The above is from a Gallup poll. And the questions are a combination of President Obama's actions and proposals regarding guns. And yet, what we hear are the loudest voices of a distinct minority: the NRA as represented by its leadership, the crazies in Congress, and the paranoiacs at large in our midst.
It's in this context that I find particularly amusing John Boehner's latest bit of extracosmic thinking, when he claimed Barack Obama's agenda is to annihilate the Republican party. (One can hope!) It could be true, in effect if not in specific intent: as long as today's Republican party is so out of step with the needs and wants of America, then by proposing reasonable, popular, and necessary actions in all areas of our national discourse, our president will, merely because of reality, expose teabaggRs for the regressive and destructive actors that they are. If today's Republican party is heading toward annihilation, it's not by any actions the president is taking; it's by their own intransigent refusal to think beyond their most selfish self-interest; not to mention their theocratic intentions.
On the other hand, I don't see signs of it actually occurring. Because of their gerrymandering and on-going efforts at suppressing and degrading the votes of their opposition, they'll keep sending enough representatives of the Bachmann/Gohmert/Broun variety to derail progressive legislation, if not to advance their own. Which means, as I see it, their self destruction will coincide with their destruction of everything else.
Sorry Sid, though I agree all of those are worthwhile, but they left the most important question:
ReplyDeletePay an additional percentage point of income in taxes: For 22% Against 77% (my guess of the numbers).
A depressing number of people stop wanting these things when they see the price tags. I had a big debate with my mother (my wife has now forbidden these conversations) about whether social programs are necessities for growth, or are luxuries to be cut in lean times.
Well, the poll was about guns...
ReplyDeleteActually, I've seen several polls showing a majority of people prefer raising taxes over cutting essential spending.
Probably doesn't matter, though, as long as Rs hold the House, and teabaggRs hold them.
I'd prefer an opposition party that accepted the majority of BH0's ideas on guns except the "assault weapons" and "high capacity magazines" bans.
ReplyDeleteThere are reasonable ways to decrease gun violence without infringing on the rights of those who want/need a modern sporting rifle for defense or sport.
I've yet to hear of anybody proposing funding for research into why a society that used to have rifle clubs in high school now can barely be trusted with a slingshot. That's kind of an important question.
Regards,
PT
NEJM public opinion poll shows that NRA members agree with the public (& BHO) on the majority of proposed "gun control" measures.
ReplyDeleteThe NRA members only differ on limitations on modern sporting rifles & restricting magazine capacities.
This makes sense. NRA members are reasonable people. They realize that modern sporting rifles & magazine capacities aren't the problem, but support all of the other intiaitives. Good stuff.
Regards,
PT
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1300512
I fully agree, PT. I have NRA friends, and they're very reasonable people, not at all threatened by Obama's actions. It's the current NRA leadership, which, I assume, is in the thrall of manufacturers, and which appeals to the paranoid "coming for our guns" wing, that's failing its general membership. And the rest of us.
ReplyDelete