There’s No Such Thing As A Law-Abiding Gun Owner?

By NRA Board Member Scott L. Bach

Leah Gunn Barrett
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence’s Leah Gunn-Barrett insinuates – There’s no such thing as a law-abiding gun owner.
Scott Bach
Scott Bach

New Jersey – -(Ammoland.com)- Last month I debated the head of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence in front of a class on culture wars at NYU in Manhattan.

Ironically named Leah Gunn-Barrett @gunnbarrett, the Empire State gun ban advocate presented a slick PowerPoint with charts and graphs of phony statistics supposedly showing that civilian gun ownership is responsible for all manner of murder and mayhem.

Her core message was that guns are a product intended to kill that have caused a public health crisis requiring extreme regulation; that the Second Amendment is really a collective right that belongs to the states, not individuals, and the Supreme Court’s Heller decision is a historical anomaly; and that NRA is the “gun lobby” doing the bidding of gun manufacturers for economic gain.

My core message was that guns save lives; that your personal safety is your own responsibility, since police have no legal duty to protect you; that gun laws are ignored by criminals and make the law-abiding more vulnerable.

That the same government that says it has no duty to protect you shouldn’t limit your right to protect yourself. I also made the obvious point that the Second Amendment is an individual right found in the Bill of Rights, and that NRA is the “gun RIGHTS lobby,” and speaks on behalf the millions of individuals who make it strong, not manufacturers.

The most revealing and disturbing moment of the debate came during the Q&A.

Ms. Gunn-Barrett candidly laid bare a basic premise of the gun ban mindset that usually goes unspoken: there’s no such thing as a law-abiding gun owner.

“You can be perfectly law-abiding one moment,” said Ms. Gunn-Barrett during the debate, “and then the next moment you can be a criminal and do something criminal and wrong, like shoot up a movie theater, or kill your spouse during an argument.” Regulation of people and behavior is needed, she said, “to protect us against our own stupidity and our own irrationality.”

In her warped view, we are all just ticking time bombs, waiting to go off. A law-abiding citizen could go on a murderous rampage just as easily as exceeding the speed limit. One minute we can be good, and the next moment we can become monsters.

That viewpoint explains every twisted piece of piece of gun ban legislation we’ve seen, and shows that what these extremists are targeting is legal gun ownership itself, not the criminal misuse of guns. To them, there is no such thing as a legal gun owner, so the solution is to reduce or eliminate gun ownership itself. When the anti’s speak of ending gun violence, what they really mean is ending gun ownership.

These people will not stop until there is nothing left of the Second Amendment, and the only obstacle in their way is us. Gun owners must remain eternally vigilant and prepared to answer the call to defend the one Freedom that separates us from every other nation in the history of the world.

Stand and fight!

Scott L. Bach, Esq. is a member of the NRA Board of Directors and is Executive Director and past President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. He is also a former member of law enforcement. Website: www.bachbio.com, Email: [email protected]

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Gregory Branan

Once I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a remark is added I get four emails with the identical comment. Is there any method you possibly can remove me from that service? Thanks!

Rob

What a disgusting, vile article by a piece of garbage with no morals, no conscience, no class or manners in his writing and the humanity of a terrorist. Keep up the spectacular work, Leah!

Ken

I’v been expecting people to take things in there own hands with the young and old punks running rough shod
over the civilized public!! Well done gun owners ,{ keep it up}.

GOD save AMERICA, Our president is throwing it away

kawa

Hmmmmmn according to ms. G-B I as a gun owner I am just a irresponsible gun killer in waiting….with that same mind set I along with all of the males in the world are just a bunch of “Rapists in waiting” because we have a penis.

Mike11C

Wow, this lady is so right. The other day, I was driving along carrying my legal and licensed handgun and, I looked down at the speedometer to see that I was going FIVE miles over the speed limit. Oh my God! I could have killed someone. (I hope I don’t need to say but, SARCASM!)

EricX

And apparently there’s no such thing as a mentally stable hoplophobic liberal either!

james

I am sure Mrs. Gunn-Barrett is passionate about gun control and her desire to be gun free.

However, I suggest that she can be the first to be controlled by the government for her own safety and ours.

“Regulation of people and behavior is needed, she said, “to protect us against our own stupidity and our own irrationality.”” Mrs G B

freewill

theres no such thing as a law abiding politician, if they voted to pass any law, ordinance, infringing on the second amendment, they broke the law. the right of the” people” to keep and bear arms, the right of the” people” to be secure in their persons and effects, and the” people” vote their congressman, does the national guard have the exclusive to peaceably assemble? or be secure in their persons or effects, does the national guard elect their congressman? get the point Leah?

Michael

There is only so much you can do to cure mental illness. Sometimes people are really beyond help and shouldn’t be allowed to breed or vote.

Dennis

Wow,
The woman needs serious mental health help.
She obviously is a threat to someone and should be locked up because at any moment she could go all bat-scat crazy and hurt people in her car.
Someone Backer Act this woman immediately!

EricX

There’s no such thing as a sane hoplophobe.

