Return of the Booth Babes: The 2007 SHOT Show
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The Anaconda Principle
When one of the big constrictor snakes squashes something for supper, we tend to think of rib cages cracking and eyeballs bugging out of skulls. But the reality is a much subtler process; every time the victim exhales, the snake tightens just a little. With each contraction of the serpent, there is less and less room to inhale, and finally there is none at all.
So it is with the attack on gun ownership. We pay attention to court decisions, and to whatever idiot law is percolating through Congress at the moment, but we tend to ignore the day-to-day harassment that makes life difficult—and sometimes impossible—for shooters and for people in the gun business.
An FFL dealer gives up because the record keeping is too much. A gunsmith shuts down because the ATF omits (either by accident or design) to renew his license. A judge or a chief of police sits on a handgun-carry application for a year. If you have lots of time and lots of money, you can fight these tactics but most gun owners and dealers do not, and eventually say the hell with it and give up.
The effect is very gradual but very certain. There are fewer gun owners, fewer gunsmiths, fewer dealers, and fewer guns. And none of this will ever be subject to a vote, or tested in court, or sent through a legislature. The explanation is always “…reasonable precautions taken in the interests of public safety.”
Someday, we may be as “safe” as Great Britain.
"Someday, we may be as “safe” as Great Britain."
Over here, it is always the law abiding citizens who get their guns taken off them, whilst gun crime increases! Fortunately, gun crime is still exceedingly low; but no politician (in fact, no one can!) can tell you what percentage of crime is committed by legally held firearms!
Yet they stopped us having hand guns and that was because the Police made a mistake!
To have a firearm over here, you have to go through a licensing procedure with lots of form filling and interviews with the Police. They even check with your Doctor to make sure you are not mentally unstable!
Whatever happens, you guys don't want that to happen in the US! Our human rights and freedom are slowly being eroded! It seems to be getting more Dictatorial every day, something our forefathers fought against!
Posted by: Simon | June 13, 2007 at 03:07 PM
Dear Mtnhunter:
Derogatory comments add virtually no value to any discussion. This is especially true when the respondent apparently misses the author's attempt to convey his message related to gun control through a metaphorical reference to the stranglehold of a constrictor.
Have A Great Day!
Posted by: Simple Simon | June 13, 2007 at 03:17 PM
"if you could hold your last breathe of life as instiction to survive, why in the hell would you breahte out..."
Posted by: Mtnhunter | June 13, 2007 at 02:04 PM
You exhale because of the buildup of carbon dioxide in your lungs, not due to the lack of oxygen. Also it's not something you can overcome with willpower, you'll do it eventually regardless of how hard you try not to.
That's why being in an oxygenless environment is so dangerous, you don't know that you're suffocating as there is no unusual buildup of carbon dioxide in your lungs.
Posted by: | June 13, 2007 at 05:09 PM
I know you have to freaking breathe, but it is human instict to hold on to whatever life you have until the last possible second and this part of the comment is irrelevant because the metaphor of the snake was wrong anyway smartass. That's why Dave was using the wrong metaphor. He should have compared firearm control to global warming or something Simon.
Posted by: mtnhunter | June 13, 2007 at 06:09 PM
And by the way, I am a pulmunologist.
Posted by: mtnhunter | June 13, 2007 at 06:10 PM
Global warming? Oh shit this blog will go on indefinitely now! All I know for sure is it's getting hot in here... I can think of a nice country that didn't have social programs. The United States of America for the first 150 years. But we're much better off now. Right? Big Brother is watching you and wants your guns AND money.
Posted by: Dr. Ralph | June 13, 2007 at 07:27 PM
Government social programs are the result of legislation passed by State/Federal "Representatives", to make good on their promises to give their electorate goodies in exchange for keeping them in office, (Votes, for those of you in Lomalinda).
Posted by: ROGOR | June 14, 2007 at 09:25 AM
Global warming is an issue and does relate to firearm control in that it is slowly ruining us and causing changes in a subtle manner, but we could control it and bring everything back closer and closer to where it was and sould be over time.
Posted by: Mtnhunter | June 14, 2007 at 12:36 PM
I like the metaphor Dave, and the snake kills to survive. I guess our government will only survive if they take away of gun ownership freedom? D*mn them snakes in Wasington DC!
Posted by: Ralph the Rifleman | June 14, 2007 at 12:42 PM
WE are killing shooting and hunting with organized sports! I had a talk with a co-worker on a long road trip. The kids are in basketball, football, baseball--you name it, and every weekend is tied up! Oh, don't forget golf! But the number of hunters has been steadily declining, and the places to hunt are becoming fewer and fewer. And what are the firearms and ammo companies doing to promote the shooting sports? Not nearly as much as they used to, or should be doing!
Posted by: Jim | June 15, 2007 at 07:36 PM
Another "Mtnhunter imposter" spewing irrelevant drivel a couple of posts up the blog.
Posted by: Mtnhunter | June 15, 2007 at 07:41 PM
It sucks to be mtnhunter when you don't know who you are. You are the irrelevant imposter jerk.
Posted by: mtnhunter | June 16, 2007 at 12:08 PM
Funny, a pulmonologist that can't even spell pulmonologist. Duh.
Posted by: Tony | October 04, 2007 at 01:43 PM
"The District of Columbia -- a densely populated urban locality where the violence caused by handguns is well documented -- will be unable to enforce a law that its elected officials have sensibly concluded saves lives," wrote attorneys for the city.
You can read more at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/11/20/scotus.handguns/index.html
Posted by: KJ | November 20, 2007 at 03:54 PM