steps should be taken to have fewer gun deaths and they want to do something right NOW! But they are reminded “NOW is NOT the time! The bodies aren’t even cold! Have some respect, damn it!” I think that respect is important. I also think that anger scares moderate people. So they counsel patience.
Folks say, “Don’t confront the people saying, ‘My 2nd Amendment rights trump your dead child.'” Don’t rub their selfish noses in their comments after a shooting. Be polite. Plus, they might be armed. (Guns everywhere people love knowing you know that.)
The weapons manufacturers’ PR people and lobbyists understand emotions. They remind people that this time the “gun grabbers” are really going to do something! So now is a great time to buy more guns! “Get ’em before they are taken away!”
And it works. There’s always a story from a gun dealer after a big shooting, The owner boasting, “We sold out of our [note to self: Insert correct weapon nomenclature to prove I know guns, or incorrect names because it will piss them off. ] inventory in 2 hours!”
At the end of the day more guns are sold. They win. They used their bases’ emotion to sell product. Our base was tamped down.
But the gun lobbyists aren’t done.
Between major shootings the NRA and weapons’ lobbyists play the long game.
They use hot emotion to sell more guns. Then they use the cool cash from that at the state level to pass Kill at Will Laws (aka Stand your Ground) and keep loopholes open.
If we aren’t supposed to use our hot emotions to change things, what do we do? Use cool logic and reason for education and change.
This is the time to help the people who are working between the hot news events. They can’t fund their work with more weapons sales after each shooting like the gun lobby.
So pick a group to help now. Here are some action links to the Brady Campaign and my friends in others, Everytown, The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and National Gun Victims Action Council
Then, when the next big shooting happens, you won’t be accused of making this specific tragedy political. You have taken the heat of your emotion from the previous tragedy and coolly and logically helped change attitudes, fixed loopholes and worked to reduce violent gun deaths.
Some of you might not be able to handle this method. You want your emotions to fuel you. If so, then start thinking now how to better channel them, like the gun lobby does.
The “good” news is you won’t have to wait long to start using your hot emotions for change—the next major shooting is only days away.