So the Big O finally came out and said what everybody knew he wanted all along. Pragmatism kept him from saying this except through proxies till now, but he’s got nothing left to lose now: I doubt there’s enough undecided voters left in the country to fill a Prius, and now the trick will be to get “your” voters to actually show up.
It’s ironic as hell that Romney gets to be the “pro-gun” candidate just by keeping his mouth shut on the subject, aside from vague, Romneyesque blather about “supporting the second amendment.” He’s no more your friend than Obama is, and anybody who thinks he is should get some sort of gullibility award.
I know that lots of honest-hearted people get worked up about a new weapons ban. I sympathize, but I don’t share the concern. If you aren’t already stocked by now you haven’t been paying attention for a very long time. Frankly I’ll hate to see another buying frenzy like the one four years ago, but if Obama wins there’ll doubtless be another.
So here are my carefully-considered predictions for the near future in regard to “gun control” laws: Either Romney or Obama will win the presidential election. Either republicans or democrats will control the house and/or senate. Someone will or will not introduce another sweeping ban. It will or will not be voted on. It will or will not pass.
If it passes, prices will rise. Things will continue to deteriorate, but the apocalypse will fail to arrive. If the government demands certain guns get turned in, millions upon millions of middle fingers will rise in response.
It’s the American thing to do.
“If the government demands certain guns get turned in, millions upon millions of middle fingers will rise in response.”
I used to believe that also. Now I’m not so sure. If by millions and millions you mean maybe 10% of gun owners, tops, you may be right. I really don’t think this is the home of the brave anymore. It hasn’t been the land of the free for a really long time. I do agree that nothing ever changes as a result of an election.
I’d peg it at better than 10%, though maybe not a lot better depending on the circumstances. There are a lot of gun owners and they’re not all fudds.
…Granted, a lot of them are…
All I know is I am going to continue stocking up on……. things. Stuff, as it were. Items. Articles as investment vehicles.
I would remind The pessimist that here in the Peoples Republic of Applied Stupidity(California) there was a bit of a ban. I, being a dutiful member of law abiding society took several rifles out of Cali to a safe haven in another freer state where they remain to this day.
There were a total of 13000 firearms registered as part of the “you can keep them so long as we know where to come get them but promise we never will” registry.
Many were not even qualified for the registry….like one muzzle loader that made the AW registry. The problem being the entire US supply of AR-15 rifles was sent to Cali in the months before the effective date of the ban. I remember a friend in Colorado saying he couldn’t get an AR or Robinson Arms something or another and it was our fault. Bushmaster alone sent more than 8000.
There were a few turned in, including a number of arms not to be restricted.
So, a few hundred were turned in, including rimfires that were not part of the issue at hand.
A small fraction of the actual number thought to be within borders were registered.
A metric shit ton of all manner of soon to be restricted firearms were sold in the months leading to the ban and there are no real accurate numbers on the arms already in the state.
To this day there has never been a mass seizure or voluntary hand in. I am certain many out of state transplant imported rifles not knowing the legal issue.
I have doubts there were many who had someone out of state to hold onto their guns like I have.
Somewhere along the line the state got a big fuck you from a LOT of gun owners including many who took possession just hours before the ban.
I’d say millions nationwide is a good conservative bet.