Ken P

So I guess Ms. Barrettt doesn’t own a gun because she fears she may become a violent psychopath. Such stupidity in the world today. Somewhere down the line maybe one of us ” gun toting maniacs” may save her life one day. Wonder what her reply would be if that happened.

Raul

Someone needs to regulate her attitude and behavior before she pops a gasket, see how she likes it. Just another liberturd who thinks they know whats good for the world. Actually, what would be good for the world is her extinction

charles

The simple fact is this…..every state has a hidden agenda…..they seriously want to give 50% of their populations felonies….don’t matter what kind….that gives them the power to force 50% of the people to give up their right to own a gun….why do you think so many chickenshit laws are passed that have a penalty of a felony….

Huet

She should change her name. An anti-gun person with that name has to be clueless.

surf hound

I don’t really care about the UK and Australia and how many people were killed by gun violence. Our Constitution and its interpretation by the United States Supreme Court is what I care about. We even have a process in place if you want to repeal or amend the 2nd Amendment. Until that time comes, the Constitution governs this great land. You may disagree with the Heller decision but it is currently the law of the land! The “Right of the People” in the Bill of Rights has always been read to be an “individual” right. Does it make any… Read more »

Randy

This is pure BS put out by those who are driven more by dimwitted ideology than fact, or reality. I have been a gun owner, collector, and FFL holder most of my life, and although I have had people break into my home, my car, and my store, I have never, ever, fired a shot. Luckily, I haven’t had to, but at least I had the option if needed. In almost all of these instances it took the police nearly half an hour to arrive, then in the most dangerous instance, stood in the parking lot talking nearly five minutes… Read more »

Dan

I don’t really let it bother me too much anymore, This gal is just like all the other Bloomberg style robots spouting mindless propaganda. I just make sure to be aware of events in my state legislature and what my federal reps are up to and communicate accordingly with them, also be sure to keep up my support of the NRA

DrEd

If they are really concerned about saving lives then we need to ban the things that kill the most people right?
That means we need to ban automobiles, prescription drugs, and processed foods because they kill more people than anything else!!!

Gene Branton

I have a picture on my wall showing Mr. Spock speaking to Capt. Kirk on bridge of the starship Enterprise (Star Trek for the non-trekkies). Spock is saying “Logic Dictates, Captain, That if Pro-Gunners are as violent as Anti – Gunners say they are, There wouldn’t be any anti – gunners left.”

Doug

Typical gun-control advocate. She knows just what to say to piss people off.

Jacob Dalton

As i’m sure you’ve all heard we can settle this argument in one simple statement…
“If you want my guns, feel free to knock on the door and try and take them from me. Let’s just hope for your sake you’re better armed then you’re trying to make me.”

S. Smith

No such thing as a rational woman either. One minute you’re a bothersome shrew being all ugly and such, and the next you’re picking a fight with the people with the guns……

Michael Perkins

Liberals freak out about guns, because they are unstable irrational beings with warped minds, therefore they project that conservatives are the same. I’m all for banning leberals from owning due to mental defect.

Janek

What has been seen cannot be un-seen! LOL

Joseph A Correia III

Like I have stated before when you start your argument on a faulty and completely unconstitutional premise you get a faulty argument.the basic tenant and presupposition of American Constitutional law is that all are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Unless of course you are a firearms owner then you are guilty until proven guilty by the media or the public in general and if found no guilty in a court of law you are still found guilty by the media or any other wacko with an axe to grind.And by the way trying to derail an… Read more »

DaveB

Guns don’t kill people, people do. So are we ready to ban people, who would vote for the morons that run our countries if not people. Makes about as much sense as banning cars. Any one who likes the English gun laws and wants to live here, feel free to swap places with me. Also someone who is so pedantic about the use of “seen” or any other word should remember that dictionary’s are adjusted to match the spoken word, therefore if enough people wrongly use “seen” the majority will become “right” and the pedant “wrong”. Of course there is… Read more »

William Martin

For all of you people wanting to change this Country (The United States of America) into England, Australia, or be like any other Country of choice… FEEL FREE TO PACK YOUR BAGS AND MOVE YOURSELVES TO THOSE COUNTRIES!!!… The whole reason our forefathers came here to begin with, was because they were tired of living in that manner and under those constraints. You want to live under their laws?.. then go over THERE and DO SO!.. But you won’t, because you all know this Country us where the MOST FREEDOM, MOST LIBERTY, and MOST OPPORTUNITY IS. To all of you… Read more »

KJQ

So by her own logic, she can’t be trusted to remain law abiding and should be locked up for the good of society.

Stephen Malm

Fortunately, people like Ms. Gunn-Barrett loudly make their presence, ignorance and very twisted version of logic known, and most reasonable Americans reject her as a lobbyist for lunatics. I’m more worried about the people who quietly think this way, and plot accordingly. By this woman’s reasoning, how could we ever trust a driver, a policeman, a pilot, a chef, or even a mom and dad ever again. After all, they are all just as much a “ticking time bomb” in the position to get angry and kill others at any time. So there is no such thing as a law-abiding… Read more »

Tom

By her logic, there is no such thing as law-abiding citizen because one minute you can be law-abiding citizen, the next minute you can rob someone with a knife or just strong arm someone out of their properties, or perhaps rapes someone. So everyone is a criminal, we should turn ourselves to the authorities and go straight to prison….oh, wait, aren’t the authorities criminal too! This woman needs to check herself into an insane asylum!

