Marching for More Gun Control

Marching...
Marching…

Fayetteville, AR-(Ammoland.com)- As I write this, the #MarchForOurLives is happening, and the hashtag is at the top of Twitter’s trending list. What do the crowds demand? “That their lives and safety become a priority, and that we end gun violence in our schools and communities.” Isn’t that nice?

Note that we’re being asked to sign a blank check, since the statement that doesn’t go beyond vague wishes. David Hogg, the literal poster child for the movement, frequently demands that we “do something,” though he adds a call to work together now and then. He also will admit that he supports universal background check requirements and a ban on “assault rifles.”

The squishiness here is exactly what gun control advocates have been advised to adopt. Facts get in the way of emotionalism, slowing down the march for busywork.

And that is what gun control is about, so much security theater. Supporters of gun control don’t like it when I insist that we base our assertions on evidence, and they also get annoyed if I say that whatever solutions we come up with have to respect basic rights. On that point, I find it telling to see that Hogg is now objecting to a new requirement at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School for students to use transparent backpacks. His objections are that making students have see-through packs is “unnecessary. It’s embarrassing for a lot of students.”

His generosity over sacrificing rights that he doesn’t exercise, while being offended that rights that he values are being attacked is an example of why the gun control movement is such a danger.
His generosity over sacrificing rights that he doesn’t exercise, while being offended that rights that he values are being attacked is an example of why the gun control movement is such a danger.

This illustrates the old line about “rules for thee, but not for me.” Hogg implies that he values his privacy and is upset that he’s being punished for the bad action of someone else. It would be interesting to learn if he sees himself as a hypocrite, but he never answers my questions to him, so I doubt he’ll explain himself on this topic.

His generosity over sacrificing rights that he doesn’t exercise, while being offended that rights that he values are being attacked is an example of why the gun control movement is such a danger. In several tweets that I’ve seen in preparing for this article, the claim has been raised that the marchers are a majority taking back power from a tiny minority. But that’s exactly what the Constitution is designed to restrain, since the framers understood the potential for a tyranny of the majority.

Basic rights are the foundation of a free society. If we chip away at that foundation, the superstructure may survive or might collapse right now, but it’s certain that with enough of the base knocked away, the whole thing will come down eventually. Like Hogg, I support privacy rights. And I’ll state that explicitly. And I support the right to express oneself on political topics. If someone doesn’t like guns, doesn’t want guns in society, or wants to ban guns, such a person is welcome to state that. That would be an exercise of rights. The line would be crossed, however, if those opinions were to be enacted in law.

Understanding the difference is a key part of maturity. And a necessary thing to keep in mind as we contemplate public policy. The marchers believe themselves to be on the side of goodness, but the direction they’re heading is one that they may not even realize and one that people who value rights must oppose. They hope that we will shut up and go away if they shout their demands in a loud enough voice. It’s up to us to show that we have evidence and reasoning on our side and that our stand on principle isn’t one that will be driven off the stage.


About Greg CampGreg Camp

Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can be found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.

Greg Camp
26 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Whodaty

I didn’t coin this, but it nicely summarizes something I’ve been saying for years;
“When We Had Child Control, We Didn’t Have A Need For More “Gun Control””.

The PC centric “feelings over facts” segments of our society is destroying us from the inside out.

Wild Bill

@Whodaty, That is terrific, and I am stealing it!

Darrell

This Useful Idiot calls himself a survivor.
Was he in the building where the shootings took place?
Were .223 rounds sent down range in his direction ?
Too many kids calling themselves “Survivors” when they were not even in the same building.
The true survivors are the 14 who took a bullet to their body and then survived.

Nomen Ignotus

…and …”Democracy ” may be difficult ..if you have an unpopular opinion … ask Socrates ( one of the truly Great Minds of History ) no Athenian Constitution just a “popular vote ” which resulted in ( 404 B.C. ) Socrates being forced to drink Hemlock …..no First Amendment back then in a “democracy ” …I would go with the “Republic ( the Founding Fathers all were familiar with ancient Greece ) . !

