reasonablenut

I'm a grassroots kind of guy: start at the bottom and work your way up. Gun rights are particularly effective on this level.

In the past, I have submitted editorials about miscellaneous things (most of which have to do with my job.) I can say with certainty that I have never written to the editor.

Some folks do, and more power to them. I got this email today, which you might see on numerous other sites because they were all listed:

Dear Editor: I am a WASP, deer-hunting, heterosexual male from Smith
County,
Texas. I belong to the NRA and am a Texas State Rifle Association
Endowment member. I shoot assault rifles in matches monthly and was a
member of the 2004 TSRA National Match Service Rifle Team that shot the
101st
National Matches at Camp Perry Ohio. I teach novices and young
people
firearms safety. I've even trained US army units going to Iraq
to shoot
their own weapons. I hold a High Master NRA Highpower Rifle
classification
and wear Distinguished Rifleman badge number 1659. I
maintain a Texas
State Concealed Carry license. I am also honored and
proud to stand in
COMPLETE solidarity with my brothers and sisters in the
San Francisco chapter of
the Pink Pistols who are currently fighting AGAINST
repression and FOR the
empowerment and safety of the citizens of your city.
I agree with the Pistols
opinion. The supervisors have the issue
exactly backwards! Not only
should San Francisco NOT ban handguns, but
the city supervisors should lead the
statewide charge to secure the Second
Amendment rights for all citizens by
issuing Concealed Carry licenses to any
human being who passes a background
check and completes a brief and
affordable training and safety course. Let
me encourage the
supervisors to think in revolutionary and visionary ways.
I encourage
them to fight crime, empower oppressed minorities and the
trans-gendered,
celebrate the Bill of Rights, reject group-think and reactionary
world-views, and promote freedom, safety, and family values in the bay
area. Handgun enlightenment NOW!Robert XXXXX XXXXX, Texas

I applaud this man's pro-active approach to recent problems. Unfortunately, if you live in Texas, you will have scant effect on SF city council or the State legislature. Scream, cry, whatever, but those people can screw themselves over however they see fit. And more power to them. That is Federalist law at work. And I doubt the DOJ will step in and say that gun ownership is a birthright (I may be wrong, but...well, I'm not wrong.)

At the same time, this is illustrative but useless. Robert is well intentioned and well meaning. That doesn't change the fact that a letter like this probably marinalizes gun-owners. Linking a variety of political issues (family values, trans-genderism, etc.) only makes one look desperate to the public. The RTKBA is not linked to your minority status or your victim status; it is a right that is recognized by the founding documents.

You can piss around with it, and call it what you will. You weaken the argument by setting loose associations that will eventually be turned against you. This happens all of the time. Minorities are the "biggest victims" of gun crime. Therefore arguing that they need the 2nd amendment is tantamount to killing them.

You also have to remember, that the people cited as victims are of much lower a level of schooling than what a responsible gun-owner is.

My favorite scene from "Bowling for Columbine" was when the fat fuck was trying to cover a school shooting in Michigan. The mother was black and had been evicted in the last month. The state actually made her work a little for her bi-weekly check. And, she was not there to make sure her son did not shoot a classmate.

First off, bullshit. The mother was never married and had 2 kids (READ Not a Widow.) Additionally, she ditched her kids with her crackhead brother. On top of that, this genius decides to leave a .380 ACP pistol lying on the table.

Moore never reports these pertinent facts. Murder is due to the fact that women have to earn money and show up for jobs.

While Robert has an interesting point, I doubt the 2nd Amendment was placed as it was to protect the "trans-gendered." They can benefit from it as well as anyone else.

I think Robert misses the forest for the trees.