Marci LaBrie

She could say the same thing about black people based on statistics but that would be unheard of….that would be considered outlandish and ignorant to make such an unqualified, biased statement about a single group of people. And yet few bat an eye when she suggests this….

jetgraphics

An armed populace is not a danger. But a disarmed populace is in grave danger – from predators, armed or not.
Only the predator benefits when the prey are disarmed, weak and helpless.
….
You can’t have a totalitarian police state under a benevolent dictatorship of the Collective when the sheeple can shoot back.

Luis G Bonilla

She feels that the Government needs to Bann anything that we do . Think , Breath , Eat , Going to take a Dump or go take a Piss , what to look at or who we look at and when to look at any thing or any one . Our Freedoms should be taken away from us since we lack the capacity to do right or think right . The only ones to have the Freedom to do anything is those who are in power . She wants us to be slaves to those who want control over people… Read more »

mark dryer

Why doesn’t she leave the US if she doesn’t like our rights? Why try and strip us of our rights instead of just moving to a place she can feel “safer”. Safety first……. right?

Mickey Meador

If she is so certain we would all be safer without guns, maybe she will tell us her home address so we can all have tea with her in perfect safety.

David: San Antonio

“Regulation of people and behavior is needed, she said, “to protect us against our own stupidity and our own irrationality.”
This statement could be the “core statement” for liberal thinking and ideology.
Irrational behavior…she needs to look in the mirror and say that…wouldn’t sink in, but worth a try.
By-the-way…I think she’s a loon…

Luther Williamson

Obama lover.

sinjin

i support gun rights 80 percent the other 20 percent ill explain at the ending of this..she spouted her bull let me give you some facts….A Little Falls homeowner was charged with second-degree murder Monday for shooting two unarmed teenagers in the midst of an apparent Thanksgiving Day break-in. The man, Byron David Smith, 64… Long Beach, California, man was burglarized and beaten by a couple, police say Female suspect claimed she was pregnant, but Greer shot her twice, killing her DA will determine whether the 80-year-old homeowner will be charged this was the 3rd time he had been robbed… Read more »

me

That has to be the dumbest shit I have ever heard . I want her to explain her comment there’s no such thing as a lam abiding gun owner …that’s bull shit !!!!

Kate

So…is everybody with a penis a potential rapist? I mean….they’ve got the hardware…..they may snap one day & use that penis for something EVIL! Maybe all penises should be taken away from everybody who has one because even though a man MAY NEVER have done anything wrong with that penis……well, one day he MIGHT rape someone. TRUST ME when I tell you that I’m sure there are literally thousands of people who have owned guns in the U.S. & NEVER done anything illegal with their gun. You ma’am are an IDIOT….and I’m being REALLY generous & nice when I say… Read more »

mcsey

Could I source for those comments? I’m just curious why the people at Fox News and World Net Daily and NewsMax aren’t all over this. Could it be because it is completely made up?

Colleen

Uh yeah. Cause a crime can only be committed with a gun. Unhunh. What an idiot. I live in Texas. Everyone owns a gun. Not one of the people I know has even committed a crime with or without a gun. The ignorance and bias some people show is remarkable!

Don

I strongly suspect that the anti rights advocates are merely reflecting on themselves. When they say that someone with the additional measure of control that can be gained by being armed will use that advantage for gaining ultimate control, they are stating this from a solid foundation of what they, themselves, being a strong advocate of controlling others, would do. They assume that everyone is just like themselves and wants to control what everyone else thinks and does. They, as they demonstrate in their speech and actions daily, do not believe in defending themselves. Gun haters typically have a protection… Read more »

Pam

Ask Ms Barrett what she would do if she had a home intruder with a gun come into her house. What would take less time? Call the police and wait for them to show up which could be 15 to 20 minutes, or grab a gun and shoot the intruder before he finds you? I have a gun and a Pitbull, which do you want to see first? 🙂 I would not go without my protection for no one. AND I AM A RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNER.

Whiteeagle

I Thought The ‘LEFT’ DIDN’T Want ‘Morality’ Legislated !!!! ????

Ben

I think these crazy women are not getting any sex. I am an old man whose home is full of many weapons and guess what lady? I have never shot anything but paper and wild game. Except Vietnam of course.

Magpie

She needs to have your hair and eye brows outlawed first before she starts talking about outlawing guns………..

UAV Pilot

“She’s a MAN, baby!”

SaveTheGuns.com

It is people like this woman in the article that inspire me to recruit another 2,300+ NRA Members.

Marc
NRA Membership Recruiter (2,387 members recruited)

John Bouchey

That bitch be crazy

law abiding gun owner

My gun has never been used in the commission of a crime.therefore her statement is a lie,