Nomen Ignotus

hmmm.. Maybe Hog Boy does not want others to view his back pack contents . which might include Tide Pods 🙂

Edward A Allen

He doesn’t want them to see his taste in porn or the drugs he’s carrying.

pjw

These sexually obsessive teenagers, are reacting to hormonal surges. Boy meet girl, boy meet boy or whatever combination of sexual coupling is tolerated within our society society today. The cause may be secondary for these children,than the opportunity to meet sexually agreeable partners. Seeing many of these adolescents laughing and joking at other anti gun rallies a short time after the Parkland FL school shooting, makes one question the seriousness of their motivations. These children are a threat to our Second Amendment Rights, but maybe a threat to themselves by injestiing laundry detergent pods or any one of a dozen… Read more »

Wild Bill

Ten stupid things that children do (yet they dictate to adults about Civil Rights): 1. Tide Pod Challenge This inane challenge involves having participants pop laundry detergent pods in their mouths and posting social media videos of themselves chewing on the pods. The biggest problem with this fad is simple: the detergent chemicals contained in the pods are extremely poisonous. The American Association of Poison Control Centers warns that ingesting laundry pods ìcan lead to seizure, pulmonary edema, respiratory arrest, coma, and even death.î 2. Hot Water Challenge This challenge involves several variations, but all include the presence of boiling… Read more »

tomcat

@W. Bill I never heard of some of these challenges but it goes to show you that these twerps have no business trying to dictate how this country is run. It is really too bad there are not parents behind them to say this isn’t right, don’t get involved

Resistence is futile

Maybe we should let these challenges continue? Darwin would approve of survival of the fittest. This would strenghten the gene pool and eliminate later greater stupidity from these idiots before they develop into politicians .

Rock

I think the clear backpacks should be used everywhere, along with a no electronics on school property rule. Dress codes should be enforced also.

recon29

Three teens from Parkland were arrested for violence, AT THE SCHOOL, several weeks after the shooting.

R. Degn

All of this marching and violence is being created by Hollywood and George Soros and these stupid little assholes are to immature to know whats going and what has historically saved their dumb asses !!

joe martin

Marching for something and carrying signs is about as effect as a fart in a windstorm. I’ll don’t worry about marchers and protesters. However, if and when it comes down to some idiots in office banning guns and then actually finding people stupid enough to try to confiscate guns from armed citizens opposed to giving up their guns, I’ll gladly do whatever is necessary. At my age, I’m too old to run, too feeble to fight, so shooting is about all that’s left. In the meantime I’ll do my best to put good people in office and get the idiots… Read more »

MBH

“Every day, 11 teenagers die because they were texting while driving.”That is 4015 per year! This is from
https://www.icebike.org/texting-and-driving/
Look it up yourself if you like and does not count non teen victims.
Lets march to that, wonder if these political puppets would join the cause.

Dr. Strangelove

#MarxForOurLives!

Vince Barbour

Go the full measure on this. If the age limit to buy a weapon is raised to 21 that indicates that those under 21 are not to be trusted to act reasonably. That means that NO driving before age 21 except with a licensed responsible driver 21 or over in the car. NO contract can be entered..like renting an apartment or other living space, so they must live with a parent or guardian until age 21. After dark curfews unless accompanies by a responsible person over 21. No entering into any type of employment requiring any kind of legal agreement…like… Read more »

Resistence is futile

Do it for the kids!

MB

He is the result of bad parents and bad schools. Rude, arrogant, vulgar, know it all, punk. His parents failed to put a boot in his butt once in a while, while the school system, ripe with Socialists and Marxists, stopped teaching the kids how to think, but how to regurgitate incorrect “facts”,

Scott

I wonder how he would feel if a law was passed that put the age limit to 21 to use or own a cell phone.
My bet is he wouldn’t like it at all

Jacob M. Opperman

It is kids like him that scare hell out of me. He wants to ban guns and make schools safe but yet screams, yells, and hollers about his rights when is book bag is searched. Kid you can not have it both ways no one can. And do you really think that bad people care about your right hell no it was just proved to you, but yet kid you don’t learn do you. Kid get over it the only way you are going to be safe is standing behind some one with a gun.

Resistence is futile

Maybe we should let these challenges continue? Darwin would approve of survival of the fittest. This would strenghten the gene pool and eliminate later greater stupidity from these idiots before they develop into politicians .

The Revelator

Spot on Greg. This is what I have been trying to teach people for years now. Consistency matters. With that being said, I’d like to highlight the key hidden point in your article for anyone else who reads this. “But that’s exactly what the Constitution is designed to restrain, since the framers understood the potential for a tyranny of the majority.” There is another couple of terms for this, those being Mob Rule, And more to the point “Democracy”. That is the key that the ignorant like David Hogg do not understand. America is not a Democracy, it is a… Read more »

Darkman

4/19/1775. The anniversary grows nigh. Perhaps people of the gun need their own march. To the state capitals of all 50 states or at least to your local county seat. Let your presence be your voice. Keep Your Powder Dry

The Revelator

@Darkman

I prefer peace, but if trouble must come let it come in my time so that my children can live in peace.

III%

Dr. Strangelove

IGOLD is coming up next month if you live in or near Illinois. I marched in ’13, but since moved to Iowa. There are protests all over, but they are ignored by the media.