It Doesn’t Matter What You Think, It Matters What They Think

From the Brady Center event, I think it’s worthwhile to point out a question asked by the Center to Justice Stevens on the subject of those horribly, wrongly-informed American people who believe they have rights even though the Brady lawyers know better:

I don’t care how long I’ve been working the activism side for this issue, it will never cease to amaze me the sheer number of gun owners who believe that just because they – and likely all of their friends and family – believe something to be a right, it’s protected by the legal system. That’s simply not true. When it comes to keeping gun ownership legal, it really doesn’t matter what the founding documents actually say. All that ultimately matters is how the government interprets it and enforces any laws they pass on the issue of gun ownership.

It kind of reminds me of a story I was told by a Massachusetts gun owner who was talking to a Pennsylvania gun owner at the NRA convention in Pittsburgh back in 2004. After hearing about the variety of gun laws there and the licensing nightmare that determines what kinds of guns you’re allowed to own and how you can use them, the Pennsylvania guy just responded with, “But this is America!” Yeah, buddy, it is America. Welcome. I just hoped he started paying more attention to the issue after hearing those stories.

6 thoughts on “It Doesn’t Matter What You Think, It Matters What They Think”

  1. Yes this is ‘murka, but if those in gun right states are not vigilante, and take it for granted, it’ll be republic of KA and people’s democratic ass-suck of NY.

  2. While anti gun fanatics rely heavily on Stevens’ dissent in Heller, David T. Hardy pretty well eviscerated its arguments in 2010, pointing out “hasty and careless research”. But I think what is most telling about Stevens is his claim in that dissent that “no new evidence has surfaced since 1980” supporting the idea that the 2nd A would restrict Congress from regulating guns. Since Sanford Levinson’s “Embarrassing Second Amendment” back in 1989, our research into and understanding of the 2nd A has exploded. That Stevens would not recognize this is insulting. I suspect Stevens does not consider the 2nd A worthy of his consideration. So, he relies on the tired old “it’s the militia, stupid” arguments, sniffs at those of us who advocate for gun rights, and gets a free lunch from Brady.

  3. Oh, these Idiots have NEVER cared what we think. To paraphrase, “They’re on a Mission from Marx.”

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