[Marxism] Guns, Gun Rights, NRA

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hunter,
 while being a defender of the 2nd Amendment and a gunowner myself
(Mossberg 500A, 12 gauge pump) and in general agreement with you, I
take issue on two things:

1. The NRA does everything you say, and then some. It's major lobbyist
for "more cops" as if that solves the answer to crime, it's a major
lobbyist for rightwing politicians and gives scads of dough to 'em.
Generally speaking, it's a petty-bourgeois rightwing organization. It
doesn't mean it can't do good things, especially their training for
youngsters. I'm in the process of trying to get my 13 year old son into
an NRA Gun Safety course, hoping he takes up match shooting (I did
Biathlon -- skiing and shooting -- when I was his age). But one can
still see the very pro-capitalist right-wing politics in the NRA's
publications.

2. For a gunner owner I find it surprising you can come up with a
statement like "... Action wise, the "assault rifles" are no different
than a kid's .22 semi-automatic available, say, at
a discount store." (!!!!) Hunter, do you think anyone on this list
really understand what "action wise" really means?? This is a cheap way
of clouding up what are quite real differences between say, a Marlin
.22 semi-automatic with 14 shot tubular magazine and *maybe* fires at
maybe 120 rounds a minute (after reloading one at at time into the
magazine after the 14th is fired) and a converted P90 submachine gun
firing 50 rounds in about 2 seconds. There is simply no comparison and
while I agree that the gun ban was dumb on so many levels, it doesn't
do justice to our side of this question when someone as smart and
experienced as you when it comes to politics and guns uses 'facts' that
are more akin to what I hear from right-wing radio talk show host than
someone who really understands the issue.

David


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