You may remember a bruhaha erupting over a Change.org petition suggesting that open carry of firearms be allowed at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. A number of gun rights activists apparently were suckered into signing the petition. Still others, like David Codrea at the War on Gun website thought this sounded like a stunt put up by anti-gun groups. It turns out that Codrea's instincts were correct. The man who launched the petition, one Jim (no last name) "just wanted to start a conversation" about gun control.
I can almost imagine Jim, sitting around with his buddies, and talking about how the Republicans just won't budge to compromise on guns. In their minds they think we treat guns as they do in movies: casually, and that we are always pointing them a people and killing all who stand in our way. Somehow the idea comes up: what if they allowed open carry at the Republican National Convention. Yeah, then they'd find out how WE feel. Poor oppressed Jim. Of course, if they actually knew anyone who carries concealed every day, they would perhaps understand the burden that goes with it. When someone carries potential lethal force around with him everyday, he must maintain control of his emotions. He can not afford an outburst that may escalate. He must be willing to let others crazy acts roll off his back, unless personally attacked with lethal force. It is not for the sitting around and playing at stupid games types.
Anti-gunners apparently never give up. Despite the noticeable lack of "blood in the streets" each and every time gun restrictions have been lifted, the anti-gun types still claim to be living in fear, and appealing to the general public to put their fears at rest by not carrying guns. But of course, such fears are irrational when taking into account the evidence (or lack thereof) of misdeeds performed by their neighbors and friends. Such irrational fears, also known as phobias, are internal to the person having the phobia, and can not be helped by external means. Until a person is willing to rid himself of a phobia, he will continue to have it. But, as with all unrealistic thinking of this sort, whether one believes oneself to be the reincarnation of Napoleon Bonaparte, or if one is a hoplophobe, the rest of society does not have to participate in the madness.
As to the "conversation" our hoplophobic Jim wanted to start, as I have pointed out in the past, we have had this conversation. We have had it over the course of the last 100+ years. I don't want to rehash that here, now. You can look it up and become educated about the gun and its use and abuse. I would point out that criminals are already prohibited for possessing or carrying guns. They do it anyway, because they couldn't get people to hand over their goods by simple persuasion.
Jim notes that he launched the Change.org petition because
I think they should have guns at their convention because I think that’s the only way to live in accordance with the principles they have tried to make us all live with.He is of course correct. I have had a few experiences being in large rooms full of people with guns on their hips, and the reason you have not heard about them is because nothing happened. We even had Ron Paul speak at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Louisville, KY when he was running for President. As I said, nothing happened. In all likelihood, nothing would happen at the Republican National Convention either. Only a fool would try something with that many guns ready to take him down. But now let's put the shoe on the other foot. What are the chances that nothing untoward would happen to Hillary or Bernie at a Democratic National Convention in which even the security forces and the Secret Service is disarmed? Talk about having to live with what the other side says it wants